laepelba |
March 22, 2010 04:41 AM |
I am quite patriotic, and I love my country. In fact, even more than my love for my country, I love the IDEA of my country. But I have to say that I am often embarrassed by Americans. As I have traveled the world, I have often witnessed Americans (in general) being rude and obnoxious. As if the world owes them something. It makes me SO sad!
I think that many other countries see the United States as a country full of wealthy people (and, surely, the majority of the "poor" in the United States are better off than the "average citizen" in many, many countries, including probably all of the third world). The United States is also seen as the aggressor - trampling down smaller/weaker countries to get what we want or perceive that we need.
Some examples:
- Why do some developing countries not want to do what's best in the interest of the global climate/environment? Because countries like the US are so far ahead of them, they need to catch up with us. Have we helped them? Not really, unless it's to our advantage. We've destroyed the environment, and now we're asking them to remain undeveloped because their quest to "catch up" might hurt the global environment further? That doesn't seem fair to them.
- How many countries have governmental leaders that will forgo the basic rights/needs of their people to win big contracts with US companies? I challenge you to read up on some of what has gone on in Peru over the past few years about big US oil companies and the Peruvian government's attitude toward development on indigenous lands.
I'm sure I could go on and on .... but I'll stop here. I think that the view that other countries have of us isn't entirely "unearned".........
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