America the greatest country in the world.

   

                



Source: Townhall.com

The World Doesn't Hate America, the Left Does
By Dennis Prager
Tuesday, November 27, 2007

One of the most widely held beliefs in the contemporary world -- so widely held it is not disputed -- is that, with few exceptions, the world hates America. One of the Democrats' major accusations against the Bush administration is that it has increased hatred of America to unprecedented levels. And in many polls, the United States is held to be among the greatest obstacles to world peace and harmony.

But it is not true that the world hates America. It is the world's left that hates America. However, because the left dominates the world's news media and because most people, understandably, believe what the news media report, many people, including Americans, believe that the world hates America.

That it is the left -- and those influenced by the left-leaning news and entertainment media -- that hates America can be easily shown.

Take Western Europe, which is widely regarded as holding America in contempt, but upon examination only validates our thesis. The French, for example, are regarded as particularly America-hating, but if this were so, how does one explain the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as president of France? Sarkozy loves America and was known to love America when he ran for president. Evidently, it is the left in France -- a left that, like the left in America, dominates the media, arts, universities and unions -- that hates the U.S., not the French.

The same holds true for Spain, Australia, Britain, Latin America and elsewhere. The left in these countries hate the United States while non-leftists, and especially conservatives, in those countries hold America in high regard, if not actually love it.

Take Spain. The prime minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004, Jose Maria Aznar, is a conservative who holds America in the highest regard. He was elected twice, and polls in Spain up to the week before the 2004 election all predicted a third term for Aznar's party (Aznar had promised not to run for a third term). Only the Madrid subway bombings, perpetrated by Muslim terrorists three days before the elections, but which the Aznar government erroneously blamed on Basque separatists, turned the election against the conservative party.

There is another obvious argument against the belief that the world hates America: Many millions of people would rather live in America than in any other country. How does the left explain this? Why would people want to come to a country they loathe? Why don't people want to live in Sweden or France as much as they wish to live in America? Those are rich and free countries, too.

The answer is that most people know there is no country in the world more accepting of strangers as is America. After three generations, people who have emigrated to Germany or France or Sweden do not feel -- and are not regarded as -- fully German, French or Swedish. Yet, anyone of any color from any country is regarded as American the moment he or she identifies as one. The country that the left routinely calls "xenophobic" and "racist" is in fact the least racist and xenophobic country in the world.

Given that it is the left and the institutions it dominates -- universities, media (other than talk radio in America) and unions -- that hate America, two questions remain: Why does the left hate America, and does the American left, too, hate America?

The answer to the first question is that America and especially the most hated parts of America -- conservatives, religious conservatives in particular -- are the greatest obstacles to leftist dominance. American success refutes the socialist ideals of the left; American use of force to vanquish evil refutes the left's pacifist tendencies; America is the last great country that believes in putting some murderers to death, something that is anathema to the left; when America is governed by conservatives, it uses the language of good and evil, language regarded by the left as "Manichean"; most Americans still believe in the Judeo-Christian value system, another target of the left because the left regards all religions as equally valid (or more to the point, equally foolish and dangerous) and regards God-based morality as the moral equivalent of alchemy.

It makes perfect sense that the left around the world loathes America. The final question, then, is whether this loathing of America is characteristic of the American left as well. The answer is that the American left hates the America that believes in American exceptionalism, is prepared to use force to fight what it deems as dangerous evil, affirms the Judeo-Christian value system, believes in the death penalty, supports male-female marriage, rejects big government, wants lower taxes, prefers free market to governmental solutions, etc. The American left, like the rest of the world's left, loathes that America.

So what America does the American left love? That is for those on the left to answer. But given their beliefs that America was founded by racists and slaveholders, that it is an imperialist nation, that 35 million Americans go hungry, that it invades countries for corporate profits, and that it is largely racist and xenophobic, it is a fair question.

Comments

[Rick Wiser]

I would like to thank Eric Westerfeld for his comments. There are many who agree with his comments, I for one. Well said.

