I’ve been asked my more than one person to respond to the Open Letter to America, which is currently burning up the internet so fast, you’d think it was written by rtm.
I am reminded of a time in my own life when I got a letter from someone I really cared about, telling me what I refused to tell myself: I was an asshole.
Set the wayback machine circa 1988 or 1989. I am on top of the world. I travel in limos and fly first class to events where hundreds and sometimes thousands of people scream for me. Everywhere I look, I see my face staring back at me from Teen Cheese and Non-Threatening Boys magazines. I am getting more fan mail than anyone else at Paramount.
I am also desperately unhappy.
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In the summer of 1988 or 89, I had this huge crush on a girl from school. She was really beautiful, sexy, and fun to be with.
We dated a few times, hung out a lot, and I was really falling for her. Then one day she stopped returning my calls, and coming over.
I was crushed. I didn’t understand what had happened.
Then one morning I got a letter from her. In it, she told me, as delicately as possible, that she just couldn’t be around me any more. I was arrogant, rude, ungrateful for what I had, and I treated her like property. I was demanding, overbearing, unwilling to listen to or respect other people’s opinions. I was a dick, an ass, a jerk. She described to me a person I wouldn’t ever want to sit next to on a bench, much less be.
I was stunned. I took the letter to my best friend Darin, and showed it to him, looking for comfort. He’d help me feel better about this frigid bitch, I thought.
When he was done reading it, he asked me what I thought. I declared, with righteous indignation, that she “didn’t know what the fuck she was talking about”, and that she could “fuck off, because it was bullshit.”
Darin looked at me, and he said, gently, “Wil, you should read it again, because she’s right.”
I looked at him, he looked back at me. This was not the reaction I was expecting.
“What?” I asked, wondering if maybe I’d brought the wrong letter.
“[Her name] wrote you this letter because she cares about you, and she doesn’t like what you’ve become. Frankly, none of your friends do. So you can read it again, and take it to heart, or you can blow it off, and continue to alienate yourself from everyone who cares about you, including me.”
I really respected Darin. He was (is) the most tolerant, patient, loyal, honest person I knew (know). His words, added to those I held in my now-quaking hands were a Rosetta stone. Everything I didn’t like about myself but was unwilling to address was all on those 3 sheets of hand-written 8×10 spiral-bound notebook paper, translated by my best friend into language I could understand.
A door was opened in that moment, and I had a choice to make: walk through and face myself, or ignore it and walk past.
I walked through, and on that day I began the process of re-evaluating my life, my priorities, and most importantly my attitude. It was scary, it was uncertain, it was vital. It was a long process, taking nearly 6 years, but it started that day.
People ask me all the time why I haven’t ended up dead or drug-addicted, or in trouble in the law. The answer is still written on those sheets of paper, long-lost but not forgotten.
To this day I carry more than a little bit of guilt for the way I treated her. I’ve been able to apologize to everyone else who I’ve wronged in my life, but never to her. Maybe she’ll read this and hear me say “Thank you, and I’m sorry.”
So, back to the Open Letter. Do I agree with all of it? No. I think some of it is wildly off-base, and I think the message would be listened to by more people who need to hear it if it wasn’t so inflammatory.
On the other hand, I think that America has an opportunity to walk through an open door, and take a long hard look at ourselves. The simple fact is, America, most of the world really doesn’t like us. We’re arrogant, irresponsible, and unaccountable. We loudly an constantly remind the world that we are a Superpower…well, with great power comes great responsibility, right?
The great thing about America is that We The People have a voice, and the louder that voice, the more insistent that voice, the harder it is to silence.
Let’s raise our voice, and walk through this open door. It’s scary. It is uncertain, but it is vital that we do. It will be a long process, but we can do it.
I’ll take the first step, with this Thought for Today:
“If you succeed through violence at the expense of other’s rights and welfare, you have not solved the problem, but only created the seeds for another.”
Everybody who keeps bashing Wil’s wife just needs to chill and leave him be. Fat girls need love too! I think it’s great that a used-up fatty with a kid was able to land a *somewhat* normal guy like Wil. If playing “find the hole” in a tub of lard every night makes Wil happy, then who are you to judge?
Do we need to re-evaluate some of the things that we’re doing as a nation, unquestionably. Our unthinking arrogance on the world stage is not only morally reprehensible but strategicly flawed. But was the Open Letter to America some sort of friendly intervention from our Molson drinking neighbors to the north, no I don’t think it was. Friends tell you when you’re fucking up and need re-evaluate your life course. Bigots, bullies and a-holes point out all your flaws and shortcomings and then use them to sneeringly beat you over the head with (all the while ignoring their own transgressions and imprefections…when exactly did Canada attain moral purity? Was that before or after they decided to seemingly tie their entire national idenity to -not- being the USA?). The open letter to me, seemd more akin to that fat bitch tuba player in HS marching band who liked to pick at me to see how rilled I’d get than it did to a friend who told me I needed to stop being quite so sarcastic if I wanted more of a social life.
Honestly, it looked like a typical parti-factual green party screed dressed up with an “I’m fron Cananda, eh. So that makes this more legit” logo. Are there kernals of truth there, yes, but was it really meant to do more than sneer, belittle, and pump up the author’s ego at the expense of others? Others he’s never met and knows nothing at all about, beyond his own nasty sterotypes (Bring that noise to me dickweed, I’ve spent most of my adult life working for progressive causes and trying to help the little guy getting ground under by the mutli-national, extra-national mega-corps. What have you done beyond penning rambling, self-congratulatory screeds and thumping a 5 gallon pickle bucket at the USA-Sux street fair?). I sincerely doubt it.
Our flaws, our transgressions, are real and they have more impact because we’re bigger. But I would venture to suggest that pattens of consumption in the great white north are not dramaticly different from our own. Does any one seriously suggest that people in Cananda don’t drive cars and SUVs, use energy produced in coal fired power plants (and sell the excess down south), eat fast food and meat raised in feedlots and massive hog confinements, watch bad tv, enjoy cheap and plentiful prescrition drugs (paid in part by the premiums passed on to us in the USA by the drug companies) and grow GM grain drenched in RoundUp and Lorsban (and then dump that grain on the cheap while keeping trade barriers up to US grain)?
