We all heard it growing up- "Everyone wants to be an American!" "Everyone wants to move to America!" "America is the greatest country in the world!!!" We heard it, we absorbed it, breathed it, lived it, that belief oozed out of our very special little snowflake American pores.
I believed it till I grew up and started talking to people from some of those other countries, who were sort of surprised because, well, they LIKE where they are and wouldn't WANT to leave.
They don't want to be American.
"Outrageous! They're just jealous!"
Are they? What the hell of?
"They can't have GUNS there!"
Ummm...they don't WANT guns there. They are horrified at how often we kill each other by accident and by virtue of passionate moment. Horrified.
"They have high taxes there!"
Yep. They sure do. They also enjoy high wages, universal health care, free education THROUGH COLLEGE, short work weeks, long vacations, all sorts of goodies we don't have because we're too selfish/shortsighted/bullheaded/gullible to do otherwise. Because we're told that to be otherwise would be to give up our freedom.
So we're free.
Free to be underpaid.
Free to be sick.
Free to be uneducated.
Free to be over-worked.
Free to die at our desks because we can't afford to retire.
That's some Freedom there, boy howdy. FreeeeeDumb.
My favorite, of course, is "Well, sure those places can afford all that nice stuff for their people- WE take care of their security! WE protect the entire world!" WE saved all their sorry asses in WWII!"
Somewhere along the line we went from 'benevolent uncle' to 'empire-builder' without missing a beat; seamlessly, insidiously, relentlessly. We bring Freedom to the rest of the world...whether they want it or not. With sanctions and bombs and occupations and drones, we pound 'em with Freedom till they bleed and die, deliver enough Freedom to obliterate their buildings, their people, their societies.
"You sure do hate America! Why don't you just go live over yonder in one o them Scandinavian places if you love it so much?"
I don't hate America. I love America and it happens to be my home, my birthplace. I'm an American and know that the idea of America is still alive, still viable, and very much a good thing. We need to get back to that.
We need to stop being so damn afraid of ourselves that we startle, aim and shoot into the mirror, turn the gun when we hear a twig behind us and shoot ourselves. We're killing ourselves because we ARE each other.
We need to stop being so damn selfish and afraid that someone somewhere will 'get something they don't deserve' and just take care of each other. "judge not..." and "love each other" are direct orders from your Christ, remember?
We need to stop thinking that we are the best at everything and have the only ideas that make any sense and especially we need to stop looking down our noses at the rest of the planet like they're simpletons.
Because they're not. And we need to look at what's working in other places and not have a knee-jerk SOCIALISM COMMUNISM HITLER! reaction because that's just stupid.
We need to stop being stupid. But I don't know if we can.
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/01/11/country-crazy-inquiring-minds-elsewhere-want-know
PS- One of my friends lost her husband recently. Cancer. That's just the last of several in my little universe and every time it happens I think, "That could've been me. It so easily and quickly and nearly was me." It's going on five years since we almost lost Ward and I remember it so vividly- staring at my sleeping ten year old son and thinking, "What will I tell him? How can I do this alone?" I didn't have to...I DON'T have to. Ward's still here. Not 'by god's grace' but by his own amazing stamina and the skill of the medical staff Ward's still here. It's the little miracle I wake up to every morning and go to sleep to every night.And no matter what else happens every day...it's enough.
photo
photo by Sheri Dixon
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2015
Monday, December 22, 2014
Not All...
"Not all" is a 'reversible' phrase. It's a close relation to "Not everything", "Not everyone" and "Not every".
Here's how they work. You can use them at the beginning of any sentence, and they render the sentence completely different from how you meant it. In fact, they're almost magical.
Just like the old saying about dogs- tell a dog
Don't eat that
Don't pee there
Don't chew this
And what they hear is
Eat that
Pee there
Chew this
They focus only on the words they want to focus on.
Anyway, here goes, and every single phrase below is 100% how I feel. Notice the inclination to exclude the first word from the thought process in order to fit me into some preconceived notion of who you think I am.
