Every Country Hates Us! Why the US should generally disregard world opinion Justin Hartfield
"Every country hates us!" - A. Liberal
I have heard this statement uttered more times than I wish to recall. It is the battle cry of the Apologist. It is the maxim of people who move through the world with trepidation. It is proudly exclaimed by individuals who take their cues by cautiously following others, making sure to seek their approval before taking