Fine, hold us accountable, but hold yourselves accountable as well. It’s damn convienient having the US around to point to and snigger at, keeps you from having to put your own house in order.
And just one other thing, I suspect strongly that this will provoke howls of indignation, since questioning the saitned Ralph in some circles is verboten, but this smug canadian bastard lost any ounce of credibility he might have had with me by lauding the Ralph as some sort of moral and politcal pargaon. The Ralph is a hypocrite of the lowest stripe, He wouldn’t let his own people, who he worked like dogs and treated worse, organize a union to protect their interests and fired those who led the effort. I’m a 3rd generation union member, my family has suffered during strikes and I know what it is to lose a job and eat nothing but store-brand saurkraut for 2 months because of pissing off the bosses. And while a scab is bad and a boss is worse, nothing is worse than that sort of grinning boss who pats a brother on the shoulder while stabbing another in the back.
Progressive causes can do far far better than that cowardly union-buster.
Of course some other countries have legitimate grievances against the US government and their policies, but many people here disagree with Bush and a majority didn’t vote for him. I don’t think people should spew that kind of hatred against all Americans because of politics.. certainly most of us don’t want to harm anyone. Also I doubt the writer of that open letter believed everything he was saying, as if every problem in the world was caused by the US. Some poor uneducated people in poor countries don’t know any better, but I can’t believe an educated Canadian really thinks we staged Sept 11 or are responsible for Argentina’s corruption.
“The simple fact is, America, most of the world really doesn’t like us. We’re arrogant, irresponsible, and unaccountable. We loudly an constantly remind the world that we are a Superpower…”
I agree with this. I am Canadian, and before I even meet any Americans…I already knew this to be true. I had learnt this from family friends, aquintances…and the jokes about Americans that were passed around etc.
It doesn’t even matter that some of the Americans I met were not like this at all…it just seems to be a widely accepted fact that the majority of Americans, or the US as a whole is arrogant and loud about how great they are.
I couldn’t read through the whole ‘Letter to America’. I keep thinking, that I would be a hypocrite to read that and nod my own head, when Canada has its own corruption.
America, being famous for their own faults, becomes a scapegoat to others who are probably blind to their own countries faults. Maybe its the mentality: Well look at the US…we’re not as bad as them!
Maybe you just make the rest of the world look good. =) (That was meant as a joke…from an odd sense of humor.)
Jennifer
it’s takes a leap of faith to make a new friend of an old enemy…any jumpers here?
I mostly agree with Wil’s response. I also think that the Open Letter would be a lot more effective if the raving paranoia were edited out. There are some attempts to make good points, but the writer also tends to oversimplify complicated problems. The Israeli/Palestinian issue is very complicated. It’s not just a matter of “these are the good guys, and these are the bad guys”.
So it’s hard to really respond to each point in the Open Letter, since it’s mostly the same paranoid conspiracy theories that we’ve all heard before. I guess my response would be “Reality check! Think before you speak!”
If the whole point of the letter is that the United States needs to fix some problems, this could have been stated in about 1 paragraph. To that, I would respond “damned right!”. We can fix a big one in 2004. The arrogance in foreign policy has been more obvious in the current administration. It might help if we elected an executive that actually respected international law.
If only everyone had a friend who could show them their door. Or more people could see it for themselves.
Earth would be a happier, healthier place.
This Open Letter may do one good thing, at least. Beyond the knee-jerkers and the rabidly arrogant, will be those who realize that at the base of it all is a call for America, as a country, to take a long, hard look at itself, and at how it acts towards other countries and peoples.
America may not like what it sees, but It needs to see it.
The power and infuence that America weilds is so great that it must be used responsibly, and to do that America needs to be objective. It needs to see that all that glitters is not necessarily gold…and America glitters very brightly.
The arrogance that other countries see does exist, as does the greed and the sabre-rattling, the weapons stockpiles, and the hypocrisy. The first step in dealing with a problem is admitting it exists. If all the good things that America does and can do every day, are overshadowed by all the corruption and petty arrogance that everyone sees, then all that good doesnt seem quite as worthwhile. So people bitch and complain, some go further, with terrible results.
No one, no-where, is perfect. It an unpleasant truth, but its better to admit that and then move on, than to insist that you are perfect.
Wil: Isn’t it time to up your Walk-a-thon target a bit so that we have a positive target to aim for, instead of saying “Unca Willie wants us to reduce to $10,000” 😉
This would have been a really good letter, with some good points if it hadn’t started off…”from a Canadian”. Instead, it’s just funny. I guess the stereotype of “stupid Canadians” always trumps that of “selfish Americans”
Oh yes please wilful, please responsd to MY post, I just can’t live without your opinion.
And no, I’m not going to keep my voice down EVER. EVER. Got it? Bush IS working to destroy my rights, and because some smirking, spoiled little cretin like you who has always had his civil rights guaranteed finds it amusing doesn’t register with me in the slightest.
Would you go up to an Afghan woman and bitch in her face about the Taleban, calling her a bloodthirsty terrorist? No? I suspect that Canadian prick would have no problems sauntering up to an American fag or dyke and spitting in their face over George W., though.
Oh, I’m sorry — America is a fairly well-off nation with a lot of power, so that makes it okay.
And all those self-hating liberals here at home (don’t forget, I wouldn’t vote Republican if you put a Contitutionally-protected gun to my head) who get off on being the Center of Attention yet again seem to agree.
In the old days, Americans used to reveal their arrogance by taking credit for everything. Nowdays, they reveal it by taking the blame for everything.
**THIS POSTER COMES FROM 198.26.120.12, which resolves to a .mil address. Aren’t you glad and proud that someone who should be defending our country is posting this type of drivel?**
Sigh.
You know, I agree with the letter to an extent. I am American born and raised, and have always loved this country. But, I want to emphasize, it is the country, not the government. The country is full of beauty that is unique to this land, and worthy of awe. But, the problem is, the country is being led by a bunch of moronic simpletons who think with their wallets and ambitions and not for the greater good.
