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Pride or Hubris?
By Karim Kadiri
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!
WOW!
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