Paul J. Balles compares American’s self-perception with the world’s perception of America. He argues that most Americans need to become better informed Americans, that informed Americans need to waken most Americans and that all Americans need to respect what the rest of the world likes and dislikes about America.
What most Americans dislike about America:
The recent American election results revealed which issues the public is concerned about. Their election of Barack Obama as president along with a Democratic majority in the Congress provided a mandate for the US government to address these issues. These were raised and debated, indicating the voting public’s concerns.
Allowing unrestricted searches and seizures violating the US Constitution
Squandering the nation's wealth on weaponry
Funding wars while US taxpayers lose jobs, homes, education and health care
Fighting wars for foreign gas and oil while ignoring alternative energy development
Hundreds of thousands of unforgivable job losses
Wild inexcusable market speculation
Unnecessary inflation
Continued support for military occupation of Iraq
Lies and deception by government officials
Fear of a depression
Fear of unemployment
Fear of losing homes in foreclosure
Inability to meet the costs of health care and education
What informed Americans dislike about America:
Though some Americans spend little time following news about issues that don’t affect them directly, many have a number of unfounded opinions about government, politics, society or the world but are generally uninformed. Informed Americans don’t limit themselves to the major media, but take time to access a number of sources.
Illegally-enacted police-state laws violating the US Constitution
Defaming Jimmy Carter for speaking the truth about Israeli apartheid
Media allowing Israeli historian to encourage bombing of Iran
Censoring books about the Israeli lobby in America
Ignorance of the importance of pleasing Israel to get elected
The Bill of Rights guarantee of freedom of speech violated
The right of habeas corpus demolished
Congress allowing the executive branch to supersede its powers
The people allowing the Congress to yield its powers
The people and government ignore the loss of civil liberties and the guarantees of the US Constitution
Granting retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies for illegal wiretapping
Promoting a destructive free-market ideology
Funding Israel's illegal wars and settlements while US taxpayers lose jobs, homes, education and health care
Major media’s unquestioning acceptance of what the government says
What the rest of the world dislikes about America:
A number of things that America has done or is doing have violated others’ rights and interests. This has resulted in a rise of disdain toward America.
The general resistance of Americans to accept any criticism of America
Vetoing resolutions voted for by the whole world faulting Israel's misdeeds
Boasting about the importance of democracy while overthrowing democracies the US government doesn't like
Supporting Israel's near total destruction of Lebanon's infrastructure
Blind support of anything Israeli while Palestinians starve
Executing plans for a global American empire
an illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq
Illegal incursions into Pakistan
American double standards, like committing war crimes while faulting others
What informed Americans and much of the world dislike about America:
At times, informed Americans and the rest of the world have spoken in harmony about American misdeeds.
WMD phosphorous dropped on innocent civilians in Fallujah
WMD depleted uranium in bombs dropped in Iraq
Rendition and torture of people dubbed, untried "enemy combatants"
The ends justify collateral damage (deaths of innocent civilians)
Killing a million people and displacing four million more in Iraq alone
Threatening a new cold war with Russia over Georgia
Threatening a new cold war with Russia over satellite proposal for Poland
Threatening a new cold war with Russia by surrounding it with NATO membership for previous Soviet Union countries
Torturing prisoners
Threatening to bomb Iran
Postscript: Most Americans need to become better informed Americans. Informed Americans need to waken most Americans. All Americans need to respect what the rest of the world likes and dislikes about America.
Paul J. Balles is a retired American university professor and freelance writer who has lived in the Middle East for many years. For more information, see http://www.pballes.com.