One thing: I am so sick of Canadians complaining about how bad America is and how much crime there is here, etc. ad nauseum. Yes, we have problems, and everyone here knows we do. But, it is pretty odd that the only time we here anything from the Canadians is when they are on one of their America bashing kicks. It is boring, repetitive, and shows a lack of self security and esteem with Canada itself. You have lower crime, a national health system, and so forth. But, you don’t have to contend with the world looking to you every single time there is a crisis to assist them, and you don’t have to worry about a huge influx of immigrants from around the world flooding through your borders. You also don’t have to worry about anyone ever invading you militarily or otherwise because you have Big Brother down here to bail you out.
This also goes to the rest of the world. I am sick of the constant criticism. I agree that the American government is being unfair in backing the Israelis at all costs, without really listening to both sides. I agree that the American government is using 9/11 as a springboard to create and enforce gestapo control tactics on it’s citizens. I agree that their are many many hypocritical stances the American government has taken over the past year especially. But, that can not negate the fact that this country sends aid, and protection when needed, is home to many people from around the world, and is looked to as a general success. Considering the fact that America is as prosperous as it is, and is one of the youngest countries in the world – only 226 years old! Compare that to the the ages of European countries, and then compare relative prosperity.
I am no blind sheep flag waver that agrees with the government no matter what it does. I get nauseated when I hear people on tv and in person spout nationalistic views to support their various prejudices. But, I also realize that this country is not the only one in the world with flaws.
The Open Letter to America, is probably written by some Canadian who is pissed off because they’re jealous of the US. The actual content within the letter shows they are not exactly a Mensa member. I am not trying to be insulting, but the pettiness of that letter shows itself to be nothing more than a rant.
That person needs to get their priorities in order and a serious perspective analysis.
Take from this post what you will.
Wil,
How dare you try to propagate your anti-American sentiment! What could you hope to accomplish by this? What do you mean that the American government overtime has done anything to add to the problems of the world? How can you sit in your cozy house -located in the United States of America- and criticize this great nation! If you and all those suck-ups above hate this country so much, why don’t you just leave? Oh, yeah, because you know how great you have it here in comparrison with all those other so-called nations out there. All of you people do a good job of telling the rest of us what is wrong but you never can see what is good & you have yet to come up with a solution to all these so-called problems.
Guess what, the US makes mistakes sometimes! So what! We are the world’s police! Can you imagine how much worse the world would be without us? All we are trying to do is fix what other countries like England screwed up during their years of colonial conquest. And everyone of you people should be grateful to us. There are only 2 foreign policy theories we should really be considering. Ignoring all you jelous idiots or just nuke all of you into submission.
Obviously none of you are capable of thinking for yourselves. Wil makes a weak parallel between his personal life and the current state of major world powers and you start falling all over him! How completely arrogant of Wil to even attempt such a thing! Like the two situations are even remotely related!
I don’t know if I am more aggravated by US citizens and their self-hating, liberal rhetoric or by you freaking foreigners who know so little about us yet go bitching about what we do instead of paying attention to your own damn governments. If your own governments weren’t so messed up, we, the United States, wouldn’t even have to consider getting involved in this crap and doing whatever we deem necessary to fix it. And so what if we work it so things go to our advantage. If we are the ones out there risking our soldiers everyday then why shouldn’t we?
You people. This is what happens when you take the Bible out of schools and mothers out of the house. Kids grow up with out structure & discipline. They turn into whiny, sniveling, self-absorbed, insecure liberal fools who spout off fancy words and talk about things that are over their heads in a pathetic attempt to make believe they are intelligent. You people make me sick! Wake up!
Ahem. Sarcasm. Where would we be without it? According to one of my friends, snivelling in a corner somewhere.
Okay, I’m sorry. I’m sure I insulted some people. There are those who disagree w/ what the majority are saying & their arguements are well stated & make some valid points (particularly the one about how sometimes the use of military force just might be necessary). I was just trying to get into the head of a certain group of people who believe this stuff or who are incapable of presenting a dissenting arguement in a reasonable manner. (It’s too common among all sorts of people, conservative, liberal, religious, not-religious, so on).
Anyway. I’ve given it some thought. I admit I get really upset at times when some people (US citizens or those from other countries) make certain complaints about us -our gov’t, military or Americans in general. Sometimes it seems all they want to do is rant & bitch. It seems they really don’t know what they are talking about. With some US citizens its as if they are just following a popular trend of ‘rebelling against the establishment’ and pretending to be hippies or political revolutionists/activists. And with some non-US citizens it seems like just plain uninformed bigotry passed down thru the generations.
But then there are other times. There are those with clear minds, people who are intelligent and informed. These people use fact to support theories/opinions. They have complaints that are legitimate. They are pretty reasonable in what they say. They don’t want to demonize anyone/thing. They just see a problem and care enough to want to discuss it, get it recognized and try to find a way to fix it permenantly in a way that will hurt no one or at least as few people as possible.
Sometimes its the US that has the problem that needs to be fixed. Sometimes the problems belongs to/is caused by some one else. No nation is guilt free -every nation has participated in some way to at least one major problem in the world. I do not want to argue over who is more guilty. That won’t help. All nations need to stop being so damned prideful & indignant. All need to start taking responsibility for themselves (as individuals & as a whole nations/ethnic group). Ok, so some one did soemthing to you that isn’t fair & may even be criminal (and the perpetrator may well have been the US). It sucks. The perpetrator should admit their guilt and try to make amends. But if they don’t, then don’t use that as an excuse to do something you know is wrong. Being a victim is not an excuse for victimizing others. Also, being a superpower who does do plenty of really good things -or at least attempts to- does not excuse a nation from doing other things that are just outright wrong (and while in the short term may bring some benefits to a few but in the long run will become self-destructive).
There are a lot of fantastic things about the USA. My aunt’s former neighbor emmigrated from China. One day my aunt aksed her neighbor how she likes America. The neighbor said that while she does miss some things in China, she is quite happy here. She has a little girl and she says if she remained in China, she may not have her little girl (a child I’ve met & who is adorable).
