An acknowledgement of understanding regarding the US

[achilles12604]

Until recently, I had never encountered the "arrogant, selfish, bully" attitude that people from other countries feel about the US and its people. However, I have finally encountered a perfect example of it. My Step-Father in law firmly believes that the United States is the hope of the world. He told me that without the US the world would collapse. We need to have all our troops everywhere in order to maintain order and prevent Chaos. We must fulfill our duties to this world. He also went off on a tangent about how good the American Citizens were and how much charity giving we do and how little the Arab countries do and how the Arabs are evil for attacking Israel.

Well thanks to this here little forum, I had done a great deal of research into many of the topics we discussed that night and so I was certain I knew the facts. He didn't want to hear any of them and the night ended fairly abruptly. Now he considers me to be a "radical". I just laughed when I heard this little accusation.

Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know that I understand this mindset better now. Do I think all, or even the majority of Americans think this way? No. But the ideas are there and frankly they are disconcerting.

I don't think world peace is possible. There are far to many people with their heads stuck in the dirt.

[bernee51]

Until recently, I had never encountered the "arrogant, selfish, bully" attitude that people from other countries feel about the US and its people. However, I have finally encountered a perfect example of it. My Step-Father in law firmly believes that the United States is the hope of the world. He told me that without the US the world would collapse. We need to have all our troops everywhere in order to maintain order and prevent Chaos. We must fulfill our duties to this world. He also went off on a tangent about how good the American Citizens were and how much charity giving we do and how little the Arab countries do and how the Arabs are evil for attacking Israel.

Well thanks to this here little forum, I had done a great deal of research into many of the topics we discussed that night and so I was certain I knew the facts. He didn't want to hear any of them and the night ended fairly abruptly. Now he considers me to be a "radical". I just laughed when I heard this little accusation.

Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know that I understand this mindset better now. Do I think all, or even the majority of Americans think this way? No. But the ideas are there and frankly they are disconcerting.

I don't think world peace is possible. There are far to many people with their heads stuck in the dirt.

A renown Vedantic philosopher visiting the US in 1893 almost at once fell foul of the brutality, the inhumanity, the littleness of spirit, the narrow fanaticism, the monumental ignorance, the crushing incomprehension, so frank and sure of itself with regard to all who thought, who believed, who regarded life differently from the self styled paragon nation of the human race.

Not much has changed.