Inspired by Organic's recent post I love America, I put together these thoughts. I can't love America not for lack of trying.
I really want to love America as it’s the closest thing to a home that I have. I can't call Pakistan home as I've never lived there. And no matter how long I live here, I can never call Saudi Arabia home. So America was and has always been my only hope of having a home in this life.
But it just ain't happenin'. I can't get myself to love America.
Because America constantly thumbs her nose at international attempts at global civility. From the Kyoto treaty to the Ottowa Treaty (banning land mines) to the International Criminal Court to the latest effort to ban cluster bombs – she's proven to be a poor citizen in the neighborhood called Earth.
Because Americans so easily allow themselves to be deluded by their leaders, happily choosing to turn a blind eye and instead indulge in their opium.
Because Americans have accepted their luxuriously unsustainable standard of living no matter what the cost to the rest of the world.
Because Americans choose to constantly live beyond their means, riddling themselves with debt beyond comprehension. Crass consumerism gone wild.
Because I read Howard Zinn's "The People's History of the US", a book that every American should read.
Because I watched The Story of Stuff, a video that every American should see.
Because American democracy is a sham that it paradoxically touts as the pinnacle of human civilization.
Because the homosexual way of life is being peddled as an acceptable social norm, as opposed to relegating it to the seedy underbelly of society where it's always resided.
Because of the in-your-face hypocrisy displayed on a daily basis in the world of international politics (Saddam is evil dictator, Musharraf is good dictator).
Because American capitalism sucks. The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer (Exxon’s first quarter profit - $11billion, Shell – $9billion...that’s profit in THREE MONTHS folks!).
Because of Gitmo Bay and the entire Chaplain James Yee fiasco (where the government unsuccessfully tried to pin adultery and porn charges on him after their initial charges of espionage and treason failed).
Because America has/had the potential to be a positive force in the world, but screwed it up.
And the list goes on...
Musk, Goodwin, racism and rape
5 days ago
21 comments:
Honestly speaking there are as many reasons why I can't love Pakistan either. The injustice and crime Pakistan committed against Bangladesh and now today it continues to do so against minorities ... and having grown up in Jeddah, I know without a doubt that I can't love Saudi Arabia either for the every day racism and arrogance that they display.
America is just like any other country. Government of the elite, by the elite, for the elite.
oh and please visit my blog at www.zabihanews.com
Salaam Naeem
I've had some conversations with my (non-Muslim, patriotic) dad where his point is basically that the rest of the world should just do as we (America) tell them to--they should be accountable to us, but not us to them. A very pungent double standard, that one. But he isn't alone. And it's that sort of arrogance that makes me want to turn away--just like from a bad smell.
It also bothers me how people who dare to suggest that America isn't the sole source of goodness in the world are considered apostates from what amounts to a civil religion. And since I do see such nationalistic pride as being a kind of civil religion, I am proud to dissociate myself from it while embracing Islam.
Agreed a thousand times over. I've only ever lived in America, and as much as I cherish the freedoms I have here, I know there is a much more sinister side to the American identity. I could leave, I suppose, but I'm not quite sure which way is up from here, or there is an up anymore.
(I've been reading your blog for a while and I've grown quite fond of it. I'm hoping to start one of my own soon.)
see br naeem, i agree with you overall. but if i start to list the things that make me not like pakistan or saudi, they're pretty long too.
and the truth is that although "certain" governments have been and become more and more oppressive, I can still have more perceived or real safety and facilities here as a woman especially compared to if i was anywhere else.
Sure if im married to rich saudi guy lets say, i could have all sorts of amenities. but what if i'm a single mom? Can I be respected and fully survive in saudi? in pakistan? lets just say it would be very challenging.
in the east, you are protected and defined by a man. Good or bad, thats reality. However, in the west, in the US, I know I can stand on my own two feet, as hard as it is to be a single mom for instance.
There's so many resources here. So sure, if you talk from the perspective of the governments, there's much to not like. But really..is there any government out there right now that most people would think of as lovely and great? I think not.
I,a muslim Palestinain,hate America!
I hate how America controls everything,I hate their hunger for power,I hate their lies,I hate that they're not accountable,I hate that they use poor countries and force their policies on them,I hate who ruthless the system is spending millions of arms for invading Iraq while homeless people increase in numbers,I hate who they have consperisies for every country,I hate their greed!
should I continue?
I don't think that because you lived in a place you should belong to it!
Unfortunately, there probably is no perfect place to live in our world, and while I agree with most of your reasons for hating America, please remember not to lump ALL Americans together in one big heap and think that they all agree with its policies, its arrogance, its conspicuous consumption, its immorality, etc. There are many Americans who certainly hate what America has become and how it has lost sight of the basic rights and freedoms that the country was founded on. We left America last year for many reasons, but one reason was definitely our disappointment in the Bush administration and the Iraq war.
To Amy -
I would love to know WHY your dad feels the way he does and what his reasoning is. I just don't understand this kind of thinking. The USA is not the ruler of the world - why do some Americans think that way? I really don't get it.
AA-
@Zabiha, I specifically chose not to list the reasons I can't love Pakistan or Saudia because their injustices and atrocities and 'racism and arrogance' are publicly known.
"America is just like any other country. Government of the elite, by the elite, for the elite."
Agreed, but my beef is NOT only with the government. Its with the society, with its economics, with the crime, etc. While individual Americans (like Pakistanis and Saudis) can and are nice people, the society that they've created, I simply cannot love.
@Amy "It also bothers me how people who dare to suggest that America isn't the sole source of goodness in the world"
Word
@BiblebeltMuslimah, thank you for your thoughts..always welcome!
"(I've been reading your blog for a while and I've grown quite fond of it. I'm hoping to start one of my own soon.)"
With a name like yours, you've got one reader right here! :-)
AA-
@Anon, you've made some very good points. And these are reasons why I also can't hate America. I'm working on a post dealing with that.
@Ruba and Susie, please note that I never said that I HATE America. Big difference, IMO.
"I don't think that because you lived in a place you should belong to it!"
I definitely agree with that sentiment Ruba. I'm learning that as I grow older.
"please remember not to lump ALL Americans together in one big heap"
Susie, thank you for that gentle reminder. I do like to think that I'm not guilty of the injustice of dealing with a person based solely on his/her race,nationality,sex, etc.
you should get your citizenship revoked...
oh say can you see......
Hmm...I had another comment posted in response to someone else's comment, and somehow it's not here anymore.
Susie--
I think it is 'superpower syndrome.' The USA has been big and bad and all up in everyone's business for so long (thanks to the Cold War) that it hasn't realized it doesn't belong there.
The thought people share is "We" (i.e., Americans) are the "civilized" ones, the "progressive" ones, the "advanced" ones and everyone else is deficient in some regard. They have mistaken money, and power, for actual influence.
Plus, overall Americans SUCK at geography. They are taught to love America from an early age, taught that it is superior to the rest of the world, and they aren't significantly informed about other countries and cultures. So their view of reality is distorted--in the minds of Americans, the USA is a much larger, much richer, much more influential country than it actually is.
If only everyone could read Howard Zinn.
I agree with this post a lot. I have somewhat similar views as you, there many things to dislike about America. But then again, there are things to like and I've always been taught to look at the positives over the negatives.
Anyway,
After reading your blog for a while I started a blog of my own. Hope you become a frequent reader, -The Muslim Kid-
http://themuslimkid.blogspot.com/
Enjoy.
AA-
@BiblebeltMuslimah, "Hmm...I had another comment posted in response to someone else's comment, and somehow it's not here anymore."
Word of advice - if you're ever going to leave a long comment on a blog, write it first in Word or Notepad and then copy/paste it into the blog. I've had my comment lost in cyberspace once too often, so I take that precaution.
@MuslimKid, welcome to the blog. Please share with us what are the positives...
But, but... it's our birthright! ;) (Just freakin' kidding! :) This looks like the sort of post I might right; there's a reason why I say that I live in what seems like exile.)
Don't know if you've ever read Tom Friedman's "The World is Flat," but one of two quotations he has at the start of Chapter 8 is classic:
"Chinese pity comes from their belief that we are a country in decline. More than a few Chinese friends have quoted to me the proverb fu bu guo san dai (wealth doesn't make it past three generations) as they wonder how we became so ill-disciplined, distracted and dissolute. The fury surrounding Monica-gate seemed an incomprehensible waste of time to a nation whose emperors were supplied with thousands of concubines. Chinese are equally astonished that Americans are allowing themselves to drown in debt and under-fund public schools while the media focus on fights over feeding tubes, displays of the Ten Commandments and how to eat as much as we can without getting fat."
-- James McGregor, a journalist-turned-businessman based in China, and a former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, writing in The Washington Post, July 31, 2005
err... "might write" :)
AA- JDsg,
"Chinese are equally astonished that Americans are allowing themselves to drown in debt and under-fund public schools while the media focus on fights over feeding tubes, displays of the Ten Commandments and how to eat as much as we can without getting fat."
Thanks for the quote bro! Sounds alot like Muslims. :-(
The question is not if you hate America or not. It is what are you willing to do, to contribute towards a positive change?
Same is true for Muslim lands. The problems are huge and sometimes we get bogged down, because we dream of change overnight. That aint happening.
So lets just do what we can. Build the foundations and maybe those who follow our generation are able to build something on the foundations we build.
Do you know what guys speaking about pakistan all i want to say is that i love pakistan but i hate pakistani. Do not get me wrong i am myself a pakistani however i just hate pakistani mentality.
You just can not trust them they are ready to do everything for money, power, fame...
I do not like how american people think either however pakistani are worse because they just want to be like them and they are even ready to sell their imaan to reach their goals. What a pity seriously
sorry guyz i didn't finish last time my last sentence was 'what a pity...'. I just wanted to add a comment on the term 'home' that you guyz were using like you can't consider saudi arabia as your home ...
I think to know what you can called your home here you have to answer to THE question ' where r u from? ' n the answer is not that easy trust me...
I was born in France n when they used to ask me that question they meant what is your ethnicity ... I had to say pakistani
I live in the uk now same question different answer here they mean where were you born? Answer France
When i go to pakistan they called me a 'pardesi or wlayti' (sorry abt the spelling ) well in short they say that i do not really belong to that country...
So what can i consider as a 'home' what is the really answer to that question?
I think the answer is really simple we do not belong to pakistan uk usa ... We do not belong to that world actually we r muslims and we r from the Jannat and inshallah azawajal we will go back there.
Ameen sumameen.
I
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