There is a lot which can be said on this subject. Leaders of the free world(whatever that means),the greatest nation in the world, Leaders of democracy. These are some of the self-awarded accolades which Americans have given to themselves, but we have to separate the nation from the people in this instance.
America is a great place to visit. There is a multitude of things to do, places to visit, things to buy. The service is second to none. Nothing is too much trouble. The food is fantastic. I have visited the country on several occasions, and have always had a wonderful time.
The people on the other hand! This article is primarily about the philosophies and culture of Americans.
First and foremost, Americans welcome all to their shores to ‘live the American dream’ and for some this dream is about the opportunity to ‘be anything you want to be’, but with this welcome comes the ‘duty’ of honouring your country above all else. To be American means to trash all other countries, to believe you are superior to all other countries, and to believe that you can control all other countries.The latter being the reason why America has such a massive military. This they say is to ‘protect their citizens against all threats, both external and domestic’ (to quote their oath of allegiance). The problem herein lies in the fact that the values mentioned above have created the very situation they now find themselves in. Most countries in the world have varying degrees of dislike for America. One of the things this stems from is the belief that they can (to quote George W Bush), “spread democracy around the world”.
But the simple question is, whose democracy? Democracy is about self-determination, regardless of whether you agree with the methods used. Countries around the world ‘self-determine’ their own agenda and their own values, and do not necessarily need to have ‘American values’ inflicted upon them, so the statement itself makes a mockery of democracy (nice poetic ring!!!)
The reason the world is such a varied place is that the variety of cultures, religions, beliefs, and attitudes seen around the world shows that not everyone want to see America ‘duplicated’, and that just because they see themselves in a certain light, there is no need for them to burden us with ‘The American Dream’
In conclusion, America has the ability to become a good country, but this is in their own hands. If, or when, they change their own values and attitudes, and stop ‘policing’ the rest of the world, this change may happen.
I personally don’t believe it will ever happen.
