I'm an American...
... and let me tell you, it's an interesting time to be an American abroad. I've spent the better part of the last three days deeply in conversation with Indians of every hue-- Communist, Congress, and BJP; left, right, and centre; college professors, students, farmers, members of the legislative assembly, rickshaw drivers, shopkeepers, and theologians; men and women; rich and poor; Christians, Hindus, and Muslims-- about the Saddam Hussein verdict and how the rest of the world sees America. And the opinion is unanimous:
(and let me make it clear before I start that these views are those of the Indian people I've talked to. I don't want to start using this blog as my own personal soap-box. Rather, I'm making this post to inform other Americans of how we look to people in another part of the world. Even if my own personal opinions are conveniently similar to those expressed...)
Yes, Saddam Hussein was a horrible, violent dictator and tyrant responsible for the loss of untold innocent lives. And yes, world leaders need to be held accountable and brought to justice for their crimes against humanity. But I have heard over and over, to the person, that the US leadership is in absolutely no position to be condemning anyone for their human rights violations. Every single person I've spoken to thinks that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Condoleeza Rice are the worst terrorists and greatest threats to world peace today. Worse than the DPRK. Worse than Iran. Every person I've talked to believes that if we're setting the precedent of punishing world leaders for their crimes against humanity, Bush should be the first to swing.
And nobody is even bothering to talk about the legality or legitimacy of the court and its proceedings. There's not even a question that this whole farce was orchestrated by the US to kill Hussein and justify our otherwise unwarranted invasion and occupation of Iraq. All these Indians roundly reject the idea and practice of "victor's justice" and would like to see an international tribunal established for trying political, military, and even corporate leaders (and i think we'd find a lot of cross-pollination between these groups) for human rights violations.
Oh wait, there was one. And it subpoenaed the American leadership, and they simply chose to ignore international opinion and the validity of this tribunal. The Indians I've been talking to here don't understand how the US can go around acting like it is the only country in the world. How we can just completely ignore the opinions and reactions of the entire world and do whatever the hell we want without holding ourselves accountable to anyone.
Let me reiterate here that I'm simply repeating and reporting what I have univocally heard from the Indians I've talked to. My purpose here is not to filibuster, but to make people in America aware of how people in another part of the world perceive us. The media has been saying that the deliberate proximity of the Saddam verdict and the mid-term elections was used as a tactic to drum up support for the GOP. But I'm not sure that's entirely accurate-- I think it was more of a diversionary tactic. But not in the traditional sense of creating a crisis abroad to divert attention from issues at home. Rather, I think the importance attributed to this mid-term election conveniently served to divert America's attention away from the crisis we've created for ourselves abroad. If we're totally engrossed in what's happening in the US, maybe we won't hear THE REST OF THE EFFING WORLD speaking out against us.
Ignorance is, after all, bliss.
So like I said, I'm just writing to communicate what people in another part of the world feel. Maybe people in America will pay attention if an American says these things. I doubt it though...
America's actions since September 11, 2001, in the name of National Security and a War on Terror, have, I am told, only served to create more hate, more violence, and more terrorism, and we are progressively making the world more and more dangerous for ourselves. These actions (the War on Terror, our invasion of Iraq, the sham trial of Hussein) do not, contrary to popular American opinion, portray us as brave, strong, decisive, and just. They show us to be petty, greedy, petulant, paranoid, insecure, and short-sighted.
I'm using the pronouns "we" and "us" very deliberately here. Of course, we know that the American people don't declare war or make our foreign policy. We know that our government acts without the consent of its people. But as far as the rest of the world is concerned, our leaders do represent our country and its people, our values and opinions. Their qualities, character, faults, beliefs, and ideologies (and of course actions) are the basis of international popular perception of America and its people. For all intents and purposes, our leaders are America to the rest of the world.
This is terrible news when most people view elections as a choice of the Lesser of Two Evils.
(everything from here on out is my opinion, for those keeping score at home)
But just because it is our leaders, not we, who are doing all this damage, We The People are not blameless. We're guilty, I think, of deliberate ignorance and apathy. We can't be bothered to know what our leaders and our government are doing. If we knew, we might have to try and do something about it. We might have to compromise our comfort and luxury. So we write it off as somebody else's job. And then when we do hear about the atrocities our country is committing and the cruelty of our economic policies, we choose to ignore it, or shake our heads, say "What a pity," or "I didn't vote for him," and change the channel to American Idol. Like I said before, we completely insulate ourselves from the rest of the world so that we don't have to question the way we're living or take any responsibility for the effects of our lives and actions, or inactions.
And this is tremendously irresponsible.
We can bury our heads as deep in the sand as we'd like. But there is a whole world out there. And our leaders and their policies-- undertaken in our name, and with the tacit consent and approval of our silence-- are only galvanizing the opinions of that world more and more against us. So much for national security.
I've got my ear to the ground halfway around the world, and I can't ignore the pain and anger I hear. The US has soundproofed itself against the voice of the world, but we can't keep going like this. Something has to change. Something has to give. And something big is going to go down unless we, as a people and as a nation can make a dramatic change in our collective mindset. And I hate to say it, but simply changing the majority in our Congress isn't going to hack it.
