How do Americans justify imposing their moral agenda on other nationals yet bristle at critiques of US society

Question

specifically regarding comments over VTech massacre.

I've noticed a lot of angry Americans - rebuking any foreigner who dares to commet on US gun laws and culture of violence.. yet Americans and the current Administration aren't shy about condemning other governments for their policies and shortfallings - from Russia to China, Iraq to Venezuala, Afghanistan to Indonesia, Cuba, Iran, Bolivia, etc, etc.

what? they can dish it out but can't take it?

what's good for the goose ain't necessarily good for the gander?

With such high rates of violent crime and incarceration - - shouldn't America get its own house in order before telling the reest of the world how to run thier's??

Answer 1

Keep in mind that those you see in the media are there for entertainment purposes. The media, at least in America does not star very many peace keepers or good sides of anything (even the war in Iraq.). Therefore, you cannot justify the entire country or a group of people that way. There are many people who didn't vote for President Bush (if you remember previous elections, he didn't win the popular vote.)

As far as Virginia Tech issue is concerned, many of us, especially those with ties to the military or a hint of intelligence to the outside world, find it crazy that there is so much media coverage on a single event. There were 180+ people killed in Iraq today in 4 different bombings, hardly anyone knows about it because they are concerned with how the students are dealing. Not to make light of what happened, it was a large massacre of people, but it's not really what should be the point of the media today. But it is - it sells (what I was saying before - entertainment.)

In fact, many Americans agree with you, we want to take our country and make it better, but do to the set-up of our system, we are stuck in a rut just doing what the officials say. Many of us are tired of the war or other areas and want to concentration on the US. Take that into consideration.

Whatever you're seeing in the media and not agreeing with, the majority of Americans are probably with you.

Answer 2

Hypocrisy, But before all the thumbs down come let me finish. Aren't we all hypocrites when it comes to defending our own countries. Do any of us like it when people from other countries criticize our way of life and the way we do things? No. Mine isn't perfect i know its faults and will criticize it but whoa betide anyone who doesn't live here doing it. How can we rebuke the Americans for their gun laws? they have had them since the establishment of the US constitution. What happened in VTech could have happened anywhere in the world. Scotland,Where i live and guns are restricted had a man walk in to a primary school in Dunblane and massacre 16. 5 year old kids and their teacher. He was licensed to have guns. If he didn't have a gun he would have found another way to do it. None of us have perfect houses or live in perfect countries. What happened was a tragedy so why don't we just leave them alone, no doubt in another year or so a mad man will walk into a school, university some where and do the same thing, The only thing we don't know is which country it will be in. If its yours what will your reaction be when everyone starts criticizing your country for its laws or lack of them?

Answer 3

In the first place there is the xenophobia ingrained in any person, which makes everybody think that strangers are bad(or funny,or a lower type of person)
Of course, we shouldn't confuse the Americans with the American government, but one way or the other the American government is chosen by Americans. So there is a common responsibility.
How could e.g. anyone vote for a representative who is in favour of the right to carry weapons saying that fewer victims would have died if every student in Virginia had had a gun with him/her? The statement is probably true. But logic would compel us to think that, if no one had a gun, probably no one would have died.
For a government to retain power it is a first requirement to create a common enemy. The US administration made great use of this knowledge when it started a war on terrlorism. (Did any country ever win a war on an abstract idea?)
Perhaps US citizens are not all of them very clever. So they end up in an economic crisis.

Answer 4

This country was founded on free choice, of course if you do not make the proper choices there are penalties, and death is the greatest of all of those prices. I know I am tired of forenigners coming here to take our jobs, and I do not want to see the cost of produce go up any higher, so will you ever see me picking tomatoes for less than 3 dollars an hour? No, you will not, so that is why I support a day worker program.
Each year thousands of students flock here to get an education but our children suffer because our government does not take the initiative to adapt a workable solution, and our teachers want more and more each year. The inner city children have it worse because of over crowding in the class room and local and state school boards do not want to spend the funds they have in the right places, also suburban schools appear to have a higher rate of parental involvement so their children florish better educationally. But as far as foreigners go, they are not citezens of this fine but dysfunctional country and are there for not subject to the rights and liberties offered by the constitutional amendments, so what ever happens to them, happens to them not you, not me, and not any other freedom loving, red white and blue blooded American.
So if you don't like this country with all it's freedoms as well as flaws then move to N. Korea, Kim Jong Il will love to have you at his BBQ.
If you want to burn my flag, the least you could do is wrap your sorry a** in it first...