But there are plenty of bad things, too. The election debacle of 2000. Even if you voted Bush, wanted him to win, feel that he did win fairly in the end & is the legitimate President & think he’s doing a fine job now; if you think objectively (and I’m positive you can) then you understand something needs to be done about our electoral process to make sure that mess doesn’t happen again. It should be clear who the President is after all eligible votes are counted. There should not be such controversy. A Supreme Court Judge -liberal or conservative- should never have to be the determining factor in appointing a President. That is an internal problem. As far as external problems, well, there is the habit of giving weapons to people we are pretty sure aren’t good just to get some money or oil or something else.
Even tho I think the US is the best place in the world to live, I understand that there are lots of others who don’t share that thought. And they don’t need my approval to think that way! If you live in England and you love it there, good for you. You should. Tho the English gov’t/ruling power has done some bad stuff overtime, the British have also done some really good stuff. And much the same can be said about other nations and people who live in them.
I think it is great to love the land one comes from and feel proud of its heritage and its potential to become even greater. But its also great to take off the blinders and see the things that aren’t so great and have some desire to try to do something to fix it.
Yes, things have always been screwed up. Some problems are just so big & complicated. Some really don’t affect us, at least not now. We could come up with a solution to some problems but others will surface. Not everyone is going to let go of that pride & indignation. Some will still complain no matter what the rest of us do. There will always be a Hitler-wanna-be (in fact, we know he wasn’t the 1st monster of his type). But that does not excuse us from trying to make it better, we are not excused from trying to do the right thing. (What is the right thing? Well, I suppose that is debatable but there are a few universals I think we are all aware of.)
The world will never be the utopia some of us idealize. But we can certainly improve the present. It is worth the effort.
That letter is filled with so much hate. That person is as bad as those he complains about. It almost doesn’t matter if the letter has any good points. All it will do is piss-off even those Americans who are critical of the US. The purpose seems to be to insult rather than enlighten. Being outside the US, one can see things those of us inside cannot (and we can see things in your homeland that you cannot). Conversely, it is true that there are some things that you are not aware of since you are not here (again, we are unaware of things in your homeland since we are not there -its an intersting & painfully obvious relationship). Some people outside the US have seen things that are bad & they try to point it out not to complain or lay blame for their problems on us but because they care enough to let us know or because our problem is having a serious, hurtfull affect on them, making it their problem, too. Those people, I think, we should listen to -and hopefully they will listen to us when we have something important to tell them.
When some of us Americans say things like “Well, this is not right, we shouldn’t do this, lets find a different way,” it is not because we are self-hating or anti-American. Quite the opposite. We love America. We believe in the ideals this country was supposedly founded on. We do believe this is the greatest place on Earth. We just want to live up to those ideals -or at least try. We want to keep being this great place.
I don’t have much respect for the person who wrote that letter because of the way he presented his “arguement”. Yet, I do recognise there are some serious problems with this country that I love & I want them fixed. (As others pointed out above, that means We The People need to get of the ‘net & go do something about it.) I hope others who do a lot of complaining about our wrongs also recognise some of the right stuff we do even if how it gets done isn’t exactly pretty.
Also, it is both the governement & the individuals who need the fixing. The government does plenty of wrong & they do deserve some blame for some things. But some individual citzens do also, as well as Americans in general. There are some out there that do their best to be good people, help others & so on. But many are content to just rant a bit then go back to their PS2’s.
Almost forgot: Why it matters what others think of us– Because we need them just about as much as they need us. We need their tourism. We need them to buy our stuff. We need their resources. We need to fly over their airspace. Yep, we could bomb the fark out of a whole lot of people. And in a United States vs. The World war we can kick a lot of ass. But we would loose. We can’t take on everyone at the same time. That, and its just good spiritually to just care about others as much as yourself.
And finally, Wil, I’m not sucking-up. I’m serious. I like your writing style. I like the effort I see in you to be better today than you were yesterday. You are also a fine actor. So now have I sufficiently complemented you enough to get my Stand By Me poster autographed? I know, I know, go read the FAQ.
Thanx for the TREMENDOUS amount of space to express my POV.
Americans I know are all nice people. Maby I know the right americans? However, its when I looking at american TV shows as ricky lake and the propaganda channel CNN im going scared. If it wasnt for the people that I know from your country I would be terrified. Now I can blame TV.
Some of the comments on this post comes from hurt americans and are quite angry sounding and i can kind of understand why but please know this, we at the other side of the ocean do like most of what america stands for but we are scared of what “the wag of the dog” might end up with. Sometimes we se the true patriot almost as scary as an religous mad man. May your young country find an healty balance. I know you are all trying to make the best for the world but try not to overdo it please.
See, here is the thing about being an American:
I was born on a small dairy farm in the Catskill Mountains of New York. In the early 1970’s, this was an honest an lucrative business. However, in the early 1980’s, milk prices plummetted, and we had no recourse but to close up the dairy, and try to raise heifers or pigs.
My parents divorced and mother then went to work as a Nurse. I grew up and went to college. I came back from college to help as my grandfather was ailing, and my mother could not pay the mortgage and care for him at the same time. After he passed away, I began working as a diesel and small engine mechanic.
I was a good mechanic, but I showed particular skill at the helm of the inventory computer. I started to work winters at a ski slope, where I learned network topology and advanced OS configuration. I then applied and was hired into GE as a software support technician.
I worked hard and later became an travelling application engineer. I was already known as a expert in the product. I came back to Albany, got married, and joined the QA team. I now manage the QA team, and am building a house.
If I were not an American, I’d probably either be a farmer or a mechanic right now. My point is this – having the freedom to choose your destiny is fairly common in the world now – but as for having a destiny that is actually worth pursuing? That’s more rare. And where do I see myself going? Right back to that little farm, where I can retire with the knowledge that I was given a chance to prove myself in this country, and I did just that. And I did it without murdering or even stepping on anyone (so far).
Let’s look at what REALLY is going on, shall we?
Question 1: When watching a news broadcast, are you more likely to see news of the entrepreneur who has helped his community and environment, or the CEO who stole from 401K plans?
Question 2: When reading the NYTimes, which article appears on the front page – ‘US Military saves Rowandan village from Attack’ or ‘Bush Vows to Crush Saddam’?
Question 3: Which topic gets you more attention at the pub – the one about the dramatic resurgence of spirituality in music, literature and art, or the one about those soulless bastards in the appellate court?
