Forum Post: US Expat Message to My Government and Fellow Citizens
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 26, 2011, 6:52 p.m. EST by alongabard
(0)
from Lyngby, Capital Region of Denmark
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Dear US government, As an American citizen living overseas, I would appreciate your consideration of my experience as a foreigner. I grow tired fielding many questions regarding your objectives. You constantly contradict the values upon which you were founded. I want to be a proud representative of my country, but the rationale and actions taken by you confound me. No one outside your borders views the United States as a free, democratic country any longer. There is a dismal wealth disparity, the highest of all industrialized nations, quality of life is deteriorating quickly, and the superior educational system has become vastly inferior. The sentiment you consider jealously of the current American way of life is simply confusion with the apparent lack of morality and ethics within the country. At best, I describe your actions as bipolar, at worst they are asinine. I can no longer make excuses for you; I am ashamed. What I miss about you is my friends and loved ones, the geography, the pride I have for my ancestors, and the distant history of a country I once cherished. Many of your actions dishonor those who served and continue to serve you by sacrificing their lives, the heroes of our once great nation. I implore you, the government, and we, the citizens of a once great nation, to take whatever bold steps are necessary to regain our national pride and moral conscience before it is too late. Thank you.
Oh come on now, the USA has been masquarading as a upstanding and integral nation all the while invading sovereign countries left and right, covertly and overtly and killing hundreds of thousands of people. Is that what we have to be proud of? Sure there may be some things to be proud of but the destruction we've wrought in the world almost cancels out all the positive.
Permit me to put you at ease as best I may. That the Occupy Movement has sprung up is surely evidence that our democracy is not yet dead, despite what evidence to the contrary may exist from national elections of the past decade.
So long as this democracy lives, I say there are and will be those among us who will not forget those who have given their last full measure of devotion. It is to us, who have benefitted so handsomely from their sacrifice, comes this obligation: Never forget the high cost of our freedom; Never relinquish our grasp on that shimmering promise purchased at such high price.
We will never surrender.
z
Democracy is dead, Citizen's United (how oxymoronic) was the last nail in the coffin. The Occupy movement is proof.
Rebirth is next.
I disagree. It is the repelican party that is dead - they just don't know it yet.
Republicans and Democrats both feed at the same trough.
see my comment below - it demonstrates that neither the news media nor the political establishment itself is as far gone as you suggest.
Not far from it perhaps - but not yet.
The corproate media is in it for the money. Thus the false equivalency of "conservatives" and "liberals": there are billions at stake in advertising revenue in the next election cycle.
The political establishment is thoroughly corrupt, as demonstrated by congress, BO's failure to fulfill promises and protect citizens, the number of lobbyists in DC (and state houses), Citizens United, etc., etc.
I've provided evidence.
You've provided assertions.
I realize my opinion may not be the most popular - but it is mine. You have yours, cling to it if you like, even in the absence of direct evidence.
There is a level of corruption in DC that is overwhelming. On this point we do agree. I say there are those who are willing to and who do push back against that corruption - and they become the targets of smear campaigns and very subtle campaigns designed to get them to act contrary to their own stated positions and interests - to compromise themselves if you will.
Just as we have become targets of right wing attack.
You do not have to believe as I do - but I do back up my position with evidence, when it becomes available.
3 links to the same article is hardly evidence, and as to what that article is evidence of I have no idea, other than more of the same, should you choose to believe it.
That being said, we shouldn't waste time squabbling among ourselves, but rather seek common ground to advance upon.
When Chomsky condemned the NYT for its coverage of the Genocide in East Timor, he did so with a precise comparison of their coverage of that topic and another that was similar - Cambodia.
He quantified, in feet and inches, that difference.
You claim there is some falseness in the distinction between liberals and conservatives. You claim the media repeats this nonsense, and makes money from it.
I say they are often cowed, afraid to look too partisan if they draw to clear a distinction between what is today's conservative and what is today's liberal.
And yes, they do this for the sake of money. To reach as wide an audience as possible.
What I have provided below are three different articles pertaining to the same topic.
What they show is that the media, when given the opportunity, will present the facts, even when those facts support our claims of corruption between Congress and the Private Sector.
They also show that the corruption is not universal.
Shut your eyes to the facts if you like.
So the democrats are the party of hope and light?really?
Dude - try and keep up, will ya?
I submit as evidence three articles from a google search based on an article I read in the Burlington Free Press just today:
http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/25/9019424-clean-air-water-rules-spark-different-responses NBC Politics - Companies give GOP, regulators, different messages nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_.../9019424-companies-give-gop-regul...Cached You +1'd this publicly. Undo 1 day ago – Companies give GOP, regulators, different messages ... In September, the president scrubbed a clean-air regulation that aimed to reduce ...
http://www.globalwarmingnewssite.com/clean-air-companies-give-gop-regulators-different-messages/ Clean air: Companies give GOP, regulators, different messages ... www.globalwarmingnewssite.com/clean-air-companies-give-gop-reg... You +1'd this publicly. Undo 9 hours ago – Companies have told Republican-led congressional committees what the party wants to hear: dire predictions of plant closings and layoffs if the ...
