Pessimism of America is being voiced more and more frequently by Americans. I want to improve my country, but not at the expense of our national pride. There has to be a balance where we can work on our economic and social values, while not bashing the country we love. The leaders of our country are cultivating a generation of Americans who are pessimistic about not only the present state of our economy, but they are losing the love and pride of our great country. Instead of constantly discussing how the United States is responsible for a “poor” economy and people of selfish desires, we should expound on our positives, while improving the problems. I want to hear pride that America is the greatest country, and why we are the greatest. America is a country that has liberated people from an evil dictator, gives more foreign aid than any other country, and offers more freedom than any other country.
America has taken down the former regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. This has stopped the killings of Iraqi’s that dared speak up against the political actions of Saddam Hussein. The women of Iraq recognize the good America has done for their country. Women are now subject to equal rights and able to participate in a government that is now open to all.
In Afghanistan the Taliban is no longer a threat to the health of children and restrictive upon the rights of all non-Shiite. Women can leave the home, and go to school and even own land and have a job now. All thanks to the intervention of the United States of America.
Africa is more stable now. The American grain farmers and food producers are fighting world hunger at a faster rate and in more ways then any other farmers in the world. We are the single largest contributor of food goods to the starving countries of the world. But yet here we are all are constantly bashing out country saying how awful our country is, and how little our government has done besides drive us into a recession.
To sit back and not be proud of this country of ours is just a shame. We have done more for the world in the past century than any other 3 countries combined. We have rescued the world from the tyranny of socialism, Fascism and Communism. We have supported freedom in the dark forgotten realms of the world and supported democracy even when it was not the popular thing to do. We have put a man on the moon, and developed cars that can travel many times faster then the speed of sound. And yet we are despairing because of a few hard times.
We have become so accustomed to the high standard of living that only this country could have given us, that when we find things not going our way just in the slightest that all of a sudden this country is nothing but the scourge of humanity. But talking of hard times lets think of a time not that long ago when times were truly hard, and not only here but world wide.
The Great Depression dragged the world through the worst economic times the modern world has seen. And what did Americans do, did they complain about how the government failed us. No, they tightened their belts and persevered. They showed the pages of history that the America spirit is not easy to break, and w as a people are as hearty as any that the world has seen.
Not only that but it was this country that lead the resurgence of stability and prosperity to the world. It was our financial instituion that loaned money to struggling Germany and the rest of Europe. It was our industries that supported them and helped rebuild the infastructure of post war and depression torn Europe and Asia.
How is it that we can’t just deal with the problems at hand, and suck it up and be the proud people that we are? It is time to start bad mouthing America and start realize how great we are as a people and just tighten our belts and get through these hard times.
Danielle Thompson
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