[informed lawyer]

"'Yes We Can' - 'Crises' Used as Pretense for EURO-Socialist Global Governance Wealth Redistribution - 'Change We Can Believe In'"

ITSSD Journal on Economic Freedom at: http://itssdeconomicfreedom.blogspot.com/2008/10/yes-we-can-crises-used-as-pretense-for.html

''Yes We Can' - 'Crises' Used as Pretense for EURO-Socialist Global Governance-based Wealth Redistribution - 'Change We Can Believe In'"

OUTLINE

I. Introduction

II. European and Certain U.S. Leaders Are Using the Exaggerated Climate 'Crisis' as a Pretense for Strict New Global Governance Wealth Redistribution Regulations to Save the World from the Enviromental Externalities 'Triggered' by Anglo-American Market-based Capitalism

III. European and Certain U.S. Leaders Have Characterized the Current Financial 'Crisis' as One of Capitalism', and Are Using it as a Pretense to Reform Global Financial Markets as Part of an Overall Effort to Create a NEW Global Governance Regime Intended to 'Save' Anglo-American Market-based Capitalism From Itself'

IV. European and Certain U.S. Leaders Have Called for Global Financial Governance Reforms Based on Feared Similarities Between the Causes of 19th Century Globalization and the Current Era of Globalization. Certain U.S. Leaders Also Seek to Use This 'Crisis' as an Opportunity to Complete Their Long-Term 'European Experiment' Gone Awry

V. List of Sources (set forth below in order of appearance)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Introduction:

The following articles demonstrate efforts being undertaken by current and former public officials in Europe and the United States to sensationalize and exploit 'CRISES' (both real - financial and exaggerated - climate change) to justify the imposition, at the national, regional and global levels, of more public regulation of private economic activities. This pretense for more governmental control of peoples' private economic lives is NOT CONDITIONED ON the need to establish reasonable and fair 'rule of law' substantive and procedural benchmarks (verifiable empirical science, economic cost-benefit analysis, political checks and balances/balance of powers - accountability, transparency and 'due process) for the public benefit and consistent with individual rights. Unfortunately, the strict rules and regulations called for will, no doubt, impair individual rights and national sovereignty. They also fall outside the requirements of due process, transparency and political accountability which are guaranteed to ALL U.S. citizens by the U.S. Constitution and its accompanying Bill of Rights.

These 'leaders' implore their public constitutents to simply 'trust' in their knowledge, judgment, foresight and grandiose 'reputations' when, in reality, it is precisely their LACK OF wisdom, knowledge, foresight, sincerity and judgment that we all should be suspect of and concerned about!

NO. The burden is on governmental officials to present to the public credible evidence that substantiates and differentiates the real risks from the potential but remote hazards they have exaggerated, and which they claim must be reduced or eliminated (i.e., problems they wish to solve) immediately. If they are unable to prove that there is an urgent problem that necessitates 'fixing' in the first place AND that their recommended solutions to the problem identified provide the best 'fix' at 'the least cost' to individuals' political and economic rights, especially that of exclusive private property, then they CANNOT go forward with their proposals and/or recommendations, for they will NOT have the consent of the governed.

In the United States, the legitimacy of the 'rule of law' and the license to be governed by all branches of the U.S. Government, including the Executive, Legislative AND Judicial branches, derives from the consent of the American people. Former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln clearly recognized that the American nation was: 1) "conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal"; 2) uniquely and flexibly structured to serve the needs and interests of both the individual and the American people as a whole; and 3) one in which the government is constrained (limited) by the 'rule of law' (rather than based upon the 'rule of men'), founded on the universal principles set forth within the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and its accompanying Bill of Rights. It is worth repeating to these 'leaders' that, the U.S. Government has long derived its legitimacy ONLY from the consent of the governed - i.e., the American people. THIS IS NOT EUROPE, WHERE THE PEOPLE DERIVE THEIR RIGHTS FROM THE GRACE OF THE GOVERNMENT!!

Arguably, the governing documents of the United States are as unique in today's world as they were when they were adopted during the 18th Century. The U.S. nation remains the oldest and most stable form of representative democracy (a true republic) in the world today. Thus, it would immeasurably benefit peoples around the world (but not perhaps their elitist leaders and governments) if these documents served as the framework for a new global 'rule of law' system of Governance 'Of the People, By the People, and For the People'.

According to one European legal expert:

"The purpose of the rule of law is to tame the discretionary power of government and thus enable individuals to pursue their private ends in efficiency-friendly way[s]. On the other hand, the rule of men is about the power of the ruling group to make discretionary changes in the pursuit of its own ends. A major difference between the rule of law and the rule of men is that the rule of law requires a well-defined, stable and credible process by which formal rules can be changed. In a rule of men state, changes in formal rules are a vehicle through which the ruling group seeks its ends."

For example,

"...the European regulators’ historical inclination is to subjugate individual rights and freedoms to “social obligations” and “socially beneficial” causes." International law experts agree that European citizens are deemed to enjoy only a positive implied conditional right to private property that is highly subject to “collective power” and the “public interest”— that is, the “general will.”

"[T]he constitutional rights of European citizens have long been viewed as “positive rights” granted by the state to the people, rather than as “negative rights” of the people recognized by the state."

"A brief review of German legal and political history is quite revealing. According to Humboldt University law professor Dieter Grimm, the constitutions and bills of rights previously enacted by successive German monarchs were intended to preserve the legitimacy and survival of their dynasties, and little more. As a result, they created “positive” rather than “negative” rights that subsequently failed to endure the political whims of national parliaments and to secure consent from short-term-minded monarchs and unelected bureaucracies." Id., at note 17, at 4.

By comparison,

"One purpose of the American Revolution, therefore, was to strengthen and protect the people’s fundamental rights. Consequently, fundamental rights “could from the very beginning be negative rights” that served primarily to protect individuals from the government . . . . In contrast . . . the inclusion of positive rights in German law can be traced to the fact that European constitutions, unlike the U.S. Constitution, did not establish an entirely new political entity because the nation-state existed before the constitutions emerged. This meant “they never changed the tradition of the state,” and part of this saved tradition, especially in Germany, was that “the state always retained the role of being the representative of the higher aspirations of society”.....

[GM]

If America was the greatest country in the world, it would rank first on the UN Human Development Index. It doesn't. In 2007 it came 12th.

[Johnny B]

I'm English, i don't hate America, there are many good intelligent American people out there. You are not one of them. That a country could be simply divided into lefts and rights is over simplifying thing dramatically, and that a county would elect a leader based on whether or not they hate America is just plain arrogant. 'The left' are not the ones that make people hate America, thats all down to idiots like you, you need to pull your head out of your countries arse.

[ben disraeli]

Im british and i can tell you that over here the general opinion is that america sucks.
The reason why we think this?
Because of idiots like you. You seem to think that your country is in some way blessed by god! In truth your a nation of gun wielding fast food eating religious idiots and expect everybody to love you.
I say get lost america the world hates you!

[AG]

Where do you come from? Im from NZ and have lived in Europe/Russia/China for several years. Never been to the USA, well three times to LA airport and the pollution, depressing and shambolic nature of the place and the very unfriendly officials has not inspired me to go and see the country proper.

The people of the world dont hate America, let alone the lefties, the people of the world hate the ignorant, greedy american capitalists, all all those idiotic young americans that think the answer to everything is to blow it up, and this criminal and corrupt government.

There is something very wrong with the States these days. You are insular in your veiw of the world, you have broken the international rule of law which is highly immoral (WW2 vets, holocaust victims would roll in their graves)you avoid the pressing issue of global climate change. Once a great country, but your capitalist ways are now tipping over board, your greed is shown by your enormous consumption. your inequality, and your huge pollution levels are a sign that the great capitilist experiment is failing...democracy, equality and sustainability need to be brought to the forefront of american politics and then you might lead the world again

[truthteller]

alot of questions come up about america...some say its evil..lol...some say its goal is for more land some say they just want to have the appreciation of other nations. alot of americans think america is hated upon becuase of our technology...well thats not true america isnt the only place where advanced technologies roam. especially in the military..thats just media hype and arrogance.