In other words, if this Mr. McDougall had gotten his ass off the couch, he might have gotten some perspective AWAY from the media feed. He might not have showed what an obtuse dolt he is. (Makes his article kinda ironic, no?)
Which brings me to another point – Americans can judge for themselves, despite the fact that the media tries to sell us on the sensational. We know how to think objectively and with perspective (or at least, some of us do). This is a clear example of some jerk browsing the ‘Most Popular’ page of Yahoo! News and then making his thesis on the rest of the world. I would expect more from a sixth-grader.
Listen here, you Americans (like me) who are pissed off and unhappy with the way our government is currently handling international affairs (and for me, everything else as well)…
YOU DO HAVE POWER to make a difference. The only way you can exercise that power RIGHT NOW is to go over to http://www.house.gov and http://www.senate.gov and look up who your Senators and Congressperson are, and WRITE THEM LETTERS AND/OR EMAIL (there’s a mechanism on the site to do that) and tell them EXACTLY what you think. It’s the American way. These people are your representatives in the government, they are supposed to speak for you. Even if you didn’t vote for them, they are still your mouthpiece in Washington. And believe it or not, they DO listen when their taxpaying constituents write in and give ’em what for.
My Senators are Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer (as are all Californians), and my Congressman is Harvey Waxman of the 29th District. I write them letters, and I’m not some crotchety old coot – I’m a 36-year old American who gives a crap about democracy and about making sure our leaders stick to the Constitution.
Do you know who your representatives are? No? Well, find out. It’s part of your responsibility as a member of the US Government. Yes, you heard me – YOU are a member of the Government, so YOU are partly responsible for what the Government does. Cappiche?
Get out there and express your views where it might just make a difference. And don’t forget to vote.
I think that most Canadians commenting here are just hoping the US will start looking in the mirror more, and understand how and why they are perceived by the world. (The ultimate hope being it eventually leads to change for the better.)
Do these same Canadians think their own country is perfect? Of course not! Canadians spend *so* much time looking in the mirror noticing and picking at our own numerous faults that we rarely have time to get anything else done. It’s practically part of our national identity to be insecure and self-conscious about our country. 😉 But our own problems have to be solved in-house. Next time there’s a debate on here about Canadian gov’t policy, feel free to return the favour and point out our problems.
But all we can do about your side of things is point out perceived problems in your country… we have no control over how you deal with them. Do we think you have direct control over what your government does once it’s in power? No. But you do individually have control over your own attitudes. And while the Open Letter is an insulting, inflammatory, paranoid trolling rant and the author is a dick (no one is disputing that), we somewhat hope it will make you take pause to reconsider your own attitude toward the rest of the world.
If you want to arrogantly dismiss it as another crackpot Canadian, and since you don’t ever have to listen to those “American wannabes” up north, then who cares about what they think — that’s your choice. It won’t surprise us in the least if you do that. It just confirms the “arrogant American who doesn’t give a damn about what the world thinks” image we already have of you. But, if it does make you take stock and shift your attitude slightly, then we have some hope to start liking you again.
And personally, I’d be happy to just stop cringing and being scared of you with every new news story on CNN. 😉
Best response yet to that letter:
“I’m from Canada and yet haven’t had the good luck to meet Mr. McDougall. Seriously, don’t you wish you could meet him? He’s fascinating. So very stupid, so ill-informed, so vile, so hate-filled. Truly an uncommonly high concentration of all these characteristics to be found in just one fool. There isn’t a conspiracy theory he doesn’t believe. Where, or in what, does he live? How does he get by on the pittance that is welfare subsistence? Can he tie his own shoes? Where does he vacation? What colour was the sky in his kindergarten drawings? I would love to learn more about the man. Thanks for this one.”
Holy crap Wil. That was one of the greatest things I’ve ever read. If more people (celebrity and non-celebrity alike) were like you and made similar decisions, our world would be far less screwed up than it is now. I guess some people think that they can’t stop being a jerk or change their life in a similar manner. That’s b.s. Keep it up Wil.
I too am a Canadian
I too have travelled through much of the U.S. and loved every damn minute of it.
I too think that the overwhelming majority of US citizens that I’ve had the pleasure to meet were wonderful people.
they are however, NOT the people that make policy decisions for your country.
I haven’t had the displeasure of meeting them, but i think i can describe them to you…you may have seen them from time to time.
They live in gated, secluded communities.
They drive expensive, gass guzzling cars.
They have more stocks, bonds and securities than you have dirt in your yard.
They have little interest in your welfare, your childrens education, or your human rights.
They care even less about folks in other countries.
To them, it’s about dollars and cents.
They run companies that have large holdings in other countries. they pollute and exploit on and INTERNATIONAL scale.
They are not the Americans I’ve ever met…thank god…
but they DO control your domestic and foriegn policy.
when i travel south, i meet Americans that are friends..excellent, educated, wonderful friends…
but when i look south, through the eyes of the tv, and see what is looming on the horizon…..
i see a juggernaut…a behemoth, rolling towards a smoking ruined future…with madmen at the wheel.
what good will all your democracy and freedom be, when folks like bush take it away from you, without you even realizing it….
a great american patriot once said
“those that would trade freedom for security, deserve neither”.
and he was absolutely right.
Apologies for the shameless plug.
Co-incidentally, I wrote an essay that is very nearly a complete refutation of this paranoid delusional screed:
http://www.amcgltd.com/archives/000853.html#000853
(Sally Field Syndrome)
An excerpt:
The United States is the only major nation I know of that doesn’t want to be loved, doesn’t want to be feared, really doesn’t even care about being respected. More than anything else, we seem to want to be liked. It’ll probably surprise anyone who is on the outside looking in, but whenever we hear that some country or another doesn’t like us, well, it kind of hurts our feelings, and always surprises us.
I’m concerned that in the “open Letter to America” the newpaper boldly printed that the letter is from a “Canadian.” I see no reason or no indication that his “nationality” had anything to do with what he wrote. By labelling the letter as being from a “Canadian” they have labelled it with a country.