Like I keep saying (sorry for being a skipping record...), we need to very closely examine our own lives and become aware of every word we say and don't say. We need to take a very personal interest in what our government does, and not be afraid to speak out. We need to be mindful of our consuming habits. And we all need to learn to be peace, love, and compassion.
Yes, we absolutely need to change our collective mindset and our political and economic structures. But before we can do that, we need to change ourselves.
... and let me tell you, it's an interesting time to be an American abroad. I've spent the better part of the last three days deeply in conversation with Indians of every hue-- Communist, Congress, and BJP; left, right, and centre; college professors, students, farmers, members of the legislative assembly, rickshaw drivers, shopkeepers, and theologians; men and women; rich and poor; Christians, Hindus, and Muslims-- about the Saddam Hussein verdict and how the rest of the world sees America. And the opinion is unanimous:
(and let me make it clear before I start that these views are those of the Indian people I've talked to. I don't want to start using this blog as my own personal soap-box. Rather, I'm making this post to inform other Americans of how we look to people in another part of the world. Even if my own personal opinions are conveniently similar to those expressed...)
Yes, Saddam Hussein was a horrible, violent dictator and tyrant responsible for the loss of untold innocent lives. And yes, world leaders need to be held accountable and brought to justice for their crimes against humanity. But I have heard over and over, to the person, that the US leadership is in absolutely no position to be condemning anyone for their human rights violations. Every single person I've spoken to thinks that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Condoleeza Rice are the worst terrorists and greatest threats to world peace today. Worse than the DPRK. Worse than Iran. Every person I've talked to believes that if we're setting the precedent of punishing world leaders for their crimes against humanity, Bush should be the first to swing.
And nobody is even bothering to talk about the legality or legitimacy of the court and its proceedings. There's not even a question that this whole farce was orchestrated by the US to kill Hussein and justify our otherwise unwarranted invasion and occupation of Iraq. All these Indians roundly reject the idea and practice of "victor's justice" and would like to see an international tribunal established for trying political, military, and even corporate leaders (and i think we'd find a lot of cross-pollination between these groups) for human rights violations.
Oh wait, there was one. And it subpoenaed the American leadership, and they simply chose to ignore international opinion and the validity of this tribunal. The Indians I've been talking to here don't understand how the US can go around acting like it is the only country in the world. How we can just completely ignore the opinions and reactions of the entire world and do whatever the hell we want without holding ourselves accountable to anyone.
Let me reiterate here that I'm simply repeating and reporting what I have univocally heard from the Indians I've talked to. My purpose here is not to filibuster, but to make people in America aware of how people in another part of the world perceive us. The media has been saying that the deliberate proximity of the Saddam verdict and the mid-term elections was used as a tactic to drum up support for the GOP. But I'm not sure that's entirely accurate-- I think it was more of a diversionary tactic. But not in the traditional sense of creating a crisis abroad to divert attention from issues at home. Rather, I think the importance attributed to this mid-term election conveniently served to divert America's attention away from the crisis we've created for ourselves abroad. If we're totally engrossed in what's happening in the US, maybe we won't hear THE REST OF THE EFFING WORLD speaking out against us.
Ignorance is, after all, bliss.
So like I said, I'm just writing to communicate what people in another part of the world feel. Maybe people in America will pay attention if an American says these things. I doubt it though...
America's actions since September 11, 2001, in the name of National Security and a War on Terror, have, I am told, only served to create more hate, more violence, and more terrorism, and we are progressively making the world more and more dangerous for ourselves. These actions (the War on Terror, our invasion of Iraq, the sham trial of Hussein) do not, contrary to popular American opinion, portray us as brave, strong, decisive, and just. They show us to be petty, greedy, petulant, paranoid, insecure, and short-sighted.
I'm using the pronouns "we" and "us" very deliberately here. Of course, we know that the American people don't declare war or make our foreign policy. We know that our government acts without the consent of its people. But as far as the rest of the world is concerned, our leaders do represent our country and its people, our values and opinions. Their qualities, character, faults, beliefs, and ideologies (and of course actions) are the basis of international popular perception of America and its people. For all intents and purposes, our leaders are America to the rest of the world.
This is terrible news when most people view elections as a choice of the Lesser of Two Evils.
(everything from here on out is my opinion, for those keeping score at home)
But just because it is our leaders, not we, who are doing all this damage, We The People are not blameless. We're guilty, I think, of deliberate ignorance and apathy. We can't be bothered to know what our leaders and our government are doing. If we knew, we might have to try and do something about it. We might have to compromise our comfort and luxury. So we write it off as somebody else's job. And then when we do hear about the atrocities our country is committing and the cruelty of our economic policies, we choose to ignore it, or shake our heads, say "What a pity," or "I didn't vote for him," and change the channel to American Idol. Like I said before, we completely insulate ourselves from the rest of the world so that we don't have to question the way we're living or take any responsibility for the effects of our lives and actions, or inactions.
And this is tremendously irresponsible.