Not all cops are assholes.
Not all young black men are thugs.
See that? I can be against policemen who abuse the power of their position and not be a cop-hater. I can abhor those who misuse that power and still be outraged and horrified when two get murdered by a psychopath.
I can acknowledge that there are segments of young male society (any color) who live in and thrive on violence and not giving a shit while knowing full well that that's not all of them (or even most of them).
Those are true statements no matter who you are.
But here's what people hear-
All cops are assholes.
All young black men are thugs.
Those are false statements no matter who you are and only serve to divide us more than we already are.
Not everything a Republican says is a lie.
Not everything a Democrat says is the truth.
Again- all politicians are individuals with their own agendas and favors to repay. Some conservatives have good ideas and some liberals have bad ideas.
But what do we hear?
Everything a Republican says is a lie.
Everything a Democrat says is the truth.
Bad. Very bad.
Once more!
Not everyone who goes to church is a good person.
Not everyone who is an atheist is a bad person.
I've known some folks who have a path flat worn down from their house to the church and yet I wouldn't trust them as far as I can throw them. Ever. With anything or anyone.
I personally am an atheist, and I'd like to think I'm a pretty decent human being.
And yet, what do we hear?
Everyone who goes to church is a good person.
Everyone who is an atheist is a bad person.
Dangerous. Dividing. Deadly.
Here's what happens with statements like this. The first sets are open, accessible, discussion-inducing. They proclaim a non-concrete opinion that is inherently open-minded. Read 'em again and you'll hear it.
The second sets- the ones people's brains hear and then repeat as quotes- are absolutes that are not up for debate or discussion- those minds are closed tighter than a baby's mouth when there's strained broccoli coming at it.
In the end
Not every conservative is a racist bastard and
Not every liberal is a bleeding heart imbecile
but it's going to take careful and deliberate re-training on our own parts to fix this unconscious mental habit.
The politicians encourage it for their own ends.
The media encourage it for their ratings.
Every faction, race, religion, and group encourages it because there MUST be an 'us against them' mentality- otherwise how do we know who are the good guys (like us) and who are the bad guys (who we don't want to be like)?
If that automatic suspicion is gone, that instantaneous revulsion removed, where does that leave us as a people?
It leaves us with the truth.
Most cops are doing a difficult job bravely and unflinchingly and when even one of those dies in the line of duty it's one too many. It's especially heartbreaking when it's senseless, and random, and unexplainable.
Some cops are assholes who thrive on power and feed off hatred because cops are human and there are those types of humans everywhere, but it's more dangerous when it's a cop and those need to be ferreted out- even one is too many.
Most young men are just trying to find their way- in their peer groups, the world at large, in life. They make stupid mistakes because we all do. Most of those mistakes aren't fatal but even one is too many.
Some have been caught up in a destructive life and they are a danger to themselves and others and even one is too many.
Most Christians are good people who are trying to live life according to their Christ, who was a good example. Those are the ones quietly helping the poor, feeding the hungry, championing the downtrodden. These need to be spotlighted and emulated even though the 'humility' part of Christianity forbids them of doing so themselves.
Some Christians wield their Faith as a weapon and bludgeon the rest of us with it, whether we believe or not. They are intent on making our nation a theocracy...for our own good, of course. These people are dangerous, and self-serving, and definitely NOT Christians as Christ intended.
Here's the thing about Conservatives and Liberals. We're all American citizens with equal rights and equal freedoms. For the most part, we all love our country and want what's best for ourselves, our families, our communities and the nation as a whole. Most of us are aware that this requires compromise because we're all different and even though the Ends are very similar, the Means and Path to get there varies between ideologies.
Most of us are intelligent, thinking, caring people.
Some of us are assholes. Both sides.
Somewhere, somehow, we need to find the strength and patience and backbone to protect and celebrate those who are doing their best every single day no matter if they're in 'our group' or not. Across the board.
And we need to call out the violence and hatred and destruction mental and physical; haul it into the light of day and expose it for the evil it is and the evil it represents and be done with it. Do not accept it no matter where and who it comes from.
