Saturday, November 13, 2010

The truly ugly American

I grew up outside the United States and I always was proud of my country.  To the point of getting beaten up (I was small and unusually loud mouthed).  From time to time I would run into an American who loudly proclaimed his hatred of his own country and took sides with our enemies.  I always got the sense that the other non-Americans around me - while often agreeing with the America hater - though this behavior to be depraved:  "how can he run down his own people?  doesn't he know that abandoning your own is the first sin?".  People from other nations, particularly poorer ones were proud of their countries in spite of their poverty and lack of freedom and backwardness.  I think most people are more shocked by an American who hates his country than by one who brags on it.  It seems so inhuman.

Bruce Bawer tells of one such encounter with an America hating American on the Oslo subway.

No wonder they hate us.

No comments:

Post a Comment