When I was in Australia (a semester in 1996), it was almost second-nature for people to bash America. I didn't detect any flat-out hatred (it was more of the "I hate people who drive SUVs" variety), but four events stand out in my mind:

• I was hanging out with some friends in a dorm room, listening to some local Alternative/Punk band. One of their choruses was "Kill all American pigs." The Aussies suddenly felt awkward and one said they should turn off the CD. Of course, they'd listened to the album a million times before; it's just that they'd never really pondered the implications. Lesson 1: Don't give people too much credit for critically thinking about their words and posturing.
• In one of my classes was a (socialist) political activist. He made a cynical remark to the effect of, "Look at all those black athletes in Atlanta (for the Olympics). Meanwhile they were lynching blacks in Georgia not that long ago." Of course, the next Summer Games were held in Sydney, where not that long ago, they hunted black people (Aborigines) like game. Lesson 2: It's easier to criticize an "other" than a "self".
• I interned at a major Australian paper and attended their morning briefings. China had released a statement attacking the US, Britain and Japan (for supporting Taiwan, perhaps?). And the editors disappointedly remarked that Australia was apparently unworthy of a mention. Lesson 3: It's not only America that discounts smaller US allies' significance.
• I went to see "The Craft" (awful movie; spare yourself the trouble) and, during the previews, I noticed that the people were talking strangely. Then, I realized — not only was the film American, but so were all but one film preview. American pop culture (and to a lesser extent, the British) dominates Australia's. With the exception of news and sports, almost no television shows were Aussie. I heard more Snoop Dogg and John Denver (!) than AC/DC or INXS (two popular exports). The fashions and books in the mall were American. McDonald's was very popular. Lesson 4: Don't underestimate how real a fear it is that Canadians/Australians/New Zealanders feel they are (superficially) losing their identities as nations, and how rejecting America, for its own sake, addresses those concerns.