"Stupid (Insert Your Nationality Here)"

Published on March 29, 2005 By Gideon MacLeish In Politics

The WWW has been very revealing.

Among other things, there's a proliferation of people from other countries that randomly spew ignorant garbage running down American government and American daily life. They base their hatred on select clips from the news media, exported US television shows, and friends that vacationed and/or participated in foreign exhange programs here.

And their assumptions, from all I have seen, are largely wrong.

Don't get me wrong; most Americans are equally ignorant of the cultures of other countries. I include myself in this category. But, I acknowledge my ignorance, and don't speak from a platform of ignorance deriding your values, your culture, your beliefs system. It is yours, and I respect that, even if I do not agree.

The disrespect that many of these foreigners display is the very foundation of intolerance. Intolerance, if allowed to go unchecked, leads to violence and murder. All in the name of "liberty" (ironically, one's perception of "liberty" is generally IMMENSELY ego-centric; liberty, it seems, means the liberty to impose one's OWN values, not respect those of others).

There's an attempt among these naysayers to create a homogenous society. But a homogenous society disrespects the worth of the individual; a factor that must not be overlooked.

I don't plead for "tolerance" in the conventional sense. I don't personally care if you like or dislike my values. But I DO plead for you to stand up for the liberty to be who I am, regardless of your country of origin.

And I will do the same for you.

Comments

Xiozan

on Mar 29, 2005

Very insightful, Gid.

Do you think people will listen though?

- Grim X

Xiozan

on Mar 29, 2005

Second thought, how can we change that illogical thought process?

- Grim X

Texas Wahine

on Mar 29, 2005

Stupid haoles.

Furry Canary

on Mar 30, 2005

Yes Gideon, the WWW does allow people from other countries to post their opinions about what goes on in the USA. Some of it is undoubtedly stupid, disrespectful, ignorant garbage, wrong, derisory - call it what you will. Some of it, I have no doubt, can be construed only as hatred.

But not all of it. Some of it is informed, insightful and constructive. Who knows, some of it may even offer new angles and perspectives on situations that Americans perceive as stale and immutable, and thus BENEFIT from having being produced outside the USA.

What's more, your criticism is true not only in respect of people from countries other than the USA. There are countless Americans who post equally 'ignorant garbage' about their own country. Should they get special dispensation for no reason other than their nationality? And, of course, there are American bloggers who pontificate on every nation and its people from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Some of these blogs are informed, reasonable and respectful - but some of them are quite the opposite.

However, what I disagree with most is your assertion that 'There's an attempt among these naysayers to create a homogenous society.' I think you couldn't be more wrong. In my view - as a non-American, one of 'these foreigners' (but just who are the foreigners within the context of the WORLD WIDE web?) - there's a very real concern elsewhere in the world that, if American influence remains unchecked, just such a homogenous society will be imposed upon the rest of us whether we like it or not. I can't say whether or not your assertion that 'most Americans are equally ignorant of the cultures of other countries' is accurate or not. However, I am aware that some Americans believe that the rest of the world wants nothing more than to be LIKE America. And, as someone from 'the rest of the world', I can only say that this is by no means true of all of us.

Let's face it - financially, culturally, militarily, the USA is by no means 'an island'. America's actions have an incalculable impact upon the rest of the world on a daily basis. And you really feel offended when the rest of the world, in making their feelings clear, see things differently from you?

Gideon MacLeish

on Mar 30, 2005

'There's an attempt among these naysayers to create a homogenous society.' I think you couldn't be more wrong.

Well, if you think I couldn't be more wrong, you've got your head buried in the sand, sorry. Most nations tend to operate on the assumption that their system is best and that every other nation should adopt it. Take Australia's gun control laws, for instance. Fine and good for Australia, as far as I'm concerned, but they use their position as a bully pulpit to insist that we need to change OURS to match THEIRS. The same could be said about Canada's health care system, and many other countries' laws.

And you really feel offended when the rest of the world, in making their feelings clear, see things differently from you?

Did I say that? NO, in fact the opposite. I stated VERY CLEARLY to that end in the closing sentence.

Let's face it - financially, culturally, militarily, the USA is by no means 'an island'. America's actions have an incalculable impact upon the rest of the world on a daily basis.

Well, military, there's not a lot other nations can do to stop that influence (Can't say I'm in favor of many of our military policies, but I'm not knowledgeable enough in this area to propose a better solution). As for "culturally and financially", it is BY CHOICE that your nation is as heavily influenced by us as you are. The same as it is BY CHOICE that many American communities fall victim to "Californication".

I'm not a "love it or leave it" American by any stretch of the imagination. There is much about our nation that needs to be fixed. But the changes that need to be made are INTERNAL issues; foreign perception should NOT be used for US policy making, but rather the Republican principles upon which this nation was established.

SpongebobNopants

on Mar 30, 2005

It could be worse, you could be French.

Furry Canary

on Mar 30, 2005

'Most nations tend to operate on the assumption that their system is best and that every other nation should adopt it.'
Are you serious? Even assuming that you have some secret insight into how most nations 'think', you appear to be talking here of governments or perhaps news media, but not citizens. The American people may think like this, I certainly couldn't say. But let's not extrapolate from the specific to the general. I am sure that this is not true as a general statement in respect of the citizens of the other countries in which I have lived. My experiences in the UK, Canada, Australia etc. all suggest to me that there was always far too much healthy debate, criticism and questioning going on for the people as a whole to slip into such lazy and arrogant thinking. The same kind of healthy debate, criticism and questioning you find on the WWW, in fact.

-----

on Mar 31, 2005

I really don't care what other countries think of the usa, actually, i really don't care what anyone thinks about me....all governments work the same way....1] get eleceted ....2]talk,and talk, and talk, and talk......{i.e. "debate"} 3] Vote, Re-vote.....etc.... 4] Screw people over..................

any questions?

Gideon MacLeish

on Mar 31, 2005

Well,you've established that you're going to attack anything I say regardless of how I say it, so I won't dignify your answer with a response. I will say, however, that your diplomatic skils could use some honing.

Furry Canary

on Mar 31, 2005

(See below)

Furry Canary

on Mar 31, 2005

'Well,you've established that you're going to attack anything I say regardless of how I say it, so I won't dignify your answer with a response. I will say, however, that your diplomatic skils could use some honing.'

Well, I suppose I do disagree with this particular point. I apologise if you really find that offensive.

The irony here, of course, is that you are quite happy to lambast 'foreigners' for making 'assumptions' about America, and yet you seem equally happy to do exactly the same yourself, with a sweeping statement in respect of how the entire non-American world operates.

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