America
America is an incredible country, and Americans are justifiably proud of it. In little over 2 centuries, their country has risen to be the most powerful and economically successful nation on Earth. There is little that goes on in the world without their country’s agreement and involvement; they are world leaders in science and technology; and they have a free and democratic society that is protected by the US constitution. It is a truly great nation that has achieved a great deal in a very short space of time.
Of course, there’s a lot that can be said against America, too – a heck of a lot. But I think sometimes America’s detractors (myself included) can lose sight of just what it is they’re up against in terms of the American psyche. Given the stuff I rambled on about in the opening paragraph, I think it’s easy to understand why Americans are so in-your-face patriotic about their country – it is, in their eyes, a land of opportunity, freedom and greatness. And they want to protect it at all costs.
The problem is that all those great achievements have come at a huge cost. If you ignore all the bad things America has done to get to where it is today, then it’s easy to admire the world’s greatest superpower. But when you think about the brutal regimes across the globe that have received American support, the blatant disregard for Earth's environment, the internal race and class struggles, the hypocrisy in their policies, you come to a different conclusion.
And that is why I find it to be a great nation ruled by a truly repugnant government. A government, sadly enough, elected to power by its citizens. Now, what does that say about Americans?
Of course, there’s a lot that can be said against America, too – a heck of a lot. But I think sometimes America’s detractors (myself included) can lose sight of just what it is they’re up against in terms of the American psyche. Given the stuff I rambled on about in the opening paragraph, I think it’s easy to understand why Americans are so in-your-face patriotic about their country – it is, in their eyes, a land of opportunity, freedom and greatness. And they want to protect it at all costs.
The problem is that all those great achievements have come at a huge cost. If you ignore all the bad things America has done to get to where it is today, then it’s easy to admire the world’s greatest superpower. But when you think about the brutal regimes across the globe that have received American support, the blatant disregard for Earth's environment, the internal race and class struggles, the hypocrisy in their policies, you come to a different conclusion.
And that is why I find it to be a great nation ruled by a truly repugnant government. A government, sadly enough, elected to power by its citizens. Now, what does that say about Americans?
posted by Atif at 1/23/2006 01:03:00 am
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