Lengthy and controversial opinion timez!
Occasionally I come across someone not from the US who is lecturing about how this or that thing we've done or are currently doing is stupid, unnecessary, clearly inspired by evil demons from the sixth dimension, etc. Generally the reasoning runs "Well, WE do/don't do XXX, wherefore the fact that YOU don't do/do it makes you [insert pejorative here]," or "You need to look to the world community for approval before doing XXX because we know better than you do what's in your and everyone else's best interests!" This always makes me sigh, though I rarely bother replying because the conversations almost always go the same way. But I decided to make a post about it, because I haven't lost any friends in a while it gets a little wearisome.
Dear people who are not from this country, do you honestly think that you understand everything about us to the point where you can say with confidence that you know more about what will best serve our national and defense interests than we do? There's a pretty little piece of arrogance. I can tell you that we will not go begging to the UN with our hat in our hand saying "Please sir, may we take this course of action which we feel will shore up our security as a nation?" Partly this is because the UN is so ludicrously incompetent with regards to all things global that they have recently elected China and Libya to their Human Rights committee; partly because the answer would inevitably be "Hells to the no," because as far as I can determine no martial action we have ever taken which did not directly affect the security of various European nations has ever been considered necessary by anyone except us; and partly because, to put it as plainly as possible, you are not our boss.
Here is something that I believe most non-American citizens are largely unaware of, which isn't necessarily their fault. We have plenty of regrets, reservations, displeasure, and even anger regarding some of the things our country has done and is doing. We often discuss these things and feelings amongst ourselves, but we tend not to share them with the world wholesale, because we simply do not consider it the done thing to go riding around the neighborhood blaring this out of the windows of our Ford truck with a megaphone, as it were. However freely we may express out dissatisfaction with the way things are going with each other, it's considered bad form to rant on about it to outsiders. It can shock us a bit, and even makes us uncomfortable, when we see how people from other countries will with a somewhat disconcerting enthusiasm bash their nation, their history and their countrymen and -women to foreigners. Not only does this seem like rudeness to the country in question and the citizens thereof, it also puts the hearer in the awkward position of either agreeing, and so partaking in the insult of a nation not their own, or else disagreeing, and thus insulting the interlocutor.
At times we will freely admit to our shortcomings as a country, but as a general rule airing one's dirty laundry to outsiders isn't considered mannerly. (Please, do not take the type of people one generally finds on LJ as typical of American citizens. I promise that we are usually far less horrible in person.) We also believe that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones; no country exists that hasn't got unpleasantness in its past or its present. Are we perfect? No. Do we do this sometimes as well? Yes. But that doesn't mean that we're inferior to everyone else, or that we're a nation of horrible little bitches, though many people seem to believe so. (Incidentally, words to the effect of "But you're the exception" or "Well, SOME parts of the country are okay, I guess," don't help matters.) When you consider us beneath you, we can tell. This discourages us from actually looking at the points you raise towards us, because the attitude is usually very condescending and it turns us away. If you want to have a good conversation, even about controversial topics, or even, even if you want to discuss something we're doing that you don't like, you stand a far better chance of a good discussion if you talk to us as equals, and don't come in scolding us as though you were an olden-days schoolmarm and we a naughty little boy under your authority.
Anyway, that's my essay for the day.
Dear people who are not from this country, do you honestly think that you understand everything about us to the point where you can say with confidence that you know more about what will best serve our national and defense interests than we do? There's a pretty little piece of arrogance. I can tell you that we will not go begging to the UN with our hat in our hand saying "Please sir, may we take this course of action which we feel will shore up our security as a nation?" Partly this is because the UN is so ludicrously incompetent with regards to all things global that they have recently elected China and Libya to their Human Rights committee; partly because the answer would inevitably be "Hells to the no," because as far as I can determine no martial action we have ever taken which did not directly affect the security of various European nations has ever been considered necessary by anyone except us; and partly because, to put it as plainly as possible, you are not our boss.
Here is something that I believe most non-American citizens are largely unaware of, which isn't necessarily their fault. We have plenty of regrets, reservations, displeasure, and even anger regarding some of the things our country has done and is doing. We often discuss these things and feelings amongst ourselves, but we tend not to share them with the world wholesale, because we simply do not consider it the done thing to go riding around the neighborhood blaring this out of the windows of our Ford truck with a megaphone, as it were. However freely we may express out dissatisfaction with the way things are going with each other, it's considered bad form to rant on about it to outsiders. It can shock us a bit, and even makes us uncomfortable, when we see how people from other countries will with a somewhat disconcerting enthusiasm bash their nation, their history and their countrymen and -women to foreigners. Not only does this seem like rudeness to the country in question and the citizens thereof, it also puts the hearer in the awkward position of either agreeing, and so partaking in the insult of a nation not their own, or else disagreeing, and thus insulting the interlocutor.
At times we will freely admit to our shortcomings as a country, but as a general rule airing one's dirty laundry to outsiders isn't considered mannerly. (Please, do not take the type of people one generally finds on LJ as typical of American citizens. I promise that we are usually far less horrible in person.) We also believe that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones; no country exists that hasn't got unpleasantness in its past or its present. Are we perfect? No. Do we do this sometimes as well? Yes. But that doesn't mean that we're inferior to everyone else, or that we're a nation of horrible little bitches, though many people seem to believe so. (Incidentally, words to the effect of "But you're the exception" or "Well, SOME parts of the country are okay, I guess," don't help matters.) When you consider us beneath you, we can tell. This discourages us from actually looking at the points you raise towards us, because the attitude is usually very condescending and it turns us away. If you want to have a good conversation, even about controversial topics, or even, even if you want to discuss something we're doing that you don't like, you stand a far better chance of a good discussion if you talk to us as equals, and don't come in scolding us as though you were an olden-days schoolmarm and we a naughty little boy under your authority.
Anyway, that's my essay for the day.