I am often asked whether I hate the United Stated
due to my writing of such negative articles about it. I do often speak
ill of the direction this country has been taking, but then again so are
thousands of liberal websites and millions of Americans.
Could it be that just because I happen to be a
“foreigner” I am not at moral liberty to complain or point out things I
deem unacceptable about my host country?
My fellow Moroccans on this very website feel as
though I am somewhat of an ingrate, taking advantage of the financial
wealth of this land without being thankful for its opportunities. Some
have said that I was biting the hand that fed and others simply don’t
understand why I don’t see the “greatness” around me and simply elect to
live quietly as I enjoy it all.
A few answers come to mind and I shall attempt to
lay them all or most in an intelligible fashion and to the best of my
abilities. So many angles overwhelm my thoughts making it hard to pace
myself as I sift through what is or isn’t worth putting forth to the
reader.
Perhaps my main issue with the U.S could be its
total lack of humility. This arrogance has permeated every arena of our
daily lives and often comes through very vividly as we watch and listen
to the major players on the radio and TV.
We have in place a government that can almost never
admit being in the wrong no matter how many other countries tell it, it
is or how obviously disingenuous the statements it makes seem to be.
You have a President that states on a daily basis
how “we’re gonna prevail in Iraq”, “we’re gonna bring all the terrorist
to justice” (as if that were even humanly possible), “we’re gonna spread
democracy around that region of the world”, “we’re gonna continue to
lead the world”.
During the Abou Ghraib fiasco hearings, we were fed
more pompousness than apologies. As the world looked on expecting some
level of contrition, American officials offered us lines such as this
one: “The world is looking at us for leadership so we have to…” or we’re
gonna show the world American justice” as if American justice were
something special and better than its Portuguese, Icelandic or French
counterparts.
Take a sample few days and listen to what primarily
white, Christian America is saying via its mouthpieces, namely, Sean
Hannity, Rush, Limbaugh, Bill Bennett and thousands of other talk show
hosts. You will then make your own determination as to what you think
your neighbors may be hearing and believing as you hear some of them
call the airwaves in agreement.
Did you know that Rush Limbaugh was actually
advocating bombing Iraq with much greater fire power than has been done
so far? The reason for this would be that we could save more American
soldiers’ lives as a result. It matters not that innocent Iraqis would
be condemned, it only matters that American lives are spared.
He also advocates hitting with massive power all
the necessary sites in Syria since we supposedly know for sure how that
country is financing the insurgency in Iraq and where their terrorist
cells are.
That has worked so well the first time around with
WMDs that it is worth repeating!
The preceding was but one show host’s delusional,
hateful rheteric; please do yourselves a favor a listen to AM radio,
you’ll be shocked to find out if you do not already know that 99.9% of
these folks are so called “conservatives” pro-America at any cost and no
matter what the country does…
What is so conservative about going to war anyway?
I was told on several occasions by white, Christian
Americans (republicans for the most part) that they advocated the
leveling of the middle-east. I really was not shocked for even their
milder statements at the outset of our conversations, clearly indicated
their frame of mind. I could always tell that something much more
sinister was hiding below the surface.
Let us not forget that religious icon, Jerry
Fallwell said this publicly: “Blow them all to hell, in the name of the
Lord”.
Other instances of arrogance and self
aggrandizement come to mind; just watch G.W.Bush in action. Do you
remember, “we will smoke’em out of their caves”, “bring’em on”, and the
daily deluge of “America is the greatest nation of all time, blah, blah,
blah?
Is that pride, indoctrination or insanity? In Islam
we say “man tawadaa lillahi, rafaah” (he who shows humility to God is
elevated in status). Well America could not spell humility as far as I
can see!
If some or most of you my fellow Moroccans are not
bothered by these overt and covert actions, I genuinely worry that you
may have entered the American not dream but rat race and are so busy
trying to keep up that you no longer care about right and wrong.
We should all live by the premise of the universal
law of being for what is right and against what is wrong.
It should not matter one iota that we on an
individual basis might have made and saved, thousands or even millions
or trillions of Dollars. Some issues are bigger than one’s personal
comfort or well being.
If I, Karim Kadiri got jailed for my beliefs in
another country and the U.S came to my rescue, I would still hold the
same views. Said action would not in any way absolve the American
government of the evils it has perpetrated on others from Vietnam, to
Iraq and all the other nations where the CIA got millions killed for
selfish gain.
On the flip side of all of this, America does have
wonderful people and things to offer for sure. My dearest friends are
all Americans that fortunately hold the same views about their homeland
that I do. Many hide or cover their passports when abroad as they feel
more shame of their government than this supposed pride one is supposed
to feel for simply having been born here.
To me America has been like a music or sports icon
that one idolizes until a fateful meeting where he or she realizes their
hero is a great athlete or musician but is flawed to the core. If that
idol could just change a bit, it could be such a perfect human.
You cannot deify someone who idolizes him or
herself in my opinion!
It would be hard to tell that someone how you
adore them if they continually tell you how great they think they are.
That, my friends is what America is to me: A country that constantly
praises itself. That in my opinion borders on insanity!
If the propaganda of supposed greatness would stop
(not in my lifetime for sure), I would be the first to tell the virtues
of this land as there are plenty.
I finally wish to restate my view concerning
nationalism, countries, borders and flags among other things.
I never felt patriotic as a kid in Morocco and the
same feelings linger today about America and all other nations. I am in
my mind and in my heart at least, a citizen of the world that happened
to be born in Casablanca. This occurrence could have taken place a bit
more south or east and I would have been tagged Algerian, Senegalese
etc… As such I believe in loving all the good people and countries of
the world equally.
I will also despise and speak against negative
forces whether they’d be Moroccan, American or Chinese. One’s origins do
not matter in the least; rather it is actions that we should be judged
on (only).
In closing I’d like to state my genuine affection
and respect for truly great humans that happen to be American. Since
there are no words to thank these folks, I’ll simply say bravo (I wish I
could be half as kind as you) to Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and Ted
Turner for their incredible generosity towards people they never met in
other parts of the world.
Other greats need to be recognized for their
humanitarian and anti war efforts: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Susan
Sarandon, Sean Penn and many, many more; you help make any country truly
great!