Answer 5

You know timing is everything. The day of the VT massacre was one of the saddest days in American histroy. nobody wants to hear other countries talk about are gun laws on such a day.

Perhaps if the people of Cuba had the right to bear arms they would not live in fear and poverty ruled by a brutal dictator. Afghanistan, Iran and indonesia are countries that promote vilence against other nations, we have the right to defend our country from terror. We are the one's attacted on 9/11 we are defending our country. Boloiva and Venezula are following in the footsteps of Iran and Cuba. We worry about the future of those people. China is allowing N. Korea to obtain Nukes because they are selfish and don't want the poor Koreans to come to their country. The actions that those leaders of those countries take affect the whole world. So that is why we have to get involved.

Are gun contol laws affects america and america only, so know your facts before you make such dumb comments in the future.

Answer 6

good question.. Americans were not always like that. After WWII until 1970s Americans were very open minded people.
Most Americans had foreign ancestors and therefore had a relationship with their ancestors country of origin. But many generations have passed and most americans now have lost their sense of origin and consider themselves only Americans. They are estranged from their european ancestors by now. And have become touchy and opiniated of other countries. The influence of american religion also plays a big role and instead of becoming more broadminded they have become more isolated. Also America has a tailored controlled news media that will only broadcast what americans like to hear. because the news media is totally controlled by adverstisement .

Answer 7

We're just tired of all the citizens from those coutries coming to our country to live because their lives were so bad there. So we try to make things better in those coutries. Unfortunately sending money, medical aide and military support will only get you so far if the governments are crooked. So every once in a while we need to put additional pressure on that coutry regardless of how spineless other countries act. If all of the countries of the world felt the same way we wouldn't have to worry about Iran's nuclear weapons, Columbia's drug cartels, or trying to get food and medecine past militias to people suffering in Africa.

Answer 8

Hmm, who said we cant take it? You act as if people in the USA think as one as if we have not disagreements within our own borders. There is great debate about international and domestic policies within all levels of our society. The last national election was a referendum against the war. Local districts have posted thier oppostion against the war in Iraq and other policies of this administration. Indeed the spate of cities and states permitting gay marriage was a protest against the policies of the Bush administrations policy on gay marriage.

Yeah our country is not perfect...oh thats news...however we are very accepting of differing opinions. Proof...we dont go to war over our differences, we hold elections.

Lets talk about the acceptance of Muslims. France no longer permits girls to wear Hijabs in school. Other countries in Europe have considered similar bans. No such issues in the USA, except the question can women be fully covered on state ids. In my state, Muslim cabbies have refused to accept fares at the airport. It was recently ruled that the first time they refuse a fare they will be suspended for 30 days, 2nd time lose thier license. Not violence over this, but we expect a court fight. So we accept opposing views in our country.

Back to the international arena. Dont people have the right to disagree with others perspectives, be they from the US or not. We are not invading Venezuela because Chavez called our President (who I did not vote for & persnoally consider a war criminal for invading Iraq) a pig in the UN. We have not invaded Cuba.

Yeah it would be great if we could make our country a Utopia before we dared to comment on other countries policies but Utopia does not exist as long as real people populate a country.

Answer 9

American main source is 2 Industries, GUNS and OIL, and they are not afraid of using their nukes, if there is a tax payer to pay, they can burn all the world for just the money...it's always about the money, nothing else, don't think that other nations are different, it's always the same, form the beginig of humanity, until now, the man is paying money to have more slaves, then the slaves kill that man to become the rich and search for others to make them slaves.

Answer 10

I think that the reason why you are seeing so many angry Americans is that they are angry and like to start crap and are more noticable due to the fact. I also think that there are many MORE who DO NOT feel that way who you won't hear much from because they are more pleasant people and have better things to do than start bitter debates! I would be very happy if we could all just mind our own business and try to get along.