When I was a kid, my brother was often complaining about American propaganda on the TV. (I didn't care much one way or the other.) I recall the cheesy '50s series The Adventures of Superman, where the opening credits would end with the line "He stands for Truth, Justice, and the American Way!" showing the Man of Steel with the Stars & Stripes flapping behind him. That always gave me a laugh. Americans as a group can be so full of themselves!
I remember the spur of American patriotism that followed 9/11. The response of many Americans to the disaster embodied an odd combination of self-pity and self-congratulation. Some of them asked, "Why are we hated?" but in most cases this was just a rhetorical question, from people who didn't want to hear any answer that didn't have a pro-American spin. Which only left a self-serving answer: "They hate us for our freedoms!" That isn't completely wrong, but it definitely misses the point: there are nations just as free as the U.S. that don't get nearly as much hate.
It's fashionable among some Americans to say, "The French were cowards in World War II and us brave Americans had to save them!" Of course, back in September, 1939, the French actually went to war against Germany, while the Americans hid behind arrogant neutrality for two long years until Hitler finally declared war on them. Who was braver at that time? I don't really care who fought Germany when, but I'm disgusted by hypocrisy. People just forgetting history isn't as big a problem as remembering selectively, according to which parts make your country look good.
No comments:
Post a Comment