There are still a lot of people who insist the only way to be a patriot is to patronize everything their country does. To do otherwise -- say in the Nazi Germany of the 30s right up to the Islamic Iran of today -- is to face possible death.
And yet, there is also death by a thousand cuts...!Today, those who criticize this country often suffer a thousand deadly cuts. Oh, not all the critics, to be sure. Rageful critics (AKA, Tea Partiers) consider themselves the "real Americans" so therefore they deem their rage high-decibel patriotism. On the other hand, thoughtful critics (AKA, academics) often hear the ugly old chant: America-love-it-or-leave-it.
Perhaps the best way to really fathom America is to follow the classic tradition of Tocqueville. To look at this dynamic society with the eyes of a thoughtful foreigner. When you do, it's hard not to get a fascinating parallax view. A teeming land of enormous energy, creativity, optimism...side by side with enormous swagger, self-righteousness and a feeling the world is made up of only two kinds of people: Americans & those who would like to be Americans.
Hard to deny that both these Americas are in some way the "real America." Which is why so many populations in the world harbor this passionate love/hate complex about us. Perhaps best illustrated by the way half the world wept at 9/11 for us; the other half said, "about time someone cut you down to size."
The Bush presidency had a we're-the-one swagger to it; the Obama presidency speaks of reconciling the differences between the world's have and have-nots. Each has their followers. However, neither can claim to represent the Tea Party's so-called "real America." Because there is no such place. Unlike most lands, there is no one ethnicity to America. There are dozens!
Historian John Steele Gordon put it best: "What binds us together is that we all subscribe to the ideas so eloquently expressed in our founding documents. If you come to this country, subscribe to these ideas, then congratulations you're an American. Every bit as much of one as someone whose ancestors arrived on the Mayflower..."
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GOT IT!!!!
ReplyDeleteBeing an American is something anyone can be. They don't own it, they acquire it.
ReplyDeleteWell stated, Jack. I think, Americans are their own worst enemy sometimes. They give the impression that America sits on the right hand side of God, and if you are not American, then you are only 'worth' knowing, 'if' you follow on behind them and buy their equipment. One of the things that gives the rest of the World this impression, is 'Holywood'!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as Americans are involved in some drama, be it a War, or 9/11, they bring out a Movie.
In these 'movies', Holywood are experts at changing History and adding 'spin' to it to give the 'impression' that John Wayne, or Errol Flynn, saved the World.
Take, for example, the Movie U-571, in which 'Holywood' shows how America captured the German Enigma Machine and the code books. There is no mention of Bletchley Park in the UK, nor that it was in fact a British Destroyer that captured the code machine from a sinking U-Boat, with the death of some of the British Sailors, as well as the fact, that Britain had smashed the code already, to such an extent, that towards the later period of the War, Hitler would have found it easier to phone Bletchley Park himself, and ask them what the latest message to him, said..as Bletchley 'read' all messages to him, before his were de-coded by the Germans.
To be fair however, the makers of U-571, did mention in the closing titles, that it was a British Royal Navy Ship that did this...but who reads the closing titles ? So in the eyes of the World, [who don't know their History] America was clever enough to do this, and 'Won' the war using the information obtained by reading all the German code messages.
The War in Burma, was treated the same way, as Errol Flynn captured Burma from the Japanese, without any help from Britain.
There is no question, that without America entering the War, on the British side [and there was some doubt for a while that they would do this], and the help from Russia, the Germans would not have been beaten, as Britain could never have done this on its own. Britain no longer had the strength, more so after WW1.
America, treats its friends as poor relations, [which in some way we, in the UK are], but though America fights for freedom, it is, 'selective'. If some dictator says he will keep[in the old days anyway] Russia out..they will support him..the fact that he kills his own people, or neighbours, is ignored, or, if he has control of oil, he is also a 'nice person', and Amewrica sells him tanks, and sends him money..but, if he allows Russia into his Country, then he is attacked. Now of course, its no longer Russia as such, but Islam who are the 'enemy', but not those with 'oil'.
To be fair, all Countries do this, including Britain. But 'saying' that, does not mean I am anti-British, nor anti-American, but simply stating the facts.
Americans love their Country, as do other people who love their own Countries, but we must never be blind to the true facts, that Countries sometimes do good things, and sometimes, bad.
Why should we not say this ? After all, the fight for freedom, is for all of us, or why are we always at War with someone ? or is it just all about power, oil, gold, and land ?
Alfred ~ You nail it here! Sadly, most everything you say is true. But as you can imagine, damn few of my peers like to admit it. Or say it. Actually, many here can't understand why the world doesn't love us. I mean, after all, we're the "good guys!"
ReplyDeleteOne troubling example is how most Americans still think the world sees us as the good guys landing in Normandy...not the bad guys patrolling and shooting up the streets of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama understands this, but has to articulate it very very carefully. How slow human nature is to mature!!