From the founding of the United States to around 1960 most Americans knew our country was special. It was the light on the hill that would lead other nations. Whether it was saving the world for democracy, being the economic powerhouse of the world or the belief that we were lucky to live in the land of the free, Americans were proud to be Americans.
For the last couple decades Americans have been taught that this country is not special, that it is just as bad as any other country, including China, Cuba or Cambodia. Mainstream media magnifies our faults and glosses over the killings and tortures down in other countries.
As I read that Superman will renounce his American Citizenship, I see it as a sign that too many in our country have lost pride in this great land.
Yes America is not perfect. There are plenty of faults, yet I would rather live here than anywhere else. We still have more freedoms that any other country. We have a great heritage of helping other countries. After World War II we gave millions to help other countries rebuild, without asking for anything in return. American Charity, public and private, has saved millions of lives.
While flickering, American is still a beacon to the world.
2 comments:
"...without asking for anything in return."
Henry, are you familiar with Bretton Woods, the United Nations and the IMF? We started them all immediately after WWII. We held 60% of the world's gold and the only nuclear weapon at that point - we were awfully persuasive. I would argue our audit-free printing press operators have greatly victimized other countries (in addition to our own) through economic war (their currency value pegged against ours and the IMF SDR's they borrow pegged against ours).
I don't know much about Bretton Woods. I don't like the UN. And I recognize the IMF is bad, and maybe evil.
Having throught about this a bit, I'm sure there was money and aid that was given with strings, but I also know that may private organizations gave money without any expectations of payback.
I believe that Americans would be much more generous with their own money if the government wasn't taking so much of it.
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