Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Debunking the Myth of the Evil U.S.A.

The United States is a great country. And I can prove it. The following is a selection of four stories about this country that I pulled off FoxNews.com. I know FNC is a right wing, rah-rah, channel and website. As a Republican, I don't even watch their stuff because it's so right-wing blinded that it borders on silly.

But I know the United States is a good place full of mostly good people. I know that as the world's last remainging superpower we recognize our moral responsibility to help those in around the world.

Example 1:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354677,00.html
The US gives more to the World Food Program than any other country in the world. "Whoopee," you say. Here's what you don't know though: The United States gives five and a half times MORE than the entire European Union. And the EU gives the second most of any group in the world. So yeah, the US gives more than anyone. But the news is that we give overwhelmingly more than anyone. And by the way, OPEC countries are criticized for giving next to nothing.

Example 2:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402708,00.html
We are in a long war of words and sabre rattling with Iran. So when Israel, our Mid-East ally, wants weapons to destroy Iran nuclear facilities, which would benefit us and others. We told Israel no. Do we care about Iran? Maybe we care about their people or maybe we just want to avoid provoking them. Either way, if we were as evil and unfair as the world makes us out to be, we would have equipped them like a bionic Rambo.

Example 3:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402982,00.html
We have begun shipping humanitarian aid to Georgia after Russia's six day invasion. In fact, we started helping before Russia even left. Watch and see how many other countries join us.

Example 4:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402403,00.html
European racism. This particular example involves an ill-conceived photo of the Spanish basketball team striking "slant-eyed" poses. Nice fellas, real nice. But I'm not looking at the Spanish basketball team and assuming all of Europe is racist. That would be ridiculous. I also know that FIFA felt the need to make several PSAs regarding racism at soccer matches. That black players are often called awful things like "monkeys" and the dreaded "n-word" in European soccer venues. That speaks to the lowest of the low in European citizens, but the point is that racism is an unfortunate sickness that knows no borders. In the current US presidential elections there's a thought that if Barack Obama doesn't win the election it will be because we unenlightened Americans are racist. For many Americans, that will be their sole motivation for casting a vote against Obama and that is as sad as it is sinful and wrong. But when Europe derides the US for its racism, they might do well to remember the words of Jesus when Christ said, "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove teh speck out of your brother's eye."

The US has political problems, violence problems, and race problems. But rather than be villified by the rest of the Western world, we should be recognized as being like many other countries and often times, much better at being giving, caring, and responsible human beings. So enough with the myth of the big, bad US.

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