After reading the text, I would tend to believe that the letter was from an Arab sympathizer who is incredibly angry at the fact the US continues to wage its war on terrorism. The fact he is a sympathizer can be construed from the hints of Muslem dogma that litters the letter (against meat, lying to arabs, money is sin, spiritually devoid etc…)
So why label it as “Canadian?” After 9/11 I’ve seen more American flags flying in Canada then I’ve ever seen before. Hundreds of Canadians rushed to New York to aid, and I’m sure the financial aid from Canada was just as swift and generous. And yet you label this letter with the term “Canadian” as if it speaks for the nation.
The author of letter is entitled to his opinion, but I really think the title of THAT editorial needs re-wording so that those who read it focus on the content, and don’t start stereotyping a whole nation through one zionists eye.
That’s fairly judgemental, I think – you don’t speak for all Canadians either, “mr. anonymous”.
Not necessarily anyone who is non-US, or is an Arab, or is a Muslim, falls into the category of a ranting moron.
But if you prefer, you can go for a British, non-Arab, non-Muslim who can clearly express his views based on facts, rather than simply arousing all the flag-wavers:
“The New Rulers of the World” by John Pilger
Wil, first-time poster but reg. reader – I find your thoughts both refreshing & introspective; it’s always a pleasure to see things from a different perspective! Hope you’ll add the above book to your “Read” list.
Although I maybe just a 19 year old Brit I still found it easy to find offence in the Open Letter. It’s main purpose is obviously is to pick on America, big time but without realising it the guy also talks about every other country in the world too. Countries make mistakes, eat alot, hate their government (or is that just me?) and I think this writer got it totally wrong.
As for the universal view on America, you were right Wil, but we don’t always think like that. We holiday there and we love it, so you know, Big up US and all that crap 🙂
I don’t want to rant forever so I’ll keep this to a few lines.
1. America is not arrogant.
2. Every country is proud of their heritage and land. America included.
3. We have pride, but we also have the solid civil rights, economic power and freedom, and opportunities to back up our pride. Because we can back it up, we are called arrogant.
4. Simply because someone drives a nicer car than you are is proud of it does not mean they are arrogant – it just means you are jumping to conclusions to justify your own state of being (or car ownership in this case).
5. This supposed arrogance Americans have is nothing more than an ignorant presumption by those who are ready to put down America no matter what it does.
Pretty Simple, huh?
Everything has been said. I could not say one single thing that hasn’t been said before [by someone more eloquent than me] but, I am annoyed at ‘FatChicksRule’ banging on about an opinion that is totally not relevent to this post. Stay on topic.
[quote]
I’m concerned that in the “open Letter to
America” the newpaper boldly printed that the
letter is from a “Canadian.” I see no reason
or no indication that his “nationality” had
anything to do with what he wrote. By
labelling the letter as being from
a “Canadian” they have labelled it with a
country.
After reading the text, I would tend to
believe that the letter was from an Arab
sympathizer who is incredibly angry at the
fact the US continues to wage its war on
terrorism. The fact he is a sympathizer can be
construed from the hints of Muslem dogma that
litters the letter (against meat, lying to
arabs, money is sin, spiritually devoid etc…)
So why label it as “Canadian?” After 9/11 I’ve
seen more American flags flying in Canada then
I’ve ever seen before. Hundreds of Canadians
rushed to New York to aid, and I’m sure the
financial aid from Canada was just as swift
and generous. And yet you label this letter
with the term “Canadian” as if it speaks for
the nation.
[/quote]
-Posted by A CANADIAN
Right on, man!
A note on projecting blame:
It seems to be popular to speak of the US government as if they were all bloodsucking, money-hungry leeches. Actually, they are quite human like you and me. Their campaigns rely on money, and the system of politics relies on mutual favors and compromise. This is all pretty simple stuff. I don’t think it makes you a fool, nor does it make you inhuman to do these things.
If any reasonable criticism runs toward the US government, it is that they overstep their bounds and try to set extraterritorial standards for other people and nations of the world, as well as international organizations. However, someone must take on this role of leadership, and they cannot expect to be free of criticism if the plans they propose do not work out. Again, this does not make them inhuman.
For those that claim that the US is overly centered on solely benefitting itself by means of extraterritorial policy, it is disputable, but unlikely. In setting standards and being a leader, it is natural to rely on your own resources. For some specific examples of issues related to this, you can look up at my post earlier this morning.
So, again, don’t be a finger-pointer. Chances are that most other human beings are quite similar to you, whether they drive a Jaguar or a Datsun pickup.
As far as the car-ownership example goes. For many of those of us who live outside the United States, it looks a lot like this.
America is the Guy who owns a huge, shiny car. It has lots of features, is a kickass colour, and it handles really well, and Mr America is clearly very proud of it, even though it also guzzles fuel like a starving godzilla and pollutes like a B-movie Power Plant.
Mr America loves his car. He wants you to love it too, and happily listens and nods when you comment on its lustre and road handling, and its cd player, but gets pissed off when you mention its flaws.
Mr America wants you to have a car just like his. He cannot concieve of why anyone would want a car that was more economical for mileage or is less polluting. His car is CLEARLY better, because it just is, and you should have one too. If you don’t, you are obviously A) Whiney, B)Communist C) Spineless, Gutless Turds D) Brain Dead.
Because Mr Americas car is better, he wants you to help him ensure that everyone in the world has one just like it, but he doesnt want to admit that it might not be the best choice.
Of course, if you point this out, Mr America gets upset. After all, he only wants you to like his car…
I have been called all of the names I list above, simply for stating the case that America may not be as wonderful as It thinks it is. I keep saying this point again and again – You (america) will never be able to get past the negative perceptions that other countries have of you unless you stop bulling your way through the world stage, and realize your faults, and MOVE TO SORT THEM OUT. You cant deal with a problem if you dont admit that it exists. Stop raising the telescope to your blind eye. Those ships ARE out there (metaphorically speaking, as is the ships representing the many problems that exist with America and its policies towards everyone else), and they won’t go away unless the reasons for their existence are dealt with.
While I do agree with some of the sentiments of the letter I have one question to ask the writer and all others who place the blame of the world’s problems on the U.S.- “What government isn’t corrupt in some way?” I’m sure that Canada has it’s problems too that have nothing to do with the U.S. Yes we have our problems and our government makes bad decisions but so does every other government and country.
