"Anti-US"
I was reading the "Galloway" thread, and it reminded me of something that's been bothering me for a long time. It seems that people are extremely quick to pull the "anti-US" card. Here's what I mean:
Any criticism of the United States seems to be immediately branded with this label. Any. And let's face it - the United States is far from perfect, but the same can be easily said with regards to Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, China, Japan... God, Luxembourg! Shouldn't it be obvious that no country is perfect?
Take a look at our personal lives - it's criticism that teaches us to be better people. It's a valuable gift. Everybody knows that.
So, why, when questions are raised about American foreign policy after 9/11, it's "anti-US?" Why, when questions are raised about the States' funding (and support) of various regimes over the years, it's anti-American? If anything, it's extremely pro-US! As a Canadian, I'm proud of my country, and want to know how we can make it even better. Don't Americans en masse? Don't their apologists?
There are a tonne of great things about the United States. You can't live on this planet and disagree with that statement. And, like every other country, there are serious problems (take American - and Soviet - foreign policy in Afghanistan from 1979-1991 as just one example). It seems the same mistakes just keep being repeated, and it's taboo to even bring them up. Why?
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