When will we learn to just keep our collective political noses out of other countries' business? I've been reading about Haiti, and it makes me sick. The arrogance! Since when could we force others to do what we think they should? We seem to think that "democracy" is the answer to all political problems (which is idiotic and laughable, considering that we supposedly have democracy yet have an incredibly corrupt and messy political landscape) and that we should install it everywhere else! We're making a mini-me out of every place we can! And it's arrogant and obnoxious. The idea that everyone else should be just like us makes me sick. Any individual who tried to make all their acquaintances into reflections of himself (or herself) would be regarded as... well, let's just say we'd call them names. Prideful, rude, foolish, arrogant bastard... If that is inappropriate behavior for a person, by what logic can we excuse it for a country?
If we truly cared about other people, we would listen to them. We would not lie, or cheat, or use violence or bribery. If someone I care about is making a mess of their life, I won't just stand by and watch them suffer! I'll do what I can to relieve any pain, I'll listen, and I'll tell them my opinions, but I won't force them, and I won't try to hurt them to coerce them into obeying me. It's their decision, not mine. If they want to destroy their life, I cannot and ought not stop them. Nor will I stand by silently.
Americans are incredibly self-centered people. It continually amazes and frightens me. Especially when I find myself slipping into it. We're raised with this idea of our own superiority and our inviolable rights that I find sickening. And we're gullible. And we tend to not think critically before making decisions. And we find value in our material goods, and act like we need everything we can buy, despite the fact that people are starving under our very noses. Hypocrites! Aargh!! Despicable. We are disgusting. Rotting.
What can we do? What will we do? I don't have a complete answer. I know very little, and I understand even less. I don't know what reports are true, and which are false. There's really no way I can know. Eventually I have to trust someone, but who can I trust? I don't trust the American media. I don't trust American politicians. I don't even trust most Americans!
So. What now? What next? ggrrrrr...
2 comments:
Well spoken indeed, but be careful of falling too far to the side of those who demonize every international action of the US as imperialistic or arrogant. I totally agree that we need to get out of the rest of the world's business as much as possible, but there is something to be said for working to gain allies.
You're right. I don't intend to assume that everything the US does is wrong. And I'm sure that some US foreign policy has been both useful and good. But I had just read something that exemplified US arrogance, so I wrote a rant. The key to a rant is that it's a little overdone, and should never be taken completely seriously. However bad it sounds, it's never actually that bad. Or at least, that's what my rants are like. Thanks for the comment.
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