"Medienkritik embraces the authoritarian mindset that is widespread among the roughly 30% of Americans who remain loyal to President Bush."

What a vast sweeping generalisation, David! Have you polled or spoken to an significant number of these people with an 'authoritarian mindset'? Or are does your research consist of reading Mikey Moore's book? If that much?

I mustsay that one or two of Moore's ex-employees have told tales hinting that Mikey himself may have an 'authoritarian mindset', so he may know whereof he speaks. About himself if not Bush.....

Fuchur, I think anti-americanism is partly in the eye of the beholder. You seem to believe that a semi-pathological hate of Bush and US neocons is a fairly normal thing and doesn't rise to the level of meriting the term anti-americanism. Perhaps you also believe that one cannot be anti-american if one doesn't hate the entire country. In the extreme case this would mean that hating every american except Noam Chomsky and Michael Moore could invalidate the lable for anyone - an assertion I would consider absurd.

Correct me if I am wrong.

I think that some people use George Bush as a proxy for an entire group of people - including most people who vote for Bush. They admit that there are 'good' americans (presumably Kerry voters or people whom they agree with). But as most americans aren't that way I think that attitude might fairly be termed anti-americanism, depending on the degree of hate felt. Mild distaste is one thing; pathological hate quite another - whether openly expressed or not.

One clue is whether there is discernable balance in the opinions expressed by such a person. Does he see some merit in the policies of the Bush administration and is on balance somewhat negative? Or does he see virtually everything Bush does as evil?

And what is that, alex? What is Bush besmirching?

Al Gore? John Kerry? Michael Moore?

I sometimes wonder whether many Europeans even begin to understand the US at all, it's history, it's traditions, the very tenets upon which it was founded?

"But here we aren´t talking about general anti-Americanism or about Mr Lütgert´s collected works - we´re talking about this one specific commentary."

By their fruits you will know them.... That was utter nonsense, Fuchur. Labeling a person anti-American ONLY makes sense in the context of his body of work. Any one piece can be objectionable or dead wrong but without some consistency it's hard to judge......

"And I stand by what I´ve said: I don´t see any reason why this commentary should be labelled anti-American."

By that statement virtually any anti-whatever would go unscathed.

"E.g., it´s rather hard to argue that a man like Michael Moore, who explicitely states that "this is a great country", is anti-American. He himself would strongly disagree, and say that it´s your perception of what´s "American" that is wrong."

Moore hates everyone who doesn't agree with him 100% - that much is obvious. So he's anti-american - because he loathes at least 60% of his fellow citizens. Mikey get's his comeuppance every two years.

The smartest move the Democrats could make is to pay Michale Moore - not to make his next film!

Which they may have done this time. Moore has been silent for an unnaturally long time. It's either a payoff or he's sinking into the final torpor....