I would love to have your opinion

[here2bsilly]

What is it about the U.S.of A. that makes other countries hate us so much... (especially right now with N.Korea and Iran).

What is it about say... France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, etc... that they never get read the riot act?

I haven't heard "Death to Belgium" evah...

I would love to hear your POV.

Thanks!

Comments

[cainmark]

Maybe that we have actually used the atomic bomb twice on civilian populations instead of military targets. And have the largest nuclear stockpile of any country (except maybe Russia, but they've probably sold most of theirs to middle eastern warlords). And if you're a smaller country being told what to do by a much larger country, having a nuclear weapon can be seen as self-defense.

The French and Germans still catch hell from other countries besides us. Italy and Belgium - not so much. Germans because of their world war mistakes last century and the French because of letting Napoleon happen after they tried to start over after murdering aristocrats (who probably deserved it, but still...)

Also that we're not very worldy in our viewpoint. Our country tends to think that what works for us must be the best thing ever and will work anywhere and anyone who disagrees are pinheads. Very narrow world view in this country for the most part. Our public education system doesn't do a very good job, but they're also underfunded and teachers are stretched to the limit with not only trying to teach but discipline kids who never had from their parents who never had from their parents and-but back on track:

Our country has over a half century history of overthrowing actual elected democracies (we're a representative Republic) and installing dictators that are better for our economic interests and the interests of the people we put in power-not the people in the countries. So those people, once they get a voice are a say-are naturally pissed off a the country that helped put them there.

Also, America is very very big. And diverse. But our administrations tend to speak with one voice that isn't necessarily hospitable to the rest of the world. "You're with us or against us" rhetoric doesn't help in building cultural bridges to solve problems.

My POV.

[cainmark]

Oh also, I love this country. I think the constitution is one of the most amazing documents ever written and I love the bill of rights and the declaration of independence. The promise of America is its greatest strength-to strive for ideals, but sometime fail, but to keep trying, persevering and be compassionate to one another. We are, as a whole, a very compassionate country when faced with crises. It's how our government and the media tend to shape us to act like jackasses after those times I have a problem with.

That this big a country with this many different cultures and people all living within the same political organization of states and counties and cities and that it's worked for this long is pretty amazing, especially when you consider that we don't have figureheads for continuity historical through lines.

But I also love this world and humanity (yet I hate people in general-go figure) which means I don't have an us or them world view. To me it's all us and how do we all make it work without killing each other too much.

[aposak]

The atomic bombs did kill civilians. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were industrial targets providing materiel for Japan's imperialist war effort. This was the standard practice in the European theatre, and to lay siege or otherwise cut supply lines has been around as long as war itself. Wars get nasty sometimes.

Our public education system funding is less of an issue than the structure of public education that promotes inefficiency and wastefulness. Government entities have a monopoly on the education system, locking the poor and middle class into substandard education. Only the wealthy can afford to get out. Tenure and the practice of "passing the trash" keeps marginal teachers in the system, limiting access for those who might be better teachers. Social promotions and teaching to the lowest common denominator limits how quickly the class can learn. The lack of discipline and "common sense" life skills training in judgment, critical thinking, morality, and values systems, among others, does not adequately prepare students to be adults. Throwing more money at the problem isn't going to fix the broken education machine.

Representative republics are only as good as the people that are elected to represent the people. Often wise leaders are required to make tough decisions that are contrary to the will of the masses. For that reason alone, I still favor a representative republic. I'll agree that the installation of puppet governments is morally wrong and has almost always haunted us, but elections (even in our own country) are not always without controversy and fraud.