There is no shortage of America-bashers around the globe. In fact, one of the few uniting ideals outside of America itself is a general distaste towards the most powerful country in the world. The idea that America has done more harm then good is very popular globally. I am not referring to pure hatred, as demonstrated by jihadists and North Korea, but instead a general disregard for the accomplishments of America and by and large, a feeling of satisfaction in watching its slow but sure fall from grace. We must hold the USA accountable for its mistakes, but on the same note, we must take note of what it has given the world. Most importantly, we must hope that it does not lose its place on centre stage, for in a world full of corruption and irresponsibility, America defends some of our most important values as Canadians. The globe has more to lose from the crippling of America than most would think.
As many readers may have already heard, last October, a two-year-old girl was killed in a traffic accident. Sadly, this may sound like a fairly regular occurrence in even the world’s most developed nations. However, this was no regular traffic accident. The toddler was at first run over by a van in a busy marketplace, which, after realizing it struck the little girl, drove away without providing aid. After this occured, a dozen people walked by without offering help to the child. Then, a second van ran her over. Finally, after 18 people had passed by the bleeding little girl, a street cleaner pulls her limp body off the street and calls for help. The two year old died in hospital in November. Of course, the question that many people would ask next is, “Where could this happen?”
The answer to this question is not Saudi Arabia or North Korea, but instead, China, one of the world’s fastest growing and most power-hungry regimes. It is a place where free speech, religious gatherings, homosexuality and anti-government protests are still punished to some degree, often violently (using documented torture methods such as body stretching, fingernail pulling and sleep deprevation, among others). Many may make the valid point that one cannot connect the intentions of society to those of the government. However, this is also a place where people pay top dollar to drop live chickens into lion pits at zoos, where bears are kept in torture cages to extract bile for Chinese medicine, and as described above, little girls are left bleeding to death on the street. I am not condemning the Chinese as a people, but one must remain weary of a society in which a two-year-old girl in agony is ignored by 18 passers-by for a total of 20 minutes before someone comes to her aid. A point that is widely made by people watching that video is that many of the passers-by may have faced legal consequence for helping the toddler. However, the fact that this serves as justification for ignoring her situation is repulsive. These actions definitely reflect a more individualist society, at the very least. Before condemning American society, we must keep in mind that it would be very difficult to find 18 Americans who would ignore that little girl, regardless of what legal consequences they would be facing. What kind of society would you prefer as a global leader?
China still remains a long way off from global dominance. Its military might is far from matching the US, its economy still remains underdeveloped, and poverty is still abundant. However, it is on an upward rise while the US is sliding down a slippery slope. Even more frightening is the vast amount of other irresponsible and corrupt regimes seeing their levels of global influence rise. Leading the pack is Russia, whose vast amounts of natural resources and market economy has made it a global player. The inability of Russian society to demand a democratic, free government is disturbing. From the czars to the USSR to the dictatorial Vladimir Putin, the Russian government remains an international and domestic bully willing to crush those who stand in its way. Torture directed towards dissenters remains widespread, all while the government continues to support destructive regimes around the globe, most notably, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Iran.
Although the USA will remain the undisputed world power for a long time to come, there is no denying its downward spin. Growing class inequality, overconsumption, military spending, soaring healthcare costs, spiralling debt, and above all, political deadlock, are all taking a toll on the USA. However, America is still a shining example of freedom in an increasingly dictatorial world. Every empire falls eventually, but instead of enjoying the collapse of America, the world should instead be weary of those countries eager to replace it.
Leave a Reply