Dude.
You are so surprising. I would have thought you the opposite. Not caring how you treated others.
So many people in the limelight get all wrapped up in themselves, and you are right, it kills them. Literally sometimes.
You surely gained a lot of peoples respect with this entry. Including mine.
Why does Wil even pretend to be subversive?
This is a guy that lives the typical American life to the tee: Blonde wife and kids(american ideal of beauty), Leased Volkwagen(american spending habits of debt for the sake of the newest, shiniest thing), works for a video game TV Channel(pushing cheap, unchallenging entertainment on children who are growing fatter and dumber because of it), and still talking like he is somehow not part of the machine(which just cheapens the message for those of us who live it, instead of just preaching it.)
I focus not only on being critical of the standards in the world, but living it out in my everyday life. I focus on being self-reliant, practicing what I preach (homeschooling, conservation), and at the same time not being a loud, self-righteous boob.
Wil is talking a good(well,metiocre) game but it is obvious he is more interested in being opinionated and outspoken than actually living a useful, subversive life.
Stop wasting our time, Wil.
Uhm, that letter to America was written by a 15-year-old canadian “anarchist”, right? I hope it was not written by anyone above the age of 18, because, well, ::laugh:: that would be pretty sad.
Time for another burger. Buy me one today Wil, and I’ll be happy to pay you back on Tuesday.
it blows me away that you can look at yourself and see yourself for who you really are. you must have grown so much from that point in your life, because from what i’ve seen through your journal entries, and the hot, raw anger/sadness that is evident when you “speak” of river pheonix and how he wasn’t helped, you are a totally different person. you are insightful and warm and someone that anyone should feel blessed to know (not that i do know you). you are very wise, wil wheaton. and truely remarkable.
I’m a 17-year-old white, female american; I watch BBC World News whenever I can and read European and Australian newspapers on-line just as often as I read our local and national papers and newsmags. I would say I understand and am more aware of the opinions of the world than most others I’ve met (especially of my age), and yet whenever I try to even offer my opinon of anything to anyone, I am shot down as either a youthful idealist who doesn’t understand the way the world works, or annoying, and one man has even told me to “shut the hell up, you kids think you’re doing something different from what we tried in the 60s and failed at, get your own revolutionary ideas!” I’ve cried with embarrassment watching “Jaywalking” on Leno (“Paul Revere was that guy who warned the South that the Northerners were invading”), and I’ve thrown shoes at the TV when BBC Liquid News mocks American awards shows when obviously they have nothing better to do than get involved in the society of other countries. It pisses me off that individual Americans feel free to rag on Canada while managing to do the exact same thing they’re complaining against, but it also pisses me off that some French people tear down Americans yet feel free to ignore the fact that they have an official skinhead political party. So, generally, I am the epitome of the conflicted, overcome-with-information-and-don’t-know-what-to-do-with-it teenager who nevertheless finds extreme fault in a system so screwed up as to keep the electoral college (which I think was awful from the start, why the hell should it matter where people live…ok I’ll save this for another time). Ah, what the hell, I’m just pissed I can’t vote for another 6 months. My whole point, which I’ve strayed entirely from, is that the world is never going to *begin* to get along if people keep dragging along centuries-old baggage, be it religious, political, regional, whathaveyou. And to read all of the aforementioned/linked essays and to read every single one of the arguments posted up there hope dwindles for me even more. To read only a few reasonable, morally and ethically sound posts, makes me wonder why I even bother when the rest of my years will be spent arguing with lazy idiots who can’t compromise for the common good and can’t even grasp the notion of intolerance for intolerance only.
I wonder if the sentiments that we’re hearing in the US today are similar sentiments that were heard prior to the French Revolution 200 years ago.
The elite rich vs the poor workers.
Is Madame Guillotine waiting in the shadows again?
It is the true essence of a democracy. Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men? It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again. When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!
On Being Disliked – It
I found this a while back as on a bbs as a rebuttal to a typical America Sucks post. I like the general tone of the post.
“Fell Free to bash America. I feel that the majoity of Americans are secure enough in how our county is progressing that it won’t bother us too much. The USA is not a perfect country, most people know this. We coddle criminals, the sick and weak are pulled into the center of the herd to be nurtured and cared for. Our justice system is wonderfully slow and about the only thing we can get our politicians to agree on is that they must raise our taxes, and raise thier salaries.
But, if you have the drive to succeed, you will. if your desire is only to make money and be comfortable, you will. Want to be one of out politicians? you may run. Want to be an unemployed street person? That is ok to.
You think you are being oppressed? Stand on a street corner in Red China and spout off how bad China is. THen try hte same in the USA. In China, you will vanish, never to be seen again. In the USA, well in Texas you will get your butt kicked pretty badly, but go to our lovely eastern states and you will not only get a nice audience, folks will probably buy you coffee and a danish.
Don’t like paying taxes? Fine, don’t pay them. THe biggest thing folk seem to miss about the USA is that for everything we want or require, we CHOOSE to do it or not do it. We are forced into nothing. If you CHOOSE to break the law, oiu will be punished. If you CHOOSE not to pay your taxes, your shooting the dice on the one =).
I have bee nto many countries. Saw a person publicly caned in Singapare, was chared an extra 20 dollars in Egypt so the guy would make the camel kneel so I sould get off of it ( was actually a good scam on that one.), watched the Japanese police turn the fire hoses on a group of peaceful demonstrator, and punched in the mouth in Australia for no reason I can quite grasp to this day (but the lady did buy me drinks the rest of the night).
If you are an American that despises the the USA, you are within your rights to do so and who am I to arue with you opinion. If you are a non-american who deopises the USA, then I will apologize for whatever it was our military did to you in the past, but them bombs are big and can’t be right on target with all of them.”
know this open letter to america sounds alot like a spoiled milk post.
