As many of us are well aware, society is becoming much more global, connected, and therefore influenced by other cultures and ways of life. This is due, in part, to technology, immigration and travel, and an increased curiosity globally about how others choose to live, how governments choose to operate, and how effective these strategies are. In my civic issues blog, I would like to focus on global relationships. To do so, each post, I will be grouping similar countries together and discussing their political, social, and economic structures, analyzing what’s working and what could be improved. As these blog posts are fairly short, I’ll try to make my snapshots as accurate and thorough as possible, though I’ll undoubtedly miss a few important things along the way, and that’s ok. Here is an interesting article about the pros and cons of globalization.
Today, I feel it is only fair to begin with the land of the free, home of the brave, The United States of America. I would never dream of complaining about having the privilege to grow up here, however, like anywhere else, we have our downfalls. First, let’s discuss the positive things; our government is democratic and we theoretically get a say in who leads us. Although this system may not be perfect and it favors individuals with money who can give the best deceptive sale’s pitch, we make do. Our economic system favors paving your own way, capitalism, freedom to own property, freedom to create and distribute (unless it’s dangerous obviously) and the ability for the poorest of the poor to rise up the ranks if given the right opportunities (which isn’t always the case).
In the U.S. there are minimal threats of violence unless you live in select areas, are a specific group of people (prejudice still exists) or happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Gun violence is on the rise, due in part to the media’s constant portrayal of these events, which may plant ideas in other’s heads. The media itself is often biased and pushing an agenda, although on the surface it may seem to be objective and informative.
Geographically where you grow up in the U.S. plays a role in your value system. There are more conservative, home grown, traditional people, and more liberal, open-minded, free-spirited people, and much of that depends on where your values lie and whether you were exposed to those different from you when you were young. The constitution emphasizes freedom and individuality and therefore differing opinions are encouraged, which in theory seems amazing, but it also means as a nation, we aren’t often on the same page when it comes to important decisions.
Therefore, it can take a lot to make a monumental change. Peaceful protests from citizens call for reform that is slow to be implemented. The ability for a group of regular people to gain the attention of government officials without force is extremely positive, but whether or not our government listens to us has arguably more to do with what benefits them and what is easiest to accomplish than what is best for the citizens.
In addition, criticisms of wealthy countries with freedom and privilege, especially the United States, claim that the majority of citizens are tone-deaf to the struggles of other nations, entitled, greedy, or even stuck-up. We live in our little bubble, visit other places as if they were exotic and foreign when it benefits us, and then leave. We dabble in foreign affairs, but our goal is often to “fix” other countries, not to assist them. Unless, of course, it benefits us in a mutual trade. Here is a link to an article about what individuals from other countries think of when they hear “America.”
We are hesitant to invite others into our bubble, we want to remain safe and secure in our own ways even if it means turning innocent, desperate, impoverished people away. We are America and we are free to reign supreme. Some other countries are resentful and hostile, and who could blame them. Here is a link to U.S. immigration trends from 2013-2017 based on the census conducted during that time. The trends highlighted on this website point to a more diverse community at home that is already steadily growing, and it would serve us well to stay informed.
I myself am guilty of some of these faults. I think they should change, but like many of us, I’m not sure how to go about such sensitive and gigantic issues alone. My singular opinion does nothing but sound the alarm. Through this journey analyzing our world objectively, I hope to open my eyes to the bigger picture, and I hope if you come along with me, we can accomplish this monumental task together. Thanks so much for reading, until next time (:
