| Japan Living Vol.
10
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Freedom is What I`m Most Proud of As an American Journalist, Terry Allen has dual citizenship. He is Canadian and American. He grew up in British Columbia, but now lives in the USA. Discuss It! I agree that nationalism in today's society of globalism often does more to hurt than to help. I'm only a proud American when I am in the US, but I'm never embarrassed to admit I'm from the US. There are many times I'm not proud of being Canadian. Here's why: The most important thing to me as a human is freedom. Freedom to live where I want, work as I want, worship as I want. Freedom to elect whom I want. Freedom to earn as much or as little as I want. Freedom to be wrong. I don't confuse my freedoms with the majority rule idea of a democracy. The problem with majorities (and therefore democracies) is that they're usually wrong. A majority of people at the end of the 18th century in the US would have supported slavery. A majority of people in the Southeast in the middle of the last century would have supported packing the Indians up and shipping them on the Trail of Tears to the other side of the Mississippi. A majority of people supported segregation at one time. A majority of people supported no vote for women. Look at most embarrassing things that have happened, and a majority probably supported it. The only conclusion I can draw is that the majority of people are usually wrong, and easily swayed. My freedoms must therefore be protected against the vacillating will of the majority. The United States of America was founded on the principal of giving people freedom (let's ignore the aberration of slavery for a moment, since the biggest supporters of slavery did not acknowledge that slaves were people). I expect that the protection of my freedoms should be paramount, and one of the sole reasons for a government to exist. Though I'm not a Libertarian, I do believe that government should play a very minor role in my life. My rule of thumb is that governments should be responsible for 1) defending my freedoms against criminals (police) and against foreign threats (armed forces), 2) public education, 3) some transportation infrastructure, like major highways or the trans-continental railroad in Canada and 4) monetary stability (currency and all that's required to support it in the market). Other than that, I'm not sure I want some hodge-podge mix of career bureaucrats and elected nincompoops deciding what's right for me. I would much rather see social programs become the responsibility of the community and business (UI, Welfare, etc), and the government has no business trying to toy with the economy at the same time as the restrict business through unfair trade restrictions and over-taxation. I am not a big supporter of having the government involved in medical health, as I see that their involvement can actually limit my freedoms. The more involved the government becomes, then the less freedom society has. Doctors are told where they can be licensed and how much they can earn, as in Canada, and people are told when they can have certain operations, and what procedures they're entitled to. The only concern I really have with medicine is on the research and drug side, but I'm not sure I have an answer. The government already sets such high standards before a drug can be introduced, and pharma companies do everything possible to inflate their stated costs, so they can charge more when the drug finally comes across the counter. I think there is room here for a more balanced model, but I'm not sure what it is. Anyway, back to the US, and the overall world view. It is an incontrovertible fact that people in the US have more freedoms than people in any other country that I'm aware of (except for some tax-free havens in the Caribbean, North Sea and Europe, but I think they have other problems). People in the US certainly have more freedoms than Canadians. Since my valuation of what's important weighs so heavily on freedom, I've decided that the US is a better place to live. The sad thing is that most Americans know nothing about why they're proud to be American, which is the problem with nationalism in general. It distills the complexity of national differentiation down to a "My dad's stronger than your dad" type of juvenile argument. Nationalism unplugged reminds me of hooliganism at European soccer games. It turns a positive into a negative real fast! While it is true that we are all people, one and the same, it is also true that a number of people want to threaten and change my way of life. Some are religious zealots, who's own view of God is so dim that they must force their god down other people's throats in order to feel like they've done his bidding. Others are simply jealous of all that the US has achieved, and seek to serve us an order of come-uppance in world circles. Others attempt to steal. Still others are brainwashed by leaders of a different political stripe, and seek to find something wrong with everything the US does. For every awful fact floating in the liberal press in the US, I can probably cite multiple contradictory facts. Take pollution. People are aghast that the US is backing of the Kyoto accord. Why? Especially in light of the fact that scientists do not agree on things about the environment. There is a large body of research which dispels the myth surrounding the greenhouse affect, and the hole in the ozone. Besides, the biggest contributors to pollution (China, India, et al) seem to get less stringent standards to abide by. Also, did you know that there are more acres of forest in the US than there were even 50 years ago? I don't hear that fact published very often. How many governments have committed $1.2 billion to the development of non-polluting fuel cells. The US did, and at the same time, committed a huge sum to helping cure the worldwide AIDs epidemic. And give me a break about Iraq. Never in Iraq's history have so many people had access to a clean water supply as they do now. As you and I would both agree, clean water is an important first step to improving quality of life. Your article on "Please Not Another 4 Years of Bush" states "I think everyday, more and more they will be viewed as occupiers; as children die of disease due to poor supplies, and a lack of water because of American bombs." The fact is the conditions in the country are better now than when Sadam was in charge, and people don't have to be in fear for their lives. The "occupation" will take longer than any of us would want, but it has already resulted in improved living conditions for Iraqis. How soon we forget the reports of mass graves, filled with children and adults. Saddam was another Hitler. I really wonder how the press would treat Hitler today, and whether Americans would be criticized for relentlessly pursuing him? Probably. I fully support the use of my countries armed forces to defend my freedoms from any country or organization that openly threatens them. With or without weapons of mass destruction, Saddam was clearly on that list, and he clearly supported activities which were a clear and present danger to Americans. The issue is protecting my freedom to live free. Anyone who threatens that should be considered any enemy. That's why we are pursuing terrorists, and the countries that harbor them. As far as North Korea goes, I think that's a problem that South Korea and Japan should first step up to solve, since it's in your best interests to do so. I could go on and on about all that the US does, that goes ignored or twisted by those who have an axe to grind. Let me come back and conclude with my original points: Nationalism is often a poor excuse for adolescent cheering, but what I am so proud about as an American is my freedom. Others can call me greedy, arrogant and provincial, and it will roll as water off a duck's back. Just as I have the freedom to ignore those critics who don't have the same freedoms I do, I acknowledge that they should at least have the freedom to talk about something they don't fully understand. Terry Allen |
"Japanese love
foreign things and ideas, but don`t want foreigners in Japan to implement
them."-Simon The
Yasukuni Shrine Controversy A Japan is the last
place to go to study "Global Citizenship" . It's a An Observer Letters to the Editor & other articles Issues of Today ForumKevin`s English Schools--The Please Not Another 4 Years of Bush I think if I were an American I would be a Democrat or further left. I`m from Canada and I would probably vote NDP, although I am an entrepreneur. I think that some people are so disadvantaged from a young age that they need some help. Although Adam Smith has his merits and I am definitely into capitalism owning a small school chain in Japan, I think government should be one of caring and compassion for the little guy, not a world class bully, blowing up all in its` path. Four more years of Bush will damage America in many ways--the environment, the economy and of course America`s reputation. The latter has already been tarnished for many years to come, but a change in government, would help to slowly erode the memories. Let`s get back to finishing Afghanistan! It`s not finished. The putting the warlords into power strategy hasn`t worked. The Iraq fiasco is just that and I fear many American bodies will be coming home. Now Bush and his cronies have pushed Japan into committing her own precious blood to Iraq. Koizumi will be going down in flames once the first Japanese bodies arrive at Narita. Bush isn`t suited to being president, he is too much like me. I tend to get an idea and do it. I don`t worry about the consequences. In my case it works out. I`m not running a country, I`m running an English school chain, and staying one step ahead of the large, ponderous Eikaiwa schools here in Japan is very important. I love my creativity and "crazy" ideas in this case. However, Bush is running the most powerful nation on earth. He can`t rely just on gut feeling or hatred. He has to have a cohesive plan that takes in the probably eventualities. The Iraq situation is such a tragedy. The USA was hoping to be hailed as liberators by most Iraqis but due to poor planning, I think everyday, more and more they will be viewed as occupiers; as children die of disea se due to poor supplies, and a lack of water because of American bombs. No America needs a great man, and all the Republicans can supply is Mr. Mediocrity--George W. Bush, the man who like the Japanese Prime Minister, can`t speak correct English. I don`t say he`s stupid. He is an intelligent man, yet he isn`t presidential material. I think he should go back to buying sports franchises and running his oil company. He has overstepped his ability. Out of such a huge population base, there must be more Abraham Lincolns, Thomas Jeffersons, George Washingtons and John F. Kennedys. I think Americans should stop being satisfied with someone like Bush or Clinton. Your standards need to go up. This isn`t a selection of fast food at the local 7-11, this is about choosing a man for resident of the most powerful nation on earth. Choose well and be sure to vote, you are lucky that you get to. Kevin Burns
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