Do not.
America is a great idea. I think we should try it out sometime.
Here's how they work. You can use them at the beginning of any sentence, and they render the sentence completely different from how you meant it. In fact, they're almost magical.
Just like the old saying about dogs- tell a dog
Don't eat that
Don't pee there
Don't chew this
And what they hear is
Eat that
Pee there
Chew this
They focus only on the words they want to focus on.
Anyway, here goes, and every single phrase below is 100% how I feel. Notice the inclination to exclude the first word from the thought process in order to fit me into some preconceived notion of who you think I am.
Not all cops are assholes.
Not all young black men are thugs.
See that? I can be against policemen who abuse the power of their position and not be a cop-hater. I can abhor those who misuse that power and still be outraged and horrified when two get murdered by a psychopath.
I can acknowledge that there are segments of young male society (any color) who live in and thrive on violence and not giving a shit while knowing full well that that's not all of them (or even most of them).
Those are true statements no matter who you are.
But here's what people hear-
All cops are assholes.
All young black men are thugs.
Those are false statements no matter who you are and only serve to divide us more than we already are.
Not everything a Republican says is a lie.
Not everything a Democrat says is the truth.
Again- all politicians are individuals with their own agendas and favors to repay. Some conservatives have good ideas and some liberals have bad ideas.
But what do we hear?
Everything a Republican says is a lie.
Everything a Democrat says is the truth.
Bad. Very bad.
Once more!
Not everyone who goes to church is a good person.
Not everyone who is an atheist is a bad person.
I've known some folks who have a path flat worn down from their house to the church and yet I wouldn't trust them as far as I can throw them. Ever. With anything or anyone.
I personally am an atheist, and I'd like to think I'm a pretty decent human being.
And yet, what do we hear?
Everyone who goes to church is a good person.
Everyone who is an atheist is a bad person.
Dangerous. Dividing. Deadly.
Here's what happens with statements like this. The first sets are open, accessible, discussion-inducing. They proclaim a non-concrete opinion that is inherently open-minded. Read 'em again and you'll hear it.
The second sets- the ones people's brains hear and then repeat as quotes- are absolutes that are not up for debate or discussion- those minds are closed tighter than a baby's mouth when there's strained broccoli coming at it.
In the end
Not every conservative is a racist bastard and
Not every liberal is a bleeding heart imbecile
but it's going to take careful and deliberate re-training on our own parts to fix this unconscious mental habit.
The politicians encourage it for their own ends.
The media encourage it for their ratings.
Every faction, race, religion, and group encourages it because there MUST be an 'us against them' mentality- otherwise how do we know who are the good guys (like us) and who are the bad guys (who we don't want to be like)?
If that automatic suspicion is gone, that instantaneous revulsion removed, where does that leave us as a people?
It leaves us with the truth.
Most cops are doing a difficult job bravely and unflinchingly and when even one of those dies in the line of duty it's one too many. It's especially heartbreaking when it's senseless, and random, and unexplainable.
Some cops are assholes who thrive on power and feed off hatred because cops are human and there are those types of humans everywhere, but it's more dangerous when it's a cop and those need to be ferreted out- even one is too many.
Most young men are just trying to find their way- in their peer groups, the world at large, in life. They make stupid mistakes because we all do. Most of those mistakes aren't fatal but even one is too many.
Some have been caught up in a destructive life and they are a danger to themselves and others and even one is too many.
Most Christians are good people who are trying to live life according to their Christ, who was a good example. Those are the ones quietly helping the poor, feeding the hungry, championing the downtrodden. These need to be spotlighted and emulated even though the 'humility' part of Christianity forbids them of doing so themselves.
Some Christians wield their Faith as a weapon and bludgeon the rest of us with it, whether we believe or not. They are intent on making our nation a theocracy...for our own good, of course. These people are dangerous, and self-serving, and definitely NOT Christians as Christ intended.
