Bouncing Hedgehog » nationalism

Things Americans Believe…

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:46:02 +0000

My other half who is American – I’m English – and I have often talked about the different beliefs and cultures I have come across during my travels as well as some of the widely held and cherished beliefs Americans hold. I’ve been meaning to blog about that for some time, but she has gone and beaten me to it. Go and read it here – especially if you view life in America as the best thing since sliced bread.

Nationalism

admin — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:07:18 +0000

Nationalism has a lot to answer for. Don’t get me wrong – there is nothing wrong with being proud of your heritage (even if others don’t see it as something to be proud of) or with being proud of who you are. It’s when that nationalistic pride starts to equate to “I’m better than you because I’m American” (or English or whatever nationality you happen to be) that I have issues with it.

Just because you were born in the USA (or anywhere else) doesn’t make you better than someone born in Somalia for instance. It just makes you luckier in that particular instance. And guess what? That’s an accident of birth. You haven’t done anything to deserve or achieve that status. So why do so many nationalities look on themselves as being superior? This is a particularly American trait – I come across it every day over here. But there are others. I have lived in many countries and whenever I come across the “I’m better than you” nationalist zealots the truth is usually just the opposite. The only ones they’re fooling are themselves.

Before you start thinking that you’re superior to others because of where you were born consider where your country stands globally as regards ranking for any category which you think is important. Education, pay, health care, crime, longevity etc. etc. I promise you that you’re in for a surprise. And for some a shock.

We are all in this together and it’s about time that we all started thinking of ourselves as human beings first and (insert nationality here) second.

State Of The Nation

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:35:23 +0000

I listened with interest last night to Obama’s state of the nation speech and potentially there were many positive ideas. Whether those ideas will actually bear fruit though remains to be seen. And what the cost will be to me personally of course. Despite the way the American economy has functioned in recent years money doesn’t grow on trees. All these ideas will need to be paid for.

I hope Obama can deliver. I really do. because by any criteria you care to name this is one sad country right now thanks to years, if not decades, of the rich getting rich and everybody else getting poorer. Past administrations, and congress for that matter, have got a lot to answer for.

I chuckled quietly to myself last night at all the “bi-partisan” standing ovations that Obama got. He pushed all the right buttons – Pavlov would have been proud. Not that I’m knocking what he had to say – I’m not. Just that all those standing and applauding loudly are the same wankers that got us into this mess in the first place through their action or inaction.

They’re alright of course. Good salary. Good pension. Free health care – now and for life. I’m expected to make sacrifices for all these “wonderful” things to happen. Pity they don’t have to also. It would have been nice to have heard a pay cut announced for congress and the senate. It won’t happen of course. God forbid they should have to sacrifice anything too. But it would have been nice.