I have one thing to say to the author Mr. McDougall. If Canada has all the answers to Americas problems please let the USA know. After all according to him we are to stuipd to figure them out for our selfs. So please Mr McDougall show us the answers and lets make the world a better place to live
We were considered a third rate country until World War One. We became a superpower after World War Two. We became the superpower after the Cold War. Now the other countries can’t understand how a country that is barely over 200 years old can gain power so quickly. Its just that our system gives us a way of weeding out the have nots. This gives us a powerful group that has the ability to out swindle, out negotiate, out backstab, and beat its competition. This is why we are disliked, because we have found the best ways to do bad things. We have found the best ways to do good, but people outside of our country tend to be negative.
Hello from Germany
First I whant to say: great blog Wil.
I read the ‘open letter’and this blog coming from Daypop and am very astonished. This blog and the many comments on it show that in many ways the open letter is wrong (what i think was the hope of the letters author and every other non american reading it).
But still, your administration acts in a way that makes all the world very wary about the USA. And while watching the US Media, the lack of critc your government receives makes me nervous to.
I cant speak for every german or to every american, but what I would like to see more often is the selfreflection and thoughtfullnesss that your little blog shows.
Whenever I talk to americans, and dare to criticize the way your government and the US international organisations like CIA or NSA behave in other countries, the only response I usually get is a defensive position. Usually I am called an antiamerican, what makes any true discussion impossible.
What I really whant to say is, that I really believe that the US people have a deep honesty and an understanding of what is right or wrong. And if only enough people in the USA would see what their Government is doing in their name all around the world they would be shocked (and understand why people might hate them).
i.e.:
Just get some informations about Kongo and what happend there the last 25 years.
Right now, in spite of everything your president might be telling you, the USA stands against every single action that is taken to tackle the Problems of the future. After all we all need the USA very much to make the World a better Place and it would be impossible against them.
Bye and thanks for reading
Warlords of the sofas! remember: Everyone wants the same thing, can we everyone have it? One day , i hope so.
Peace, love, happiness to all.
Great job Wil. Someone told me that somewhere along the line white americans substituted psychoanalysis for political dialogue… and substituted moral assessment (I’m good, not bad – who are you to call me bad) instead of attention the real world of effects from action. The political isn’t about bush and co, it’s about who has the power. Stories like yours make me think of my own experiences where I’ve been forced to realise that I was blindly wielding power. The truth of your story is that this isn’t about who’s right or wrong, it’s about what we do and what happens because of it. those on the receiving end are the ones who know, and they know in ways that we can never know.
The United States is the richest country in the world. It can never know how ethically it wields its power. Only others can know that – and they argue about it, but the general consensus is kind of alarming:(
Ouch. The Open Letter to America makes me feel defensive. This is not the way to start a morning…
Your day’s writing is great. I wish more people had the wisdom to look within them and have the ability to change for the better. It’s a hard and sometimes scary thing to do, but you did years before most people even notice it in themselves. I hope she reads your posting and can graceful accept your apology. I know if I were her, I would have already.
shrug It’s a paradox. The only way of saying these things that’s loud enough to get the Somnolent Majority’s attention almost guarantees that they won’t accept the message. If one says it politely, they won’t hear; if one says it honestly, they won’t listen.
America’s government is the Dudley Dursley of the world, and the American people are the Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia who react to reports of its bullying weaker nations with “He’s a boisterous little boy, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly!” But they forget that we supposedly live in a democracy (okay, Wanderer, a democratically elected republic), and thus our leaders are supposed to be responsible to us, and we responsible for them.
So we can either accept the blame for putting the kind of leaders in office who do these things, or accept that those leaders are only front-men for the actual rulers of this nation. Neither is palatable to most people; hence the ostrich-like reactions I’ve seen several of up-window.
I wish I had an answer. Or maybe I wish I had the question.
Lots of these comments are very interesting. Chandies, thanks especially for your insight.
However, again, I am alarmed at the oversimplification of the stated problem. In fact, were amending government policy and flawlessly asserting world leadership as straightforward as changing a personal behavior, I don’t think there would be so many question marks. I worked in Washington DC for some time and nearly every elected official that I collaborated with was truly dedicated to pursuing the public good, working many 16-hour days when Congress was in session.
So I still am very skeptical about using poor analogies. After all, I taught myself to tie my shoes and ride a bike, why can’t our government figure out when to use military intervention and when to refrain? (yeeeeahhhhh…)
Wil,
I can understand why you accepted criticism from someone you knew and trusted. It takes a lot of maturity to listen to that kind of advice and to make the changes in your life that are necessary. Thanks for the post.
But, unfortunately, the author of the Open letter is not someone we know and trust, nor is he offering helpful criticism. He is offering abuse. I
okay…I just felt that I had to comment on a part fo that Wil;
“The great thing about America is that We The People have a voice, and the louder that voice, the more insistent that voice, the harder it is to silence.
Let’s raise our voice, and walk through this open door. It’s scary. It is uncertain, but it is vital that we do. It will be a long process, but we can do it.”
Excuse me? The people in America have a voice? Even if the citizens in the U.S. were able to come together without killing each other because of ethnic differences, your politicians wouldn’t listen.
They don’t want to listen.
The U.S. government is no longer FOR the people, but rather INSPITE of the people.
I’m trying to work out if that’s a good or a bad thing though. I’m not really sure that it’s an idea to have a governemtn listen to a nation, most of which don’t know where thier nation’s capital is let alone the capitals of other countries.
What a great story, I allmost can not believe it is true.
Then you must have changed a lot since then because you seem pretty cool to me……..
Take care
Kasper from Denmark
While I do agree with what your quote says at the end, Wil, I don’t agree with the open letter anyone saying that the crux of it is true. I have family that served and is server in the US armed forces. I have family that puts their lives on the line everyday for your right to criticize this nation. Other nations don’t like us interfering in their “fights,” then why do they run to us first when they get shoved by another country? We never asked to be the planet’s police department. We were pulled into the role during all the wars of the past century.
My thought is, if you are an American, and you can go as far as to say that you are at times ashamed to say you are American, maybe you are in the wrong country. I don’t agree with everything my country’s government does, but that does not make me ashamed to stand up and say I am an American. I would rather die a martyr than to renounce my citizenship to this great nation!
Let’s also ponder the thought that if every other country hates us so much, why do so many of their people flock to this country both legally and illegally to live????