For many of the previous years I have declared myelf anti-America. I believed we were the center of a growing focus on external wealth and power, the stress capital of the world. And our stress and greed are contagious. We simply should not spend our lives working jobs we hate to buy shit we don;'need, and America's influence can only increase this trend throughout the world. Plus all the small reasons. The war on drugs. The questionable leadership. That we spend so much more on wars than health care. Thet we're arrogant as a country and as most individuals.
While all of these reasons are still present and problematic in my mind, for the first time in my alert life, I now consider myself proud to be an American. Peru was lacking something, something hard to really pinpoint, but something essential. Charisma, individuality, openness, opportunity, hope, and zest are all words that come to mind. The combination of all thse gives us some sort of radiance, a shine to our eyes and smile. The people there were just kind of beaten down and expressionless. It is possible that the presence of a Mcdonalds , once the symbol of our negative ifluence over the world, might actually brighten their faces a little. And there were no Mcdonalds where we were. Our reach is far more limited than I had imagined.
The simplicity of life in a small town with no televisions is a beautiful thing. It's something I had idealized. But the simplicity of life in a small town, with access to information and the understanding that you can leave and pursue something bigger if you wish to is far greater.
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8 comments:
I have so many problems with your post that I don't even know where to begin.
Begin! BEGIN!!! I talk to a baby all day long. It would be nice to have lively discussions about such things, but I'm busy. I could live vicariously through you guys, though.
The one thing I will say is that McDonalds was strange in China, and not just because they had prawn flavored stuff. A combo meal cost $16-$18 kuai, while most meals in China top off at $5 kuai, but the place was packed anyway. And there were always a lot of school-aged kids. Where did they get $20 to blow on McDonalds? There were also way too many people behind the counter trying to serve you (and practice English). Since China is communist, they make jobs where they really aren't needed, so any state run store is the same way, overflowing with teenagers trying very hard to look busy and stand out from the others. It makes for a unique shopping experience.
Wait, I started my thought because I was to tell you that the McDonalds really highlighted the dreaded have/have not dichotomy, and it would not help those people have fun.
I think people from rural areas have more in common with each other than they do their own countrymen in urban areas (the same goes for city people). This is what I've gleaned from teaching ESL. That said, the expressionlessness might have been due to the altitude. They probably think Americans are perpetually out of breath.
if you make more than 60,000 a year you are not permitted to complain about america. sorry. you only sleep soundly in your bed at night because rough men--american soldiers--are willing to do violence on your behalf. this is the greatest country in the history of the world. if you want to dick around in the mountains for 10 days you can. if you want to spend your life in the rat race you can. the only limit on americans is their own DNA, and they enjoy unprecedented wealth in every walk of life.
spend two weeks in squalor without the comfort food of enormous wealth to return to and then ask yourself whether you hate america.
--The Anonymous aka WhoTheHeckAmI?
Hey asshole, you ever think that maybe I don't want "rough men" doing violence on my behalf? Maybe you like rough, violent men. Personally I don't want anyone doing violence on my behalf not rough men, smooth men, or flaming happy men.
Also, wealth does not a great country make.
PS-post your name next time. Sissy.
ooh me like this argument.
so you feel fit to defend yourself? you might not like the way your country is governed, but the military keeps you comfortably in front of your computer, yapping about how terrible your own country is--the same country that 99% of the world's population would relocate to if it could.
reminds me of the bumper sticker, "George W. Bush: Saving Your Ass Whether You Like It or Not."
--Rob's friend Rob.
Where are you getting your information from, FOXNEWS.COM? Or do you subscribe to Republican Bullshit Weekly?
First of all, I never yapped about how bad my country is. Its a great country with a corrupted government and financially skewed principles.
Second, how exactly is the military keeping me safe by killing Iraqi civilians?
Third, 99%??? Are you kidding? What 99%? Mexico, Central America? Come on, 99%!
Lastly, are you one or both of the following:
NRA member
A member of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corp?
Yeah you are.
Hachee machee.
I didn't know DoIt was into military shit.
The honorable Mr. Trout would like you even less if he knew what you did to his aunt and uncle's house...
Keep on ignoring poverty in America and it will bite you in the ass. Liberals keep us typing comfortably by making the less fortunate feel, ever so often, that someone is watching out for them.
I make WAY less than $60,000 a year so I can say whatever the fuck I want. Cheers!
none of the above, thanks though.
i don't think we should ignore poverty in america. but i also don't think hand outs are the proper mechanism for fixing it.
as for the corrupted government, that's a staple of governments since the dawn of history, and corruption is far worse in every other civilized country. any time you have people who must be liked to keep their job (i.e. elected) you'll get corruption. hell, any time you have PEOPLE, you'll get corruption. do we accept it? no--but WHAT TO DO--aye, there's the rub.
moreover, what good is a cynic with no better plan?
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