Is it any wonder?
This'll be short, because it's late and I'm tired. But it was a realization that dawned on me the other day.
I have, for years, wondered why the entire world seems to have such a scaldingly negative perception of us...not just the government, but the American people in general. There are those that would say it's because we elected the government...and there may be something to that. But I saw something a couple of weeks ago that actually cast the whole situation in a completely new light for me.
I was scanning through some news articles online, and came across some commentary on the Al Jazeera website, an op-ed article about the Palestinian/Israeli situation, and the challenges that still needed to be overcome to achieve peace. It was actually surprisingly objective about the whole thing...at least from my very limited perspective.
But then I started looking at the comments posted about the article...and I was appalled. There were about three or four Americans that had posted responses--and they were some of the most bigoted, anti-Semitic, jingoistic stuff I've ever read. Seeing that, I suddenly found myself wondering how many people in the world are only exposed to the 'average American' in this manner...and it suddenly made sense to me why so many people in the Arab world have the impression that all Americans want to grind them into the dirt, crush their government and religion, and leave them flailing for a place in the world. I almost...almost!...put up a post that said, "Hey, don't listen to these assholes. We don't all think this way!" (The thing that was really scary, to me, was that there were two or three of them--Americans--that were arguing back and forth...but they were all so rigidly aligned against anything that didn't come from the USA that their arguments were basically over semantics...)
So, if anyone from the Middle East ever reads this--no, not all Americans have it in for you. Some of us would be quite content to live and let live...if it hasnt' become too late for that.
On a similar line, I wonder what makes terrorists think they're actually going to gain the objectives they claim to be striving for. Does ANYONE remember a situation in history where terrorism actually won any significant objectives? (I'm not talking about resistance-- striking against military targets. I'm referring to operations that are aimed specifically at civilian, non-combatant targets.) There's no precedent I can recall for it...and with a few millenia of history to look at, you'd think that someone would look and say, 'Hey, y'know...this tactical approach has never actually worked. The only thing it's ever won for its perpetrators is bad publicity and international ire..." But I don't think I'll ever truly understand the thought process of terrorists, anyway. And, actually, that's something of a comfort to me.
New random question to be passed around--
What's the weirdest injury you've ever experienced?
In my case, it was jamming a safety pin through (not just into...all the way THROUGH) my finger trying to repair a set of suspenders right before a show a couple of years ago. And with that, I bid you all good night...
This'll be short, because it's late and I'm tired. But it was a realization that dawned on me the other day.
I have, for years, wondered why the entire world seems to have such a scaldingly negative perception of us...not just the government, but the American people in general. There are those that would say it's because we elected the government...and there may be something to that. But I saw something a couple of weeks ago that actually cast the whole situation in a completely new light for me.
I was scanning through some news articles online, and came across some commentary on the Al Jazeera website, an op-ed article about the Palestinian/Israeli situation, and the challenges that still needed to be overcome to achieve peace. It was actually surprisingly objective about the whole thing...at least from my very limited perspective.
But then I started looking at the comments posted about the article...and I was appalled. There were about three or four Americans that had posted responses--and they were some of the most bigoted, anti-Semitic, jingoistic stuff I've ever read. Seeing that, I suddenly found myself wondering how many people in the world are only exposed to the 'average American' in this manner...and it suddenly made sense to me why so many people in the Arab world have the impression that all Americans want to grind them into the dirt, crush their government and religion, and leave them flailing for a place in the world. I almost...almost!...put up a post that said, "Hey, don't listen to these assholes. We don't all think this way!" (The thing that was really scary, to me, was that there were two or three of them--Americans--that were arguing back and forth...but they were all so rigidly aligned against anything that didn't come from the USA that their arguments were basically over semantics...)
So, if anyone from the Middle East ever reads this--no, not all Americans have it in for you. Some of us would be quite content to live and let live...if it hasnt' become too late for that.
On a similar line, I wonder what makes terrorists think they're actually going to gain the objectives they claim to be striving for. Does ANYONE remember a situation in history where terrorism actually won any significant objectives? (I'm not talking about resistance-- striking against military targets. I'm referring to operations that are aimed specifically at civilian, non-combatant targets.) There's no precedent I can recall for it...and with a few millenia of history to look at, you'd think that someone would look and say, 'Hey, y'know...this tactical approach has never actually worked. The only thing it's ever won for its perpetrators is bad publicity and international ire..." But I don't think I'll ever truly understand the thought process of terrorists, anyway. And, actually, that's something of a comfort to me.
New random question to be passed around--
What's the weirdest injury you've ever experienced?
In my case, it was jamming a safety pin through (not just into...all the way THROUGH) my finger trying to repair a set of suspenders right before a show a couple of years ago. And with that, I bid you all good night...
posted by Curtis at 12:46 AM
3 Comments:
I hear you Curtis.
My two cents: regarding why we're all so hated - a coupla things.
Ignorance. We're inundated right here in the US with right-wing hate radio and journalism that either twists or outright lies about daily events. Too many instances to site here but the last presidential election where Kerry was 'swiftboated' is one big example.
The Bush government. It wasn't all that long ago that people around the world LOVED the U.S. That was during the Clinton administration when he put a lot of effort and money into needs overseas. Sure, he wasn't perfect and he couldn't do everything but people seemed to see that. I base this reason on the two European trips my wife and I have made in the past few years. We have many friends over in Europe who are just stunned at the decisions made by our present government. When we were in Greece this past May there were many shopkeepers that would say, "Americans? We love Americans but we don't like Bush.' It was kinda wierd. Happened half the time and we went into tons of shops.
Third - the press. They're asleep at the wheel. A person really has to dig to get any real info on stuff.
All oversimplifications, I know but hey - it's a blog response.
Also - unfortunately, terrorism has worked. The first really documented instance of a modern terrorist act was when the U.S. barracks in Lebanon was car-bombed, killing around 280+ marines during the Reagan administration. Reagan pulled the rest of the marines out. Lesson learned? We bombed 'em, they left. (I've heard this a number of times on talk shows and read it in a lot of interviews so I'm repeating others' opinions here. I believe we'll see the same thing in Iraq. Eventually, we'll leave and Iraq will be in worse shape than when we went in. Lesson learned: U.S. loses, far-right-religious-minorities-who-are- willing-to-send-impressionable- poor-kids-out-to-do-their-dirty- work-and-blow-themselves-and- others-up win.
and just after I wrote the previous comment, I found this in today's Salt Lake Trib.
http://www.sltrib.com/nationworld/ci_3426732
Get off the hatter band wagon of this one too.
You coulnd't do a better job. If ya hate the government and country, get out! Canada & Mexico loves Americans. Every body wants to live here,everyone except Bin Laden.
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