The Free Press article documents individual efforts by politicians within the political system to stem the tide of corporate hegemony over the American political system and the wave of deregulation pushed by repelicans.
This demonstrates that neither the political system, nor the news outlets, are quite as far gone as you would have us believe.
z
alongabard- you speak the truth- there was a time when the usa was the most respected country in the world- this country and especially new york city --was the home of world freedom- now it is the center of world oppression- ------------------------- ows was started in new york city, so the rest of the world would follow our lead - and it has so far worked well- on this web page most of our real support has come from overseas--
That is a beautiful piece.
How about forming a new third party? http://thenewthirdparty.blogspot.com/
now look what the politicians in Washington are proposing ! ha ha ha I guess nothing should surprise us these days?..... How much more proof do people need to understand the significance of what is going on?
Senators Demand the Military Lock Up American Citizens in a “Battlefield” They Define as Being Right Outside Your Window
" The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world "
http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/senators-demand-military-lock-american-citizens-battlefield-they-define-being
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I joined the dots long ago sunny. if we don't stop it this is who we will be reporting to. they will be our new unelected masters. these people are the most power hungry, ruthless, cruel and greedy bastards on the planet.people can criticise Adolf Hitler and Ahmadinejad is much as they like and see how bad they were/are but doesn't anybody wonder what made these so-called tyrannical leaders hate another group of people so much? There's always two sides to every story.
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amen.
I now live in the Czech Republic. I moved here because there are no jobs anymore in the US, but, I also moved because I couldn't live in a country where people are happy (or complacent) to be slaves to consumerism. It was the 1980's when Americans tossed away their name of "citizen" and accepted the label of "consumer". "black friday" is now the official start of the holiday season - according to the media. what an ugly place America is now. BUT, the most heartening thing I've seen since I was a little boy in the days of the Civil Rights movement is the Occupy movement. Americans are starting to act like Americans again! How wonderful. For the first time in three decades, I feel proud and hopeful. But, the Czech Republic is my home, its in my bones, and here I will stay. I hope America changes fundamentally, I hope the world changes fundamentally and we throw off the slavery of the corporations. Live Free or Die!
Instead of occupy Wall Street, people need to shift and Occupy the Senate and House of Rep. USA. These are the guys who allowed all this to happen, let them off the hook, and totally refuse to agree on balancing a budget which effects our lives negatively for the next 20 years! These are the real villains and conspirators. I thought this was the USA and these guys were there to represent us? Instead I feel like this is more of a game being played, "my team against yours and nothing you can say will chance my vote or opinion"! I no longer see a democracy here in the USA. I used to be proud of my country. Sadly I must say, not anymore!
Be proud of the people standing against the War on Freedom. Our government is an embarrassment and I think most realize that at this point.
If you think living in another country is the answer, then you don't understand the problem. The problem is global and it is 1000 years old. http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1680855/pg1 nearly every central bank in the world is owned by the same family. There is no way this family could pay it's debt if every country returned their paper money. They charge interest to governments for money the family never had to begin with. If I were to give you a Note/IOU for $30 and you keep the Note/IOU? Are you borrowing or lending? By holding a Note you are LENDING not borrowing. Why should you have to pay back money you have loaned? We have been tricked for so long most of us don't even know what the truth looks like.
I agree it's not the answer. It makes it more difficult to support the USA economy living overseas, but at least I'm giving most money to small business owners and not large corporations. My personal experience that I feel a greater sense of freedom outside the US police state, so it is more of a temporary solution. It does make me sad to see that the US has lost so much respect over the years though, and I'm doing my best to support a change for the better.
I lived overseas for a long time. Though debt slavery remains, at least you get a decent standard of living. If we ever manage to get the banks off our backs, historically the banks send other countries to attack. I wonder which countries they would send?
True. Safety standards tend to trail the US, but work-life balance seems to be much better. As for sending another country to occupy the US, I've wondered that myself. With the amount of guns in the country I don't imagine anyone would be thrilled to do the job.
5 guns for every man woman and child. If we brought them to the protests, which under the constitution we have a right to do, the cops would all call in sick.
Yeah. They are pretty bold with unarmed citizens. All hail the militarized police force :S
http://occupywallst.org/forum/interesting-read-about-the-constitution-and-corpor/#comment-427758
I found this post rather mind-boggling and it added to my knowledge base, feel free to pass it around.
If this is any indication we've all been duped and will continue to be duped because the vast majority in the USA and the World are simply too distracted, too busy, too overworked, too underpaid and too undernourished to pay attention and DO something (for those OWS supporters starting with those in the USA thank you for ensuring you are among the truly informed!)
Another party? TO do what, clog the bottom of the ballot with the other 5-10-15 minor party candidates? IT took the Whigs 80 years to be replaced by the Republicans. I'm not waiting 80 yrs.
Can't argue with that.
So let's stop accepting dollars and instead use a currency which can be exchanged to those who print it for what it represents.
dddddd