Why Does Everyone Hate Uncle Sam?

Last week, while discussing the turmoil in Serbia and the assault on the U.S. Embassy, with my class, one of my eighth graders, a Dutch student, asked, “why does the whole world hate the United States?” I thought for a minute and then realized that the whole world does not hate the United States, quite the contrary, they simply hate our government. I must say it is with good reason.

I have lived abroad for the last seven years in three different countries (Ecuador, Mali, and Zambia) and have rarely experienced anti-American sentiment. When 911 happened, the American community in Ecuador was supported and comforted by the Ecuadorian people. My family personally received emails and letters of condolences from them. In all three countries, American ideals – equal opportunity and freedom, as well as our way of life are greatly admired. There are always lines at our Embassy of people applying for visas to visit, work, or study in the U.S. These are hardly the actions of people who hate the U.S.

However, while aspiring to live in the U.S. and appreciating our way of life, many do hate our government for how it acts around the world. Iraq – The U.S. government bombed Iraq through the 1990’s to allegedly aid the Kurds even though when the Kurds expected our help to overthrow Saddam at the end of the first Gulf war they were left high and dry by the U.S. government. Then the U.S. invaded Iraq under the pretext of carefully orchestrated lies about Saddam’s links to al-Qaida and weapons of mass destruction (see Center for Public Integrity website). With no end to the undeclared war in sight, John McCain has indicated that U.S. forces will be in Iraq for another one hundred years. The terrorists are licking their chops.

Japan – Recently, two U.S. marines have been accused of raping Japanese children. This caused a public outcry in Japan certainly against those marines but also for the U.S. to remove its military bases from Japanese soil. The war has been over for almost sixty-three years and we still occupy Japanese soil. Why?

Cuba – We have economically embargoed that country for forty-six years. Bad health is what eventually made Castro step down. With new leadership in place in Cuba, this would be the perfect time to end the embargo and attempt to bring real change through free market economics to Cuba. Our “leaders” seem none too keen for that.

Kosovo – The Serbs hate our government’s actions there just like we would hate theirs’ if the Serbian government encouraged Florida to secede from the U.S.

Canada – Our friends to the north have even been peeved at us for our government’s self-righteous attitude toward their medical marijuana law.

Now, I know I run the risk of being called unpatriotic and some would even say I should just stay abroad if I hate my country so much. Grow up. To criticize one’s own government is a natural right and a responsibility of citizenship. Our government has not only wronged many in the world, it has wronged its own people.

It takes money from hard-working Americans and gives it to institutions like the United Nations and World Bank, who then give it to third world dictators and bureaucrats who put it in their personal bank accounts. These countries then go into default on their loans and the American taxpayer is called to bail them out again.

Our government allows the Federal Reserve Bank to print money out of thin air. Then it distributes it first to its banking and corporate buddies. The bankers and corporate types enjoy pre-inflated money while the American worker eventually experiences higher prices and is left holding the debt of the newly printed money from the Fed.

Uncle Sam has continually eroded the rights of the very citizens it exists to protect. The so-called Patriot Act has expanded the federal government's ability to use wiretaps without judicial oversight; has made it far easier for the government to monitor private internet usage; has authorized “sneak and peek” warrants enabling federal authorities to search a person’s home, office, or personal property without that person’s knowledge; and has required libraries and bookstores to turn over records of books read by their patrons.

There are other examples of our government’s cruel and unusual punishment that could be stated - the Drug War and eminent domain to name just two. I had high hopes (no pun intended) that this election cycle would be different. That as a country we would demand more from our leaders. Barack, Hillary, or John are not going to deliver. In the larger scheme of things, it does not really matter if the world or individual Americans hate our government. What matters is that Americans understand the reasons why Uncle Sam is hated and stop playing the patriotism card. The U.S. government is doing a lot of things wrong and it is up to the American people to put a stop to it. Hopefully, eventually, this will happen through the ballot box not the battle field.