KryssTal - The USA - An Outsider's View

KryssTal : The USA - An Outsider's View 4/21/11 11:21 PM
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Introduction
The USA is one of the world's 200 countries.
The USA is an influential country that is loved by most of

its population and many around the world. It is also a
country that is loathed and hated by large sections of the
planet. As one of the world's 200 countries the USA has its
great points, its good points, its bad points and its terrible
points. It is a typical country, in that respect. Let us
examine these points closely.
This is a personal view from outside the USA.
Great Things About the USA
Science and Technology are superb in the USA,

probably better than anywhere else in the world and on a

par with Europe at its best. The freedom that allows
information to pass unhindered is the main reason for
this. Another is the huge amounts of money put into
laboratories and into education. Most of the world's great
living scientists are in the USA. Of course, the USA has
been known to assimilate people so that great German,
Czech or Russian scientists are given USA citizenship and
the credit for any discoveries they make then goes to the
USA.
The USA and its scientists has made great contributions

to astronomy, chemistry, physics and biolotechnology. Not
all of this is used for the good of humanity in general but
the contribution can only be praised.
The right to Freedom of Information in the USA is one

of its great strengths - and it works. In this, the USA is
better than most places in Europe or elsewhere. Even the
highest levels of government can be brought to account.
This is true in theory but, in practice, some miscreants
have been pardoned by incoming presidents and escaped
punishment.
The Freedom of Speech is a right that is ingrained in the

country. Generally you are allowed to say what you like in
the USA. On a practical level, not everybody owns media
outlets, so the views of a rich and powerful elite
predominate. Also there are periods in USA history (the
McCarthy era and post September 11th) where speaking
out against the establishment leads to a loss of job or

worse.
The presence of a Constitution in the USA and the

Supreme Court to ensure that laws are not passed that
violate this constitution is a great political idea. This
generally works well except that Supreme Court judges
can be appointed by the ruling party.
Good Things About the USA
Here we have much to chose from. The USA Film

Industry has produced some of the world's classic
movies. USA Music is played and loved around the world
(especially rock, jazz, blues, soul, and rap).
Food is good value (but not as varied as in Europe or Asia

and there is too much reliance on junk food). The USA
habit of coffee top-ups in restaurants is unique and an
excellent concept.
People in the USA are generally very hard working - they

certainly take fewer vacations than their European
counterparts. This certainly contributes to their High
Standard of Living. The high standard of living in the
USA is one of the major reasons why people want to
come and live in the country. Two points about this
standard of living need to be made:
The hard work of people in the USA is not the only

factor leading to a high standard of living. World
trade rules and the availability of cheap resources
from areas of the world controlled by the USA are
two major factors.
It is not the highest in the world. The USA has
quite a lot of poverty for such a large and rich
nation. Parts of Japan and northern Europe have
higher overall living standards. In the USA the
standard of living is very good but not the best.
Bad Things About the USA
Public Transport is not as good as in other parts of the

world (espacially Europe). You really need a car in most
places. Petrol is cheap, however, which makes cars
affordable to run but is ecologically unsound.
Health Care, while generally excellent, is not freely

available to all. Europeans find the idea of a hospital
refusing to treat a person because they are uninsured, a
primitive and uncivilised one.
Uniformity and Conformity. USA culture tends to be

very uniform. Wherever you go, food is similar, facilities
are similar. While this makes some aspects of life easier it
takes away the variety that makes the world interesting.
Travelling in Europe and Asia is more interesting because
of the diversity and regionality of food, language, culture,
architecture. There are exceptions, of course (New York,

Cajun culture in Louisiana, indigenous culture).
This uniformity / conformity can be seen in several places:
People who emigrate to the USA feel compelled to

change their names to more English sounding
ones, something that happens less in Europe.
Music from Cuba or Mexico has to be
"Americanised" before being accepted.
Foreign films have to be remade in American style
before they can be seen. Watching subtitled
originals is not the done thing in the USA except in
a few cities like New York.
A general reluctance to accept anything from other
cultures or countries unless it has been
Americanised. This can be seen in the number of
USA tourists travelling in Europe and Asia who
only eat USA food and stay in USA owned hotels
and are guided by USA educated guides. This is
not the way to learn about other cultures and
peoples. Americans are not unique in this attitude
but it does seem to be very prevalent.
USA Television and Radio is not intelectually challenging

or informative. Even with numerous stations the variety is
limited.
One of the biggest complaints that visitors to the USA

make is that the media essentially ignores the rest of the
world or views it as a theme park for American

amusement. The USA Media is one of the main reasons
why people in the USA know so little about what is
happening in the world and the role their government
plays in events abroad.
Terrible Things About the USA
The Gun Culture and Violence. The USA is one of the

most violent societies in the developed world. Gun crime is
a big problem and large areas of cities are dangerous. This
is very different from nearby Canada, Europe (although
US-style gun crime is increasing in the UK) and most of
Asia. In this, the country is more similar to Latin America
and parts of Africa.
The USA is one of only two developed countries that still

uses the Death Penalty (the other is Japan). It executes
minors and the mentally ill in huge numbers. In this it is
on a par with China, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The USA has a terrible record of Human Rights around

the world. This is covered in detail in numerous tables on
this web site. The USA ignores the world community,
demonising or economically punishing countries that
disagree with it.
In needs to be added that the vast majority of USA

citizens are totally unaware of their country's real record
around the world. A few know but are lone voices, often
accused of being unpatriotic. One of the positive aspects
of the dreadful crimes aginst humanity of 11 September
2001, is that more citizens of the USA are beginning to
look at alternative media sources to find out more about
their country's role and actions in the world.
The USA Lectures the World

The USA likes to lecture the rest of the world without
getting their own house in order first:
In the 2000 presidential election, the candidate

with the most number of votes failed to gain the
presidency because of the convoluted voting
system used in the USA. There were allegations of
voter intimidation in Florida where the winning
candidate's brother was governor. The presidency
was awarded by the Supreme Court which had
been staffed with friends of the winning candidate's
father.
Even so, the USA lectures other countries

about democracy.
Fundamentalist Christians in the USA shoot

doctors who carry out abortions. They have
attempted to ban the teaching of evolution in

schools. They approve of, encourage and finance
Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian territory for
religious reasons.
Even so, the USA lectures countries about

religious fundamentalism.
The USA refuses to abide by the Geneva

Conventions in its treatment of prisoners in Cuba,
Iraq and Afghanistan. The USA consistantly vetos
United Nations resolutions on Israel, human rights,
fair trade and arms treaties. The USA has ignored
a World Court judgement concering Nicaragua. The
USA unilaterally imposes economic sanctions on
nearly 50% of the world's population. For many
years the USA refused to pay its financial dues to
the United Nations. The USA refuses to ratify the
Tokyo Agreement on Climate Change even though
it is the world's largest emitter of Carbon Dioxide,
the main greenhouse gas.
Even so, the USA lectures (certain)

countries and threatens them if they violate
United Nations resolutions or treaties.
The USA refuses to allow inspectors to examine its

chemical or biological weapons facilities. The USA
sells arms to regimes that are undemocratic (Saudi
Arabia), oppress their minorities (Turkey,
Indonesia) or are an occupying power (Israel). The
USA spends more on arms than the next six
countries put together.
Even so, the USA insists on weapons

inspections for others, criticises countries
like North Korea and Iran (for "gun-
running") and inisists on trying (selected)
war criminals from other countries.
The USA has supported some of the world's

nastiest dictators (Pinochet in Chile, Duvalier in
Haiti, the Saudi Arabian royal family). The USA
has trained some of the world's nastiest death
squads and secret police (El Salvador, the Contras
in Nicaragua, the Shah of Iran). The USA has
financially and militarilly supported Israel as it
terrorises the Palestinian population, takes their
land and ethnically cleanses large areas of the
West Bank.
Even so, the USA criticises countries for

"supporting terrorism".
It is illegal in the USA for foreigners to make

contributions to political parties or to interfere in
the USA elections.
Even so, the USA pumps money into

favoured candidates in many countries
around the world. It uses "economic
coersion" to ensure that the USA's favoured
candidate wins. It will also appoint the
members of a country's government to put
a "local face " onto an occupation.
The USA has used economic blackmail to force

countries (like Thailand) to accept the selling of
USA tobacco (and advertising) even though many
countries are attempting to cut down on tobacco
use. Tobacco contains the addictive drug, nicotine.
Even so, the USA bombs parts of Colombia

accusing it of "drug-running" and shoots
down aircraft in Peru accused of running
drugs.
The USA subsidises large parts of its industry

giving them an unfair advantage in world trade.
The USA places tariffs on goods coming from

developing countries making it difficult for these
countries to trade in a fair market place. Non USA-
citizens are not allowed to own media in the USA.
Even so, the USA insists that other

countries remove subsidies from their goods
and industries and "open up" their markets
to USA goods by removing tariffs and to
allow foreign ownership.
The USA requested the Taliban government in

Afghansiatn to hand over Osama bin-Laden, who
was accused of terrorist crimes. When the Taliban
refused, the USA invaded and bombed
Afghanistan, killing over 3000 people.
Even so, the USA refuses to hand over the

then-boss of USA company Union Carbide
(Warren Anderson) to the democratic
government of India to answer charges of
culpable homicide after the explosion in
Bhopal in 1984 that killed 20,000 people
and has left hundreds of thousands
chronically injured. The USA also refused to
hand over the brutal Shah of Iran to the
Iranians in the 1980s when he was wanted
for crimes committed during his 25 years of
USA-backed dictatorship.
The USA organises and televises trials of its

enemies accused of war crimes and crimes aginst
humanity.
Even so, the USA refuses to do the same

for its allies or citizens. For example, Henry
Kissinger organised the secret bombing of
Cambodia in the early 1970s - an act that
resulted in the deaths of hundreds of
thousands of civilians. The USA refuses to
let its citizens be subject to the
International Criminal Court and has
coerced dozens of countries to sign special
waivers for USA citizens, imposing
sanctions on those that refused.
The USA threatens and invades countries like Iraq

and Iran after accusing them of secretely
developing nuclear weapons.
Even so, the USA stores 480 nuclear

weapons under its control in six European
countries, including the UK and Turkey.
The USA (correctly) criticises the government of

Burma for its refusal to accept international help
after a cyclone.
Even so, the USA refused help offered by

Venezuela and Cuba after the hurricane that
devastated New Orleans.
For many people in the world, USA actions appear to

embody the principle of one law for the USA, another law
for the rest of the world. This can be rephrased as "do as
we say not as we do".
KryssTal Related Pages

USA Interventions
Military or political interventions, invasions, bombings,
military aid, sanctions, and terrorist activity by the USA
against countries and popular movements. The reasons
given for the interventions are usually very different from
the actual reasons. Many of these actions remain secret
for many years and may be mis-reported in the Western
media.
World Trade
How world trade really works and an explanation of tariffs,

subsidies, debt and aid. There are numerous tables with
links to further details.
USA Backed Coups

Military coups and changes of government, planned,
organised or backed by the USA. The reasons given
(Communism, terrorism, drugs, fundamentalism) are
compared with the actual reasons (oil, minerals, political
influence, business interests, military bases).
External Links
These links will open in a separate window
Why Do People Hate America

This is an excellent alternative view which shows that the
USA is not unique in many of the criticisms aimed at it
and also counteracts some of the arguments on this page.
The USA: Why Do They Hate Us?

An Australian site that lists 83 reasons why the USA is
disliked around the world.
Quotes
Richard Perle, USA Pentagon advisor:
"I do not believe that the United States should be

bound by the same rules as the smallest African

nation. Life isn't like that."
George Kennan, Cold War Planner for the USA in 1948:
"We have 50% of the world's wealth, but only 6.3%

of its population. In this situation, our real job in
the coming period is to devise a pattern of
relationships which permit us to maintain this
position of disparity. To do so, we have to dispense
with all sentimentality...we should cease thinking
about human rights, the raising of living standards
and democratisation."
Madeleine Albright, former USA Secretary of State to

the United Nations:
"[The USA will] behave, with others, multilaterally

when we can and unilaterally as we must."
© 2004 KryssTal

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KryssTal : The USA - An Outsider's View 4/21/11 11:21 PM

The USA is an influential country that is loved by most of

This is a personal view from outside the USA.

Great Things About the USA

Science and Technology are superb in the USA,

probably better than anywhere else in the world and on a

The USA and its scientists has made great contributions

The right to Freedom of Information in the USA is one

The Freedom of Speech is a right that is ingrained in the

out against the establishment leads to a loss of job or

The presence of a Constitution in the USA and the

Good Things About the USA

Here we have much to chose from. The USA Film

Food is good value (but not as varied as in Europe or Asia

People in the USA are generally very hard working - they

The hard work of people in the USA is not the only

Bad Things About the USA

Public Transport is not as good as in other parts of the

Health Care, while generally excellent, is not freely

Uniformity and Conformity. USA culture tends to be

architecture. There are exceptions, of course (New York,

This uniformity / conformity can be seen in several places:

People who emigrate to the USA feel compelled to

USA Television and Radio is not intelectually challenging

One of the biggest complaints that visitors to the USA

world or views it as a theme park for American

Terrible Things About the USA

The Gun Culture and Violence. The USA is one of the

The USA is one of only two developed countries that still

The USA has a terrible record of Human Rights around

In needs to be added that the vast majority of USA

The USA Lectures the World

In the 2000 presidential election, the candidate

Even so, the USA lectures other countries

Fundamentalist Christians in the USA shoot

attempted to ban the teaching of evolution in

Even so, the USA lectures countries about

The USA refuses to abide by the Geneva

Even so, the USA lectures (certain)

The USA refuses to allow inspectors to examine its

Even so, the USA insists on weapons

The USA has supported some of the world's

Even so, the USA criticises countries for

It is illegal in the USA for foreigners to make

Even so, the USA pumps money into

The USA has used economic blackmail to force

Even so, the USA bombs parts of Colombia

The USA subsidises large parts of its industry

The USA places tariffs on goods coming from

Even so, the USA insists that other

The USA requested the Taliban government in

Even so, the USA refuses to hand over the

The USA organises and televises trials of its

Even so, the USA refuses to do the same

The USA threatens and invades countries like Iraq

Even so, the USA stores 480 nuclear

The USA (correctly) criticises the government of

Even so, the USA refused help offered by

For many people in the world, USA actions appear to

KryssTal Related Pages

How world trade really works and an explanation of tariffs,

USA Backed Coups