Here's the thing about Conservatives and Liberals. We're all American citizens with equal rights and equal freedoms. For the most part, we all love our country and want what's best for ourselves, our families, our communities and the nation as a whole. Most of us are aware that this requires compromise because we're all different and even though the Ends are very similar, the Means and Path to get there varies between ideologies.
Most of us are intelligent, thinking, caring people.
Some of us are assholes. Both sides.
Somewhere, somehow, we need to find the strength and patience and backbone to protect and celebrate those who are doing their best every single day no matter if they're in 'our group' or not. Across the board.
And we need to call out the violence and hatred and destruction mental and physical; haul it into the light of day and expose it for the evil it is and the evil it represents and be done with it. Do not accept it no matter where and who it comes from.
Do not.
America is a great idea. I think we should try it out sometime.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
I Just...What?
Sometimes when I drive, I like to listen to talk radio to stay awake. And since we don't have any new-fangled gizmo like 'Sirius satellite radio', that means Right Wing Yell Radio.
Because that's the whole show on the public airwaves. You know...the Liberal Media.
It sort of drifted in and out, but I finally found one that lasted for a good ten minutes before statticking away...The Michael Savage Show.
In ten minutes, I learned a few things.
At least I'm pretty sure I was learning, because every other sentence he said one of two things-
"You don't know this."
"This is something you don't understand."
So the first thing I learned was that Michael Savage is psychic and knows what I know and understand. Awesome.
And it must be true. He sounded very sure of himself.
I don't want to withhold this valuable information from you, so here it is, pretty much in the order presented, as I remembered to dictate it into my phone after manually closing my mouth that was hanging open in amazement.
-Atheists only believe in power. Atheists don't believe in tomorrow or an afterlife, so they feel they are free to do anything they want to without repercussion. Which is so weird, because *I'M* an Atheist and I do believe in tomorrow. Also, myself and all the other Atheists I know tend to treat this one life we have with MORE care and concern for others and tend to be MORE moral than someone who believes that they can do pretty much anything (no, wait- absolutely anything) and as long as they say, "I'm sorry" and give puppydog eyes to the Man in the Sky, they're totally cool. We have no 'spiritual loophole'- we're either good people or assholes and most of us choose to be good people...because it's the right thing to do- not to avoid burning in imaginary hell.
-This current administration is Atheist. That's why it's overstepped its power over and over again. Ahhh...cleverly disguised as a Christian family and cleverly using Executive Orders less than any other president in the history of Executive Orders. Nefarious.
-Israel is fighting for its life against Gaza, who keeps viciously attacking unprovoked. It's more than a regional war, tho- Israel as God's Chosen People are literally fighting for the future of the ENTIRE WORLD in a Judeo-Christian(?) vs. ISLAM battle and the ATHEISTS in the US who are pushing the LIBERAL One-World Order are sending poor little Israel to the Slaughter. I just...I can't. It's too insane. Gaza has NOTHING. They are trapped there and being decimated by an Israel that is armed to the teeth. I just...too much propaganda horror.
-The LIBERAL ATHEIST US government and its bastard media is 'DEMONIZING Vladimir Putin, who is our NATURAL ALLY in the war for a moral world'. Read that again. It's actually verbatim what he said. Again, slowly.
Ten minutes.
What if this sort of stuff was all I was exposed to? What if this, and Hannity, and Rush, and WorldNet Daily were my only sources of news? I'm surrounded by people like this and I can't get over it. They aren't bad people. But they swallow this shit hook, line, sinker, pole, fisherman AND BOAT. And if you try to put anything else in front of them that doesn't square with what they 'know', it just doesn't compute. Best case scenario is they look at you like you're an imbecile. Worst case is they'll tell you you're unAmerican and maybe need to move somewhere else.
Like where? America, land of the Free where everyone's voice and opinion counts? I'm already a citizen of that nation, thank you very much. Although more and more, 'living Blue in a Red State' is an exercise in courage/stupidity/futility.
This morning while drinking coffee, I had a brief online discussion regarding Robert Reich's latest column- should the US break up into different countries? Are we too far gone off either side to ever come back together?
