Quote:
Originally Posted by dacia
True, human history is about conquest, but I never claimed that my people were the lightning rod for humanity.
Americans on the other hand:
“All too often, politicians rally their audience with inflated claims of American greatness. The United States is "the greatest country in the world." At other times, it is "the greatest country ever," "the greatest country ever conceived," or "the greatest country in the history of mankind." When the exuberance soars, America also "kicks ass!"
Nearly as often, one hears of the United States as the great Samaritan: second to none at 'civilizing' half-breed races. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, the United States is the "the last best hope of mankind," no less. More frequently, it is "the shining beacon on the hill." Recently, John Kerry, Democratic Presidential candidate, roused students at UCLA, "I believe we can bring a real victory in the War on Terror. I believe we must, not only for ourselves but for all who look to America as the last best hope of earth." I have to wonder if the Vietnamese civilians killed by Kerry and his crew also looked upon them as "the last best hope of earth."”
http://www.counterpunch.org/alam03232004.html
Alex |
This is one of my main concerns about our international conduct. Pride is seriously dangerous stuff and we're choking on it to some degree.
We, the US, are in somewhat of no-win position though. Other nations expect us to be the deep-pocketed aid-machine, and we do that to some degree -- such as after the Sunami -- but the same tools that enable us to offer that kind of aid are also the tools we use for warfare, in large part.
And, people do want to live here more than in their own country, fairly often. Some of that is just due to sheer wealth, but much is due to our legal system, where the little guy has much more opportunity to seek redress from some wrong, private or gub-mint, than is common in much of the world.
But then we tarnish our good features with mis-adventures like Vietnam or the current repeat in Iraq.
I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. The US is good and bad. Hopefully enough people here can learn from our mistakes to move this thing forward.