Despite it being a Peaktalk core theme, I’ve never been able to come up with a comprehensive explanation for Europe’s anti-Americanism. Instead of finding one blanket theory that covers this phenomenon, there are different aspects that can help explain it, the first one was posted here. The second one is delivered by Paul Belien of the Brussels Journal who argues that the European perception of the moral equivalence between the US and the former USSR is a key explanatory factor. He concludes:

It reinforced the message of the “peace” movement of the 1980s that the Soviet occupation was basically on a par with the American domination of Western Europe. Now that the Soviet domination has ended, West European public opinion wants America out as well. It is a sentiment they share with the Jihadists.

While I agree with the basic premise that Belien puts forward, there are some notable differences among Europeans, which is why I keep on arguing that Europe has now become a multi-tiered continent and that it’s hard to come up with a “one size fits all” theory. Still, we’re building a broader explanation looking for the origins of anti-Americanism, and if readers can come with more suggestions I will post them, together with my own thoughts. The end result will hopefully be one detailed explanation of this bizarre, yet interesting phenomenon.

UPDATE: To be clear, European anti-Americanism should not be confused with Europe's Inertia. Anti-Americanism is only one aspect of that inertia.