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How Many Of You Hate America?
The common view of things is often different from the reality. They can be twisted, beautiful images that shield us from the truth. Sometimes people should think of it not as a shield, but as a blindfold. Because a world superpower is taking steps too far. By consuming more fossil fuels than is necessary, by standing still and making no military progression when it was needed, and by waging war on a country and attacking soldier and civilians over a mere dispute for oil. This “great” country, is America.
Many people look to America and sigh with envy at “the American Dream” . However, that dream cannot last long, while America is guzzling up precious resources left on a rapidly crowding planet. These figures speak for themselves about the evident greed of America:
Coal > Production
531,822,000 ton
Coal consumption
1,060,000,000
Commercial energy use
8,148.38
Electric power consumption > kWh
3,920,613,000,000 kWh
Electricity > Consumption
3,892,000,000,000 kWh
Gasoline prices
0.77
Geothermal power use
5,640
Natural gas > Consumption
652,900,000,000 cu m
Natural Gasoline > Production
12,275,000 ton
Nuclear electricity generation
780.1 terawatt-hours
Nuclear energy consumption
821.1 terawatt-hours
Nuclear reactors operable
104
Oil > Consumption
20,680,000 bbl/day
Oil > Exports
1,165,000 bbl/day
Oil > Production
8,457,000 bbl/day
Oil imports > Net
10,400,000 barrels per day
Oil reserves
22,450,000,000 barrels
Usage per person
8.35 TOE per person
Wall plugs > Voltage
110 V
Wind energy installation
6,740 MW
These crimes are forgivable, as other nations are guilty of many similar crimes, such as Brazilians chopping down the Amazon. But global warming is not the most important aspect that we can hold against America. America has extorted countries beyond the point of recovery. Equador, for example, was reduced to a poor scrabbling wreck once America dealt out loans to them. Now Equador only has 5% of its national budget to spend on public services, whilst the rest of the money goes into paying off foreign aid, almost all of which goes to America. Is this right? Is it fair that Americans can bully nations? Furthermore. America threatens, assasinates, and then goes to war with the presidents of countries who refused to run their countries as they like. The war with Iraq is a simple example. America wanted oil. Iran refused to give for no good reason. Why should we just let them do this to us? Us as a world?
Oh yes, because they have guns!
The U.S.A government is a trigger-happy collection of murderous power figures, They do so much to the world, and yet they have nuclear arms and their military to point at other nations, and say “give me your money!” They succeeded for so long due to pure fear, but now other countries have the chance to strike back. America doesn't have all the power anymore. A single grain of rice can tip a scale. Somehow, America has set in a system which everybody likes. A system where people don't think. Where they impulsively buy items that will break very soon. In America, only 10% of items bought for a house are kept for more than a month, and only 5% of those remain for 6 months. America designs products to be made so they break as soon as possible, but will still leave the client with faith in the product, enough so to buy themselves more.
But who benefits from this system?
The aristocrats do. Right up in their trees, lording over us. There are bankers who awarded themselves millions of dollars in bonuses whilst creating a recession that would cripple thousands of struggling individuals around the world. This doesn't cause stress for people living on government benefits, but for the people who are just above the poverty line. America makes those people struggle and work every day. It does so by enforcing a system where the elite (namely money-posessing) people take hold. Can nothing be done to create a fair and happy world?
Well, there is something you can do. You can be fair. You can be smart, and you can think before reaching for your credit card while watching an auction channel. You can PAUSE and WAIT before buying that “wonderful new shave”. We have to know our limitations, and stretch them. Whoever is reading this, YOU are the workforce. You are the people economically enslaved. There is hope. You can work together towards goals such as Project Venus, Save The Forests, Oil Conservation, and Fairtrade. These small lifestyle changes will help you sleep at night. How can we sleep after reading this, knowing that we are only here through the turmoil and suffering of potentially hundreds of other men, women and children.
When a child reaches to the future, who will have the heart to say, “we've used it up, son.”
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JOIN THE DISCUSSION
This article has 392 comments.
Okay, first of all, us Americans can bash our own country without you silly Europeans' help. Just sayin. :)
Second, why are you attacking America? What about China? What about EVERY OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRY (and plenty of undeveloped countries) IN THE WORLD?! We have a large country, with a large number of people, and we can't just hop a train or bus everywhere we want to go. Therefore, we use a lot of natural resources. And yeah, there are those who are greedy and selfish and take more than they need, and that's not right, but it is most certianly NOT uniqe to the U.S. of A.
Three, I read quite a few comments, and honnestly, most of you seem to see things in black-and-white terms. You're really no better than the people you hate on. There is so much more going on in the intricate picture that is our world than you seem to reallize. I mean, sure, it's easy to blame all the world's problems on a super-power like America, but even if you take America out of the equation, the world was still bound to deteriorate eventually.
In conclusion, it's easy to see the passion here, but most of y'all are focused on the wrong things. By placing blame and arguing with each other, you're only fuling the problem, not fixing it.