Letter to Obama from 4th Grade Teacher

[patandchickens]

What we need to do if we are to survive is make it our driven goal to be the best. The global community should look at us and say, "Man, they are the best - we should try to be like them."

The difficulty there is that what the US government, and many (certainly not all) Americans themselves, want to be best AT is not necessarily something admired by much of the rest of the world.

Like stepping in to cause or mess around in other countries' issues, just because the US happened to want to, for various US-centric ideological or practical or economic reasons.

Like also mass-marketing American culture and selling it to all the world, to the considerable detriment of many places' existing culture and economies.

There are certainly reasonable sounding justifications for these things... but there are also quite reasonable sounding *objections*. And I think that a lot of people all round the world have pretty good REASON to take a rather jaundiced eye of America's idea of "success" and "being the best".

So, it is unfortunately not as simple as you might wish.

(Please note, by the way, that I am an US citizen and lived there for nearly all my life, and am only in Canada b/c I happened to marry a Canadian.)

Pat

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I agree with Pat.

I found the letter interesting, but I also think that the US needs to worry about the US for a bit, and not be so wrapped up in Policing the rest of the world.

We have our government, and other countries have theirs.

 

[davaroo]

What we need to do if we are to survive is make it our driven goal to be the best. The global community should look at us and say, "Man, they are the best - we should try to be like them."

The difficulty there is that what the US government, and many (certainly not all) Americans themselves, want to be best AT is not necessarily something admired by much of the rest of the world.

Like stepping in to cause or mess around in other countries' issues, just because the US happened to want to, for various US-centric ideological or practical or economic reasons.

Like also mass-marketing American culture and selling it to all the world, to the considerable detriment of many places' existing culture and economies.

There are certainly reasonable sounding justifications for these things... but there are also quite reasonable sounding *objections*. And I think that a lot of people all round the world have pretty good REASON to take a rather jaundiced eye of America's idea of "success" and "being the best".

So, it is unfortunately not as simple as you might wish.

(Please note, by the way, that I am an US citizen and lived there for nearly all my life, and am only in Canada b/c I happened to marry a Canadian.)

Pat

So I'll ask the question, then:

Who is to be admired and lead?

Who would you guys rather have fostering THEIR whatever-centric and ideological ideals on the world? At least with America you know what you're getting.

But, lets assume America is to be scorned for what it represents. Then, which nation would be the chosen one to impose/sell their system on the rest of us?

NEWSFLASH: the Three Musketeers were fictional. "All for One and One for All," is a nice motto... in books.

In the real world it is dog eat dog.

"Nature abhors a vacuum," they say, and someone always rises to the top, to the winners circle. It works that way for people and nations alike. That is, perhaps, the one constant in the dealings of civilized men. Out beyond the window and the world internet banter, you either win or you lose.

So, let's ask again:

Who would do better as global Top Dog, Big Kahuna, Head School Marm, Main Moderator, etc. - if not the U.S.?

 

[Big Daddy]

My daughter took one semester of study abroad in Italy. She absolutely loved it. She acted like she was a Canadian when she was around locals. It was during Bushes reign though. I wouldn't be surprised if it's different now.

Not everyone is a dog. So some people don't wish to compete in the dog eat dog world. Some people would prefer to do their job and do it well without having to cut other peoples throats and climb on other people to get to the top. Society is like a pyramid. There are those on the top and a lot more on the bottom. However without the middle there would be nothing to hold up the top.

 

[patandchickens]

Who is to be admired and lead?

Different nations have very different opinions on the subject. Many of those opinions being founded on fairly reasonable bases.

That is sort of the point. There is not only one universal answer, or anyhow you will not get everyone to AGREE on one


Pat

 

[davaroo]

My daughter took one semester of study abroad in Italy. She absolutely loved it. She acted like she was a Canadian when she was around locals. It was during Bushes reign though. I wouldn't be surprised if it's different now.

Not everyone is a dog. So some people don't wish to compete in the dog eat dog world. Some people would prefer to do their job and do it well without having to cut other peoples throats and climb on other people to get to the top. Society is like a pyramid. There are those on the top and a lot more on the bottom. However without the middle there would be nothing to hold up the top.

For whats it's worth, I have been fortunate to live in every corner of the USA, in France, Finland, Germany, Italy and Belgium, along with non-resident stints in Latin America, The Middle East and Africa. I accept all people for what they are, on their own merit and consider them brothers of the planet. I am the quintessential globalist, you might say. You get what you give, after all.

BTW, it never occurred to me to apologize for being an American where ever I've gone, nor to hide behind another nation's flag. Shame on her.

I have learned that "equality" is a tenuous thing; leveling of outcomes a lie. The societal pyramid you refer to is completely dependent on whether you fit into the top layers of stone, or not. What we call the "middle class" is a recent phenomenon, it is not natural in the order of things and it is very, very fragile. Not everyone is a dog, you are right. But most will be when pushed.
The idyllic view of the world where everyone gets along, is limited to how long everyone's belly remains full.

The world has become a congested, and increasingly manic, global schoolyard. It doesn't matter if our "image" is pleasing to the global circus or whether we are liked for being nice. We in America must abandon New Age notions that we are just one among many, and entitled to no more than that.

What matters is that we have the national guts to excel and know we are right. If needs be, that we are in some way, better than others. Life is tough, there is stiff competition out there and we are decidedly the masters of our own outcomes. Therein lies our hope.

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Know what is odd? We will pay a fancy pants, self-help guru to tell us that information on a personal level - but we refuse to embrace it as citizens of the nation we live in. Like I said - odd.
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I don't often ask people to trust me on things, but this is one of those occasions: It is far better that it be us in the global lead, I assure you.

 

[lupinfarm]

I hate when Americans hide behind our flag while on vacation or living abroad, anything they do, rude or malicious with that flag on, reflects badly on Canadians. Not that I am saying everyone who wears one is rude or malicious, but those who are, can easily represent Canadians badly.

I don't think its right to falsly portray yourself as belonging to another country. Whatever happened to American pride. Pride is much different from arrogance.

 

[Blackbird]

I don't think anyone is questioning being in 'the lead', just that perhaps we should be a bit more responsible for our actions on this entire planet.. Whether we are being the biggest and best or not.

That is why we are on SS, isn't it?

 

[Blackbird]

I hate when Americans hide behind our flag while on vacation or living abroad, anything they do, rude or malicious with that flag on, reflects badly on Canadians. Not that I am saying everyone who wears one is rude or malicious, but those who are, can easily represent Canadians badly.

I don't think its right to falsly portray yourself as belonging to another country. Whatever happened to American pride. Pride is much different from arrogance.

You are right, they should respect people to begin with anyway. But I guess when it comes to being mugged and almost killed for being American quite a few people will do what it takes to save their hide. (Which really happened to my friend's parents on their first visit to Italy)

It seems a lot of Americans are sick of America lately.

 

[lupinfarm]

Ohhh Italy, Italy is a rather unstable country to visit considering their government is threatened on a weekly basis