As per the question above. When you are on the top, those below you may try to drag you down. The U.S. has been thrust into a position of world leadership over the last hundred years. We have had to bail people out of wars, help clean up the mess left by 500 years of European colonialism, win the Cold War, and play policeman for a human race that is like a bunch of squabbling children. Any entity with such vast responsibility is inevitably going to make mistakes or do things that most others (without the same amount or degree of responsibility) don't agree with. Under such circumstances, some of those who can't/won't run with the big dog are going to seek self-satisfaction by staying on the porch and yelping at him. As for some similar behavior by Americans, it may be a matter of being negative because that is in vogue. I read one newspaper article about a man who is essentially a professional protester of everything American. As soon as the bombing started, he started making signs but leaving them blank. The reason is that he did not know what the U.S. was going to do, but he planned to protest it no matter what it is.