All the vile bullshit Michael Savage vomited out onto the airwaves and I just typed out? That's 'truth' to a great many people. They hear it from their trusted sources and it's parroted from their pulpits and gets cemented in their heads that way and to question it gets tangled up in questioning God and lord knows we can't do THAT.
Lets talk for a moment about the refugees down on the border.
Here's what I read about that from the Right Wing just in the last hour and from just one thread-
"My sister said it takes $15,000 just to feed one of those kids till they get deported."
"I read that only 2% of the illegals are children, the others are gang members and adults who are just being released into our country."
Please note that this was in a conversation where the participants were actually grappling with the Christian humanitarian aspect of the refugees (although they can't bring themselves to refer to them as anything but 'illegals'), not your usual run of the mill Hate Crowd.
And they STILL couldn't do it- they still couldn't make the insurmountable leap from what they're being fed and what the real needs and issues are. They still spew out, "We need to take care of our own people first!" when...NO SHIT. Why are the two things mutually exclusive? They all need attending- the refugees, our homeless, our veterans, our children. All of it. None of it is right and we COULD afford it all if only we stopped being so damn afraid because we are being told to be afraid.
The very size and depth of their fear makes me afraid for our future as a nation indivisible.
I'm afraid.
I'm afraid that the internet made things worse instead of better. That instead of broadening people's horizons with learning different viewpoints and cultures, it gave the perfect platform to circle the wagons of isolationism- to burrow down in pockets of familiarity and stay there...vindicated by being surrounded only by those who think the same, look the same, hate the same.
I'm afraid that there is a huge population in the middle who have no clue. They don't want to think about things that are far away because it doesn't affect them, don't vote for anything other than president (if then) because they don't think it'll change anything anyway and it's SO HARRRRRRD to like, read up on issues and shit. So they coast, and ride the tide, and don't look up unless something finally directly affects them and it'll be too late. It'll be too fucking late.
I'm afraid that it's already too late.
Because that's the whole show on the public airwaves. You know...the Liberal Media.
It sort of drifted in and out, but I finally found one that lasted for a good ten minutes before statticking away...The Michael Savage Show.
In ten minutes, I learned a few things.
At least I'm pretty sure I was learning, because every other sentence he said one of two things-
"You don't know this."
"This is something you don't understand."
So the first thing I learned was that Michael Savage is psychic and knows what I know and understand. Awesome.
And it must be true. He sounded very sure of himself.
I don't want to withhold this valuable information from you, so here it is, pretty much in the order presented, as I remembered to dictate it into my phone after manually closing my mouth that was hanging open in amazement.
-Atheists only believe in power. Atheists don't believe in tomorrow or an afterlife, so they feel they are free to do anything they want to without repercussion. Which is so weird, because *I'M* an Atheist and I do believe in tomorrow. Also, myself and all the other Atheists I know tend to treat this one life we have with MORE care and concern for others and tend to be MORE moral than someone who believes that they can do pretty much anything (no, wait- absolutely anything) and as long as they say, "I'm sorry" and give puppydog eyes to the Man in the Sky, they're totally cool. We have no 'spiritual loophole'- we're either good people or assholes and most of us choose to be good people...because it's the right thing to do- not to avoid burning in imaginary hell.
-This current administration is Atheist. That's why it's overstepped its power over and over again. Ahhh...cleverly disguised as a Christian family and cleverly using Executive Orders less than any other president in the history of Executive Orders. Nefarious.
-Israel is fighting for its life against Gaza, who keeps viciously attacking unprovoked. It's more than a regional war, tho- Israel as God's Chosen People are literally fighting for the future of the ENTIRE WORLD in a Judeo-Christian(?) vs. ISLAM battle and the ATHEISTS in the US who are pushing the LIBERAL One-World Order are sending poor little Israel to the Slaughter. I just...I can't. It's too insane. Gaza has NOTHING. They are trapped there and being decimated by an Israel that is armed to the teeth. I just...too much propaganda horror.
