The article was published in Macleans magazine that I read at the doctors office, I wish I would have noted the issue.
Parul, I am not sure about the whole thing of Indians being in love with Americans. I think they appreciate the western lifestyle. I think I get what your saying though.
Saleem, I dont think you can make a distinction between the "average american" and you guys. You guys are average americans. Are you part of the majority middle class? Probably. Are you guys well established into the commmunity, most likely. Just because the majority of you guys are children of immigrant parents, doesnt allow YOU, to differeniate yourself from other americans. You guys know, I believe the cultural attachment people have to punjabi and indian culture through Bhangra is extremely superficial. I have always said that there is no real connection being made in today's youth culture, and as much as punjabi culture has become a bragging point, there is argument to be made if anyone is willing to say that you guys identify more with punjabi/indian culture than american culture.
The thing that the article said that was so impressive is that obviously Americans are viewed extremely negatively over the world. It may be assoicated with their ignorant foreign policy, or just the problems that come along with being the cultural and finicial superpower. Having said that, the author asserted that especially those countries fimilar with the democratic process, the anger is directed towards the american people. Now Saleem, wanted to make a disconnect between the people here on this site, and those average americans. This is important to keep in mind with what the author stated as the defining moment.
He or she, claimed that there has been a long dislike for american society, but the 2004 elections is what solidified the hate in western socieities. He said, that obviously the war was recieved well around the world. The international community did not support it, and the US didnt care. It dragged Blair into the war, which led to his demise as well. He claimed that the elections was the time for the americans to stand up against the actions of the Iraq war, and the actions of the president. Not only did the MAJORITY of the american public vote Bush back in, they voted them back in despite the faulty war and the international disrespect that was was seen. I have said this before, this is not news.
The thing that I didnt care for in the article was that the author inserted that the general american doesnt care about how they project themselves to the world community. Again, Canada is a huge member of the international society. We dont cough with UN and NATO approval. The american people had a chance to make amends. When the american opinion was so low, and Bush had insulted the international community, the american public didnt care that people disrespected them throughout the world. The author argued that only when things got bad for american themselves, Ie- when the troops started to die in huge numbers, and when the economy when in the guttar, gas prices rising, thats when Bush's numbers went down, and it doesnt matter what his approval rating is, doesnt mean a thing.
Moving into the war, what I agree with is, that in both parties, when quized about the war, whether it is the president or the candidates, both are questioned on how to bring the troops home, and never the condition Iraq will be left in. Guess who is going to clean it up?
I can tell you, as CANADIANS, we were not attacked on 9/11. We did nothing wrong. WE did not invade afghanistan, and we did not invade iraq. We did not create decades of conditions where extremist thinking could breed. However, why are our solidiers dieing in Afghanistan? Why are our tax dollars, our hard earned money being spent in Afghanistan, because the US doesnt want to fund or send adequate troops there? Why are we building up the country that the US tore down. I had a friend who lost her cousin in Afghanistan, and for what? There is not only anger in the sense that we are cleaning up the mess of the Americans, and OUR people are dieing, and we are drapping OUR flag over dead, young, amazing soliders; it is that the Americans only cared when their personal lives were affected. When it was time to do something in 04, Americans didnt care about the pain they gave to the world. Only when their pocket book took a hit, did the backlash start.
I think for the most part, and the way I sometimes feel is that americans want to disassoicate themselves from the actions of their government, when they were the one's who support it, and made it happen in the first place.
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Do you guys care how you are viewed? Does it even matter of you. I know its a big part of the canadian identity, and thats why the government advises you to put a canadian flag on your backpack when you travel, because we are liked, but do you guys care? How you are viewed in the middle east, canada, mexico, UK, north eastern africa (actions in darfur), and other places around the world?