We can bury our heads as deep in the sand as we'd like. But there is a whole world out there. And our leaders and their policies-- undertaken in our name, and with the tacit consent and approval of our silence-- are only galvanizing the opinions of that world more and more against us. So much for national security.
I've got my ear to the ground halfway around the world, and I can't ignore the pain and anger I hear. The US has soundproofed itself against the voice of the world, but we can't keep going like this. Something has to change. Something has to give. And something big is going to go down unless we, as a people and as a nation can make a dramatic change in our collective mindset. And I hate to say it, but simply changing the majority in our Congress isn't going to hack it.
Like I keep saying (sorry for being a skipping record...), we need to very closely examine our own lives and become aware of every word we say and don't say. We need to take a very personal interest in what our government does, and not be afraid to speak out. We need to be mindful of our consuming habits. And we all need to learn to be peace, love, and compassion.
Yes, we absolutely need to change our collective mindset and our political and economic structures. But before we can do that, we need to change ourselves.
posted by Andy at 12:42 PM
4 Comments:
It must be very difficult to be an Idealist in a world that hates our wealth, comfort and freedom, such as it is. If America withdraws within itself, those less fortunate will hate us for not helping them. If we become aggressive to protect our interests, those against whom we are aggressive and those with the same or similar 'theology' hate us. If we only schmooze with 'friendly' nations, i.e. Israel, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, those we ignore hate us. Islamic nations hate us, poor nations hate us, those jealous of our better fortune hate us...there is no neutral ground. We cannot please everyone. We can't seem to please anyone. 'Peace" and 'Love' and 'Pacificism' are wonderful ideals, but not realistic in this 'real' world. What nations do you know who survive by those ideals? Tibet? India? Everyone has friends and enemies. Our government can only do what they think is right for our country, as every other government in the world does for their countries, except dictators and despots like Saddam, Kim Jong Il (sp?), etc. Even the most totalitarian regimes are looking out for number one...their own interests. America is constantly sharing its wealth and talented people (you being one of them) with the rest of the world. If that makes people hate us, will withdrawing within our own borders change anything? History says not. America can only be America, with all our faults and gifts. I, for one, do not feel ashamed for what we are trying to do in the world. Sure, I question the wisdom of some of our policies, but not the intent. America is not the evil entity that the world thinks. The worst thing that we could do is to say "the hell with the rest of the world" and withdraw. I advocate we continue to strive to make the world a better place....
Dad
agreed. in the time that i've been over here, i've really felt pulled in opposite directions by the tension that seems to be at the root of what my dad is saying. and i think that the outcome or resolution of this tension is going to be a really important and defining part of what i get out of this year.
The tension I face is this: On the one hand, I'm more proud to be an American than I ever have been before-- I'm learning to really appreciate the liberties we do have and the level of development and relative comfort we've acheived. At the same time, I'm hyper-conscious of my identity, status, and relative affluence as an American and am really aware of how our comfort has come at other peoples' expense; to the extent that I'm really uncomfortable taking my camera or camcorder out in public, and that I don't even answer questions about how much my tattoo cost.
Seeing life in another part of the world, I really am appreciative of all the good that our country does for its people. But it's uncomfortable being someone who enjoys and benefits from our development, living in a really deprived part of the world. This is something I've struggled with since the beginning... we're over here Living Simply and sharing life with some of the most marginalized and poor people in the world. But we're able to have this experience because we're privileged middle-class American kids who were able to raise thousands of dollars to fund this trip.
It is precisely this uncomfortable affluence and privilege that I enjoy that has allowed me to come here and share my life and gifts with people in India and try to be some sort of ambassador for peace and a force for positive change in the world.
And that's where I think the balance is. I agree with my dad (i think this may be a first... especially in political matters!) America is really not a terrible place, and we should all be grateful for the life and privilege that we get to enjoy because of our position in the world. But I think we have a responsibility (as individuals and thus as a nation) to put those lives and our resources to work for the betterment of the marginalized in our country and the rest of the world. and, like i said in the post, the first step is making ourselves aware that there is a world out there and taking responsibility for the ways in which our lives (again, as individuals and by extension as a country) are either helping or harming that world. No, we can't please everybody (or, as it seems, anybody!), but we can try to minimize the harm we actively do.
There's nothing wrong with the lives we live and the comforts we enjoy... I don't want it to sound like I'm saying that. But there is a problem when our comfort comes at the expense of someone else's survival or well-being.
People will always be able to find some fault or some reason to hate us, if they want to. But by living responsibly and taking responsibility for the policies and actions our leaders undertake in our names (and who those leaders are...), we can minimize the damage that we're actively doing to ourselves and the rest of the world.
>>Something has to give. And something big is going to go down unless we, as a people and as a nation can make a dramatic change in our collective mindset.<<
It already did, 9/11.
True. It went down and we ignored it. 9/11 could and should have been an opportunity for us to closely examine our lives as individuals and as a country and to realize the presence of a world that our government's policies have been aligning against us for decades. But instead of embracing a new way of thinking and conducting ourselves, the tragedy was an excuse to create more violence, fear, and hate in the world.
If we keep ignoring these sings, I can't help but think that more and more drastic things will keep happening until the world gets our attention.
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