Why America is the greatest country on earth....
Her people. It's the short answer. It's the real answer. Saying it's not an answer doesn't work.
I watch America, Americans and how they behave. We have a lot of free spirits, people who strive to be individuals on a regular basis. Yet, when their next door neighbor is down, they help pick them up. Regardless of religious belief, regardless of left-wing, right-wing or whatever wing.
I can use 9/11 as an example. What happened during, men and women struggling to save the lives of people they didn't know, or didn't have to. They could have said, get everyone that is out already away... It's not structurally sound... flames, fuel, building parts and airplane parts falling.... noone would have argued that it wasn't safe to go in, especially after the first tower fell, but instead they redoubled their rescue efforts.
Let's talk about after. We went to war. A nation united in the cause. For a short time, political agendas and grandstanding were put aside. How about after that? We've attempted to implement new laws to protect the American people, some weaken our freedoms, some strengthen our security. For a minute lets set our decisions as a nation how to handle that aside, (and not disregarding the importance of the laws we govern ourselves with or our involvement in the "We the people...." process...) what we do even after is more important. Just for a second, set all the politics aside.
We, as Americans, continue to give and help above and beyond almost any nation on earth. The American people help their neighbor next door, but they also help their neighbor globally. We give our finances, we give our time, we give our children, we give our lives.
We may be arrogant at times, we have lots of shortcomings (we are human, what person doesn't), but we are a generous people. We are accused of not being globally minded, not caring about other nations well being, yet when they are in trouble, we mobilize our military, our men and women, our neighbors, our children, our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers voluntarily go to defend not just our American freedom, but the rights and freedoms of other people in other nations.
The United States government gives more money and aid to troubled nations than any other government in history. And so do American businesses and the American people. Noone likes taxes, but our government gives tax breaks to businesses and individuals for helping others, for donating to Red Cross, charities in our country and others. The American people not only voluntarily cross this nation to perform relief efforts, they join Peace Corps, religious organizations and volunteer to go to Africa to help fight AID's, to the Middle East to help with Tsunami efforts, donate money, funds and time to relief efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and trouble spots throughout the world. However you cut it, whatever business(s) get contracts for rebuilding IRAQ, we still foot the bill.. with people, time and money.
I guess that's why I get so upset when people say we are just arrogant and defensive, always trying to be the world's police force and not globally minded. This nation, is globally minded. This country is, and it's people are globally minded. Maybe it's arrogance, but I look on in amazement when the governments and people who love to malign us, are the first ones in line wanting to sell us goods, wanting us to "offshore" services, wanting our militaries contracts, wanting our business's to partner with theirs or to move operations and manufacturing into their countries, wanting us to give to relief efforts in their countries.
History is littered with mistakes, that nations, businesses and individuals make. I wonder sometimes why it's so easy for us to concentrate on those. We forget to look at the people and the good that they can and do perform.
So, for all of our shortcomings, as people, as businesses, as a nation, I still believe this is the greatest nation on earth. And I believe that our people make it that. Their willingness to step forward and help, our willingness to live out the ideals that our forefathers put into the Constitution and later the Bill of Rights. The American people's generosity in time and money, not just to family, or the neighbor next door, but to the world as a whole.
Maybe I'm an idealist, maybe I paint to rosy a picture, but I'm not just proud to be an American, I'm honored. I'm thankful, for all of my shortcomings, that I have the privilege of being an American.
- Binarypc
P.S. Thank you for making me think about it. Maybe this isn't "the" answer anyone is looking for, maybe it has lots of holes, but it's my answer... take it or leave it.
