America is arrogant. But before you right-wingnuts paint me with the "anti-American'' brush, observe a more practical scenario: Close your eyes and imagine your workplace. Now picture one of your colleagues coming over to your desk and crowing about how magnificent he is; how much smarter and more beautiful he is and how inadequate you are compared to him. Oh, and he also tells that you should take all your pointers from him to become a better employee, even though you've been doing your job quite effectively for some time now.
Now imagine having to hear that every day over a long time. What would you do? What would you say to that employee? Do you think maybe the slightest bit of resentment would build up despite that person's best intentions? Of course it would. Even the nicest of us would have a breaking point.
Given the United States' documented history of heavy-handed foreign policies, it's easy to see why we're not so popular in other parts of the world. And it's equally as easy to see why Rev. Jeremiah Wright's comments struck a nerve with some Americans. Now, I don't have space here to go into heavy detail or specific instances (check out Tibbit Music for some sobering historical facts); however, truth is, this country has blood on its hands.
Based on the experiences of Native Americans, African Americans, Irish and Italian Americans, Iran Contras and others, one doesn't have to "hate'' America—as Bill O'Reilly would call it—to see that we're not always the "good guys." We've occupied lands where we were not (and still aren't) wanted. We've abused, murdered and discriminated against those who sought out our country as refuge (and those who were forced to come). We've sent thousands of men and women to die in a holy war that is not ours, trying to stop countries from wrongly using technology that we gave them. What conceit.
Whether or not you agree with Wright's words or Barack Obama's subsequently "throwing'' him under that political bus, I haven't really seen anyone refute the facts Wright presented. His words were harsh, but they force America to do what it hates to do: Look at itself in a mirror.
Whenever we've had to do that—racism, sexism, COINTELPRO, Citizens Council, hip-hop lyrics and gay-bashing come to mind—we've turned away in disgust. The image was too ugly, so we point the blame somewhere else.
It's TV, it's liberals, it's rappers, it's black liberation theology. Surely only an unpatriotic person or institution would so bluntly criticize the U.S. (insert sarcasm here).
Look, America is a great country. I wouldn't wish to live anywhere else. We have rights and opportunities that other countries don't have. But I'm sure the folks who live in other countries feel the same way. They love their land, their religion and their people as we do.
In turn, they don't hate us because of our "freedom," they hate us because we're that arrogant, annoying co-worker in this workplace that is Earth, the one who can't stop bragging on himself. Especially when we have as many faults as they do.
And that's the truth ... sho-nuff
Previous Commentsshow
What's this?More like this story
More stories by this author
Support our reporting -- Follow the MFP.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.