-The LIBERAL ATHEIST US government and its bastard media is 'DEMONIZING Vladimir Putin, who is our NATURAL ALLY in the war for a moral world'. Read that again. It's actually verbatim what he said. Again, slowly.
Ten minutes.
What if this sort of stuff was all I was exposed to? What if this, and Hannity, and Rush, and WorldNet Daily were my only sources of news? I'm surrounded by people like this and I can't get over it. They aren't bad people. But they swallow this shit hook, line, sinker, pole, fisherman AND BOAT. And if you try to put anything else in front of them that doesn't square with what they 'know', it just doesn't compute. Best case scenario is they look at you like you're an imbecile. Worst case is they'll tell you you're unAmerican and maybe need to move somewhere else.
Like where? America, land of the Free where everyone's voice and opinion counts? I'm already a citizen of that nation, thank you very much. Although more and more, 'living Blue in a Red State' is an exercise in courage/stupidity/futility.
This morning while drinking coffee, I had a brief online discussion regarding Robert Reich's latest column- should the US break up into different countries? Are we too far gone off either side to ever come back together?
All the vile bullshit Michael Savage vomited out onto the airwaves and I just typed out? That's 'truth' to a great many people. They hear it from their trusted sources and it's parroted from their pulpits and gets cemented in their heads that way and to question it gets tangled up in questioning God and lord knows we can't do THAT.
Lets talk for a moment about the refugees down on the border.
Here's what I read about that from the Right Wing just in the last hour and from just one thread-
"My sister said it takes $15,000 just to feed one of those kids till they get deported."
"I read that only 2% of the illegals are children, the others are gang members and adults who are just being released into our country."
Please note that this was in a conversation where the participants were actually grappling with the Christian humanitarian aspect of the refugees (although they can't bring themselves to refer to them as anything but 'illegals'), not your usual run of the mill Hate Crowd.
And they STILL couldn't do it- they still couldn't make the insurmountable leap from what they're being fed and what the real needs and issues are. They still spew out, "We need to take care of our own people first!" when...NO SHIT. Why are the two things mutually exclusive? They all need attending- the refugees, our homeless, our veterans, our children. All of it. None of it is right and we COULD afford it all if only we stopped being so damn afraid because we are being told to be afraid.
The very size and depth of their fear makes me afraid for our future as a nation indivisible.
I'm afraid.
I'm afraid that the internet made things worse instead of better. That instead of broadening people's horizons with learning different viewpoints and cultures, it gave the perfect platform to circle the wagons of isolationism- to burrow down in pockets of familiarity and stay there...vindicated by being surrounded only by those who think the same, look the same, hate the same.
I'm afraid that there is a huge population in the middle who have no clue. They don't want to think about things that are far away because it doesn't affect them, don't vote for anything other than president (if then) because they don't think it'll change anything anyway and it's SO HARRRRRRD to like, read up on issues and shit. So they coast, and ride the tide, and don't look up unless something finally directly affects them and it'll be too late. It'll be too fucking late.
I'm afraid that it's already too late.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
They're Just Jealous
Any time anyone has a discussion about why and how come the rest of the world feels anything but positive warm fuzzy feelings about America, especially if the discussion is between Americans, and most especially if those Americans have never actually been off of American soil, it'll make a predictable decline from Statement A to Statement C.
Statement A- "Everyone wants to be an American. This is the greatest country on the planet. Land of the Free. Home of the Brave."
Well, to be honest, although America IS a very nice place (mostly) and we are free (mostly) and brave (mostly) the shocking truth is that quite a number of people who live elsewhere DON'T want to be Americans. We're also known for our less desirable traits such as aggressiveness, pushiness, selfishness and an almost prideful ignorance- all things Americans abroad have driven home to every other country in the world.
Other countries have things like running water, grocery stores, opportunity for the industrious and excellent educational systems. Rumor has it there are even flush toilets in other countries.
Statement B- "America has been the World's Protector- why don't they appreciate us, those ungrateful bastards".
Although SOME of the military intervention abroad has been purely humanitarian in nature, a whole lot more has been totally self-serving, something that's evident when our military presence remains long after the immediate threat is gone. It comes as a shock to alot of Americans that we overstay our welcome many places (refer to the less desirable trait list above).
Statement C- "They're Just Jealous".
I don't think so. I think they just don't like us. I think they may WANT to like us but we make it so difficult.
For instance- it came to me as in a vision why we're so disliked the world over and it all boils down to three words-
Sun Chips Bag
Yes, Sun Chips Bag. Americans are angry, annoyed and positively obsessing about Frito Lay's new bag that the snack chips Sun Chips come in.
I'm not sure what started it- the bags have been out at least 3 months, but suddenly it's everywhere- Facebook, YouTube, the Today show, even an article in the Wall Street Journal- all having to do with how LOUD the bag is.
We live on a planet where there is hunger, poverty, pollution, inequalities of all sorts, and Americans are spending a huge amount of time and energy bitching about the noise a paper sack makes when we open it to knosh on our marginally healthy but still mostly empty calorie expensive SNACK food.
What slays me is that most of the people bitching about it live and work in huge cities filled with noise that's constant, gnawing and oppressive. To drown it out they've always got their Ipods in their ears or some sort of media on.
Really? Your BAG is too noisy? Poor, poor baby. How EVER will you manage to EAT YOUR BETWEEN MEAL SNACK in enjoyment???
The bag is too noisy. I'm sorry. I can't stop typing that.
The bag is too noisy. Nope. Still absofuckinglutely ridiculous.
And the very epitome of Why the Rest of the World Dislikes America.
Statement A- "Everyone wants to be an American. This is the greatest country on the planet. Land of the Free. Home of the Brave."
Well, to be honest, although America IS a very nice place (mostly) and we are free (mostly) and brave (mostly) the shocking truth is that quite a number of people who live elsewhere DON'T want to be Americans. We're also known for our less desirable traits such as aggressiveness, pushiness, selfishness and an almost prideful ignorance- all things Americans abroad have driven home to every other country in the world.
Other countries have things like running water, grocery stores, opportunity for the industrious and excellent educational systems. Rumor has it there are even flush toilets in other countries.
Statement B- "America has been the World's Protector- why don't they appreciate us, those ungrateful bastards".
Although SOME of the military intervention abroad has been purely humanitarian in nature, a whole lot more has been totally self-serving, something that's evident when our military presence remains long after the immediate threat is gone. It comes as a shock to alot of Americans that we overstay our welcome many places (refer to the less desirable trait list above).
Statement C- "They're Just Jealous".
I don't think so. I think they just don't like us. I think they may WANT to like us but we make it so difficult.
For instance- it came to me as in a vision why we're so disliked the world over and it all boils down to three words-
Sun Chips Bag
Yes, Sun Chips Bag. Americans are angry, annoyed and positively obsessing about Frito Lay's new bag that the snack chips Sun Chips come in.
I'm not sure what started it- the bags have been out at least 3 months, but suddenly it's everywhere- Facebook, YouTube, the Today show, even an article in the Wall Street Journal- all having to do with how LOUD the bag is.
We live on a planet where there is hunger, poverty, pollution, inequalities of all sorts, and Americans are spending a huge amount of time and energy bitching about the noise a paper sack makes when we open it to knosh on our marginally healthy but still mostly empty calorie expensive SNACK food.
What slays me is that most of the people bitching about it live and work in huge cities filled with noise that's constant, gnawing and oppressive. To drown it out they've always got their Ipods in their ears or some sort of media on.
Really? Your BAG is too noisy? Poor, poor baby. How EVER will you manage to EAT YOUR BETWEEN MEAL SNACK in enjoyment???
The bag is too noisy. I'm sorry. I can't stop typing that.
The bag is too noisy. Nope. Still absofuckinglutely ridiculous.
And the very epitome of Why the Rest of the World Dislikes America.
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