[someguy]

hi

[Informed Lawyer]

The reason why the US is the greatest country in the world has to do with its unique Constitution, our unique checks and balances system of representative government, and our unique recognition and protection of exclusive private property as the basis of the American free enterprise system.

This system IS under attack from an enlarging European Union, led by the old Franco-German Alliance with grand global ambitions.

There is much information about this effort on the ITSSD Journal on Economic Freedom (url above). There are also three other ITSSD Journals of interest:

The New & Improved ITSSD Journal on the UN Law of the Sea Convention, at:

http://itssdjournalunclos-lost.blogspot.com

The ITSSD Journal on Intellectual Property, at:

http://itssdinternationaliprights.blogspot.com

The ITSSD Journal on Pathological Communalism, at:

http://itssdpathologicalcommunalism.blogspot.com .

And more ITSSD Journals are now in production to provide the public with much needed information about the evolving state of international economic, science & technology law.

[Joe Godfrey]

Great post! They say, actions speak louder than words. There are around $750,000 applications each year to become a U.S. citizen, more than any other country. However, only about 400 people each year give up their U.S. citizenship. Those number speak much louder than the "hate America first" guy that commented on this post.

America isn't perfect, no country is or ever has been. But, we are the greatest country the world has ever known. We've done more good than bad and we have the ability to do much more.

Keep spreading the word about how great America is!

[Eric Westerfeld]

You morons have outsourced over 50 million jobs, you have displaced our own technology sector workers with cheap foreign workers from China and India, frightening off U.S. students from engineereing and software development, you have outsourced our most critical technology, you have defrauded and cheated consunsumers into buying bogus loans and other investments ruining them. Now, the dollar is just at about $1.50 to a Euro, OPEC is seriously considering pegging the price of oil to the dollar, and inflation is about to become a vicious monster that will utterly destroy the Middle Class. Every critical piece of our infrastructure is made offshore, now. We no longer have a manufacturing sector that amounts to anything. Everything from the wire in our homes, to the paint, carpeting, and every appliance is made somewhere other than the U.S. Those cheap labor market costs have now passed the ever declining U.S. dollar. So a vicious cycle of increasing prices, stagnating or even lower wages and benefits (except for public sector employees!), rising unemployment, coupled with the oh so uncompfortable ancillary rising divorce and crime rates, is going to wreck the U.S. economy and take a lot of our social infrastructure right along with it. The advocates of outsourcing and “free trade” are going to (rightfully) take the blame for this and I would expect to see more than a few criminal trials, wealthy brokers taking up residence in Dubai, and more than a little violence directted at the wealth and their families that did this. Essentially, you swine took a country, an entire people, and you broke it, wrecked it. Now you get to reap the wind for that!

[Informed Lawyer]

Speaking about Western Europe, its penchant for top-down centralized planning and its desire to subjugate America to the UN environment centric sustainable development juggernaut...

Precautionus Principilitis:
A Psychosocial Disorder Causing Luddite Psychobabble ©

By Lawrence A. Kogan, Esq. and Robert Stein, PhD [1]*

Precaution as a Way of Life

The moral, social and environmental cognoscenti of the new communitarian[2] movement for global governance hold the precautionary principle as a doctrinal article of faith. The philosophy advocates a ‘Better Safe than Sorry’ ethos to modern day living. One public relations expert remarked several years ago that Europe’s unilateral efforts to establish the precautionary principle as an absolute global legal standard reflects a deeper institutional and cultural aversion to risk not found in the United States. Sharp demographic differences between the two powers appear to support this fact; “European electorates are aging must faster than America’s, making Europeans more risk averse.”[3] As a result, geriatric Europeans reflexively fear the myriad uncertainties surrounding new technologies and industrial processes, especially unfathomable risks that populate the distant future, and potentially affect their health and environment, even though no actual proof of imminent risk of harm is present. Because of this fear, European elites and like-minded American Europhiles argue that such advances should be shunned, even if it means grinding global societal progress to a halt.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE, SEE:

http://itssd.blogspot.com/2007/12/precautionus-principilitis.html