In a way, I agree with you thinking that America is great. But I don't think it's truly great as it should be.
Deinen made a quality post explaining to you why you're wrong, but I get the feeling that you are not well-educated in history nor current events. Is there a bias in Japanese schools towards America - because this post genuinely makes me feel there is, or you would feel differently. At least somewhere down the line, did no one explain to you the positives?
First of all. I don't want to make this quite an argument because there is no point to, but let's clear something up. Japanese schools do a good job of educating people so that Japan feels like it's a great country, and American schools do as well as Japan does, even more if not the same, but towards the United States. Good job educators. I can say this because I've been to both American and Japanese schools. No, Japanese schools don't teach to have biased opinions against other countries, because Japan is the number one country striving for peace. Obama was a good president in my opinion. He tried to make America great, but it was hard.
And @Deinen has explained to me the positives like every other teacher did. They never teach you the other perspectives.
These are just a couple of examples, but the list is near limitless. You cannot impose todays morality and ethics to a society which existed in a different time.
~ @Deinen
I am not imposing today's morality and ethics to a society of a different time, to prove that America isn't great. It wasn't great. Even though people came to the States for opportunity, religion, freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, not all could have it. The Declaration of Independence, the American ideal, could not be achieved, thus I believe that it wasn't great.
This is from a poem by Langston Hughes (Let America be America Again, 1936)
"I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak."
In reality, this was how it worked in society at that time. Only the privileged had opportunities. Was America ever great like that?
So has every other nation engaging in warfare in history. I've always disagreed with the wars in Afganistan / Iraq - But however, if looking back on them in 100 - 200 years we see it's a positive thing that strengthed our country, then you can't help but argue that it's potentially good to expand influence in the world. Is not the goal of a nation to grow and become more powerful?
~ @Deinen
So what makes America different from every other nation? If America wants to be just like every other nation and try to expand and become more powerful, it can seem like it's great, as great as every other nation on the world. But is that truly want America wants? Is that truly how the world should be changed, like you say at the end? Now because of the hatred built, there are terror groups threatening the daily lives of ordinary citizens. If you look from the future, America gained lots of oil so that was good; is that supposed to be America's greatness?
- We give more money in foreign aid to third world country than anyone else, more than double of the 2nd greatest contributor, England.
- America creates up to 30% of global GDP
- We were one of the principle nations to drive space exploration
- Our contribution to both WW1 and WW2 greatly tipped the scales in favor of the Allies.
- Speaking of military, we militarally protect most of our allies, eliminating their need to fund any modern military force. (Keeping in mind these countries now with no military were the ones who caused both WW1, and WW2)
- America provides 31% of all global research and development
These are just a couple of examples, but the list is near limitless. You cannot impose todays morality and ethics to a society which existed in a different time.
~ @Deinen
1. That is a great thing. I truly believe that America is great at that part. However, America has also given money to those countries for military expense, which most of the time aren't used right. (e.g. Israel)
2. This is great too. Big economy: more national power.
3. America has been the leading nation in space innovation and so has Russia. But is Russia great? I don't think that space exploration makes one country great.
4. Now you are bringing up the World Wars. It was a fight against fascism, which I strongly disagree on and which everyone should, but it was a different time period then. I don't believe that any war is justified, because it kills even the innocent people for politic affairs. Sure, the World Wars were great for America because it boosted the economy.
5. This was for America's own interest. It was to prevent other countries from being absorbed into the Russian umbrella in the Cold War. The "protected" countries still have to deal with American soldiers raping, drinking and causing crimes, and other things, and in addition, they have to pay America which Trump will increase by a lot. However, is America protecting its allies? No. There are numerous examples out there of American "protection" failing. One is the South China Sea problem that happened this summer, when China illegally built military bases on the sea. The international court can only do so many things, and the only thing that America has done for the Philippines was send an aircraft carrier and "warn" the Chinese. The Chinese bases are still there on the sea and nothing has been solved under the protection and law of the United States.
Also, it doesn't really matter who had caused the World Wars, because anyone can start war and it happened to be the Japanese, the Germans, etc. at that time. You should note that both countries have totally different political systems, yes, established by America.
6. Tying this into the economy, yes. Capitalism is working well and it has been able to make the country owe 19.8 trillion dollars.
Doubt it, American Military is the reason Japan has a secure nation.
~ @Deinen
Japan doesn't have a secure nation. Because of America, we can't protect ourselves in any way, yet it has to face neighbors taking advantage of American "protection", illegally claiming islands for fishing and oil. Japanese coast guards can't do anything about it, because America is probably not going to care if its ally loses fishing areas.
That being said, there is no way a Japanese individual has any standing to criticize any other country ever for the way they behaved in the past. Japan is responsible for it's own mind boggling atrocities.
~ @Deinen
Now you are using me being non-American to take advantage over the topic. I wasn't trying to criticize America of the way it is, but I just pointed out that it doesn't look great from third perspectives. I don't believe that America has ever established its ideals written in the Declaration of Independence. And, you are bringing up the past again which we had no control over and that shouldn't be used to judge a nation according to what you say. I hope Donald Trump will make America great again.
