There will never be a shortage of hostility and criticism toward the United States, or a shortage of reason and ammunition for it. The world’s sole superpower, big spender and oft-named cultural hegemonic can never avoid heckling fingers from its own soil and overseas. It was founded to encourage them – to let social movements, protests and alternative views flourish, though it may at times draw lines when it threatens security or the daily lives and jobs of bystanders. Unless under an oath of confidentiality, you can write whatever the heck you want on American soil as long as it does not threaten to harm or lie to readers.
The United States, like any country, has committed or been involved in plenty of exploits and activities that are less than commendable. Sometimes, even downright condemnable. It has also done a great deal of good for the rest of the world, and not just for itself.
This is not to say, as some like to joke, that a role as a global policeman is justified for the United States – or for any country. Nor is it to justify corporate abuses abroad by American companies, many of which are out of the American government’s realm of control. However, it is not particularly popular (or appealing to public entertainment) to celebrate the good things the United States has done for the world.
It is far more exciting, and always great fun, to yell over the bad things, delve into conspiracies, scandals and deceptions and cry selfish imperialism. It sells more books, more movies, presents more intriguing table conversations and impresses more friends. The bad stuff gets Americans’ hearts beating faster . . . and so even many Americans like to criticize their own country more than to acknowledge its good.
Without a doubt, it is vital to always criticize, think, doubt and ask “why.” However, the objective of critical and free thinking, as should be of free press, is not to do so merely for the sake of finding . . . or creating, ammunition to criticize and insult your own country. Some may write the following paragraph off as patriotic jargon, but it is high time to say a few things to America’s credit that are often neglected because, well, they are not exciting.
Let’s see . . . how about – gave birth to the environmental movement, gave us the airplane, saved Europe from the Axis, saved Asia from the Japanese, rebuilt Europe with the Marshall Plan, rebuilt Japan . . . without leaving itself some nice colonies behind. The U.S. bankrolls the lion’s share of the United Nations, fought off communism and Marxism from sending the other half of the world into stagnation and misery, invests in the economies of poor countries to help them got out of misery, gives more charitable aid than anywhere, creates the jobs and demand that are helping Asia take off and become richer, radio News and leaflets for oppressed and censored societies, rock, blues, jazz, hip hop, medicines, took us to the moon, took us to the bottom of our deep oceans, gave us the Internet, computers, nuclear energy, the electric light bulb, feeds the world wheat and soy and hosts more philanthropic foundations than anywhere.
Stonewalled European colonialism in South America with the Monroe Doctrine, kicked Europe out of Egypt, GE crops to help starving populations in the third world (while Americans scream, go totally organic, and continue to buy bottled water.)
American culture also encourages other societies, countries and cultures to question convention, tradition and authority, to be more open. It is not just technology, knowledge and growth that transfers out of the United States to other countries (via communications and travel means, channels, systems and infrastructures that the United States developed in the first place . . .) but skills, expertise and training. U.S. institutions, corporations, foundations and other organizations abroad are training and equipping young generations of poorer countries, and the United States continues to be the most coveted destination for educational exchange.
While immigration has gotten tighter since 2001, America still funds more educational exchanges and scholarships than any other country.
As much as people like to hark on America’s foreign policy in the Middle East and South America, can you name a global superpower in the history of the world that was as benevolent as the United States has been?
Chris Rosenkrans is a junior in the University Professors Program.
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