I have recently been barraged with letters by angry Americans who feel that President Obama belittled past American soldiers who fought in WWI by apologizing for Americas arrogance. Boy you guys are stretching to find something to be upset about. I heard the speech while I was working out and found it to be quite truthful and not derogatory towards our service men and women in any way. How long can we keep saying, "We beat back the Nazi's for you now do it our way".
We have been known as the Ugly Americans since 1958 when the book The Ugly Americans written by William Lederer and Eugene Burdick was first published, and if you read Peter Hecks column we have not learned a thing in over fifty years. We are viewed as arrogant around the world. We force our way of life on others because we feel superior to every other nation on earth. After the last administrations "might makes right" attitude that left America disparaged from the rest of the world, President Obama needs to show some humility to patch up our foreign relations. This act in and of itself does not dishonor any American dead or alive. President Obama is doing what he has to to achieve peace and prosperity around the world for all Americans.
Yes America is the best Country in the world. Yes Americas relief efforts and military have helped almost every nation in the world at some time or another. And yes the rest of the world should be grateful towards us but you can't just jam our opinions down their throats. We can't keep trying to say, "We are America and this is what you are going to do because we say so". President Obama will get more conciliation from other nations by being contrite rather than being a demagogue.
Peter Heck and the other author, who wasn't even man enough to sign his name to his rant, are welcome to come to my house and we can try it their way at first. I might be a fat old man but I still have a few cans of whoop-ass left in me. I will proceed to beat both of them into a bloody pulp until they submit to my way of thinking or we can sit down and have a discussion about our differences. Believe me they would both rather sit down and talk to me rather than fight me. Mr. Heck's grandfather will really be embarrassed when his grand kid comes home beat up and spewing my doctrine of peace. America needs to sit down and talk with the other people of the world. Lose the superiority complex, lose the arrogance and become the guiding light, lead by example.
Diplomacy is the word for the day. Let us all try and get along with each other. The mahatma in me wants to feel the love. I will accept you and your faults if you will accept me and my differences. We can all work together to build a better future, a better world. Or we can try and be despots demanding respect and ruling by fear, which never seems to work out for very long. President Obama stay the course America Loves You. Peter Heck I will put a candle in my window for you.
You can search for Mr. Peter Hecks misguided column at Peter Heck Arrogant Americans, Mr. President?
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How many is a barrage ? How does America try to force anything on anyone? We liberate and protect for those who can't do it for themselves. How can you say we force our way of life on anyone when we practically let anyone who wants into this country, give illegal immigrants benefits some Americans don't have, put signs / instructions etc.. in several languages to be politically correct and all of us end up being forced to pay for all this. We should be more forceful in forcing our ways on those that want to come to this country and have the benefits we all have. I'm not saying we shouldn't tolerate those that are different. We should. But if people want to live in America, they should expect to have to speak our Language and not expect all of us to adopt to them. They shouldn't expect to come to our country and live on our welfare system that we pay for our fellow americans who need it. They should come expecting to work hard to make something for themselves. That's respectable. We have too many illegal immigrants coming here and then finding loopholes for not being sent back and living on our dime while doing nothing. We are way too tolerant and far from forcing our beliefs on them. If they want to live here, then they should live by our rules and join us. Not be just a foreigner living in America. Had we not stopped Germany, we'd all be speaking German. Same with the Japanese. So I'm not sure arrogance is the correct word.
ReplyDeleteThis article was not about foreigners on US soil or illeagal immegrants. Believe me, I am totally against illeagal immegrants in the US. They are a drain on every taxpayers pocket book, they steal jobs and commit crimes, while we support their kids education and give them free medical attention. That will be another rant for the Moral Compass. This article is about going over to Europe, The Orient and the Middle East and trying to patch up our battered foriegn policy. Pres Obama is trying to sit down and talk to foriegn dignetaries rather than slamming the door in their faces as has been done in the past. Diplomacy. The right wing hawks are taking exception to Pres Obamas tactics. They want him to puff out his chest and say screw you we are the United States do it our way or die. Those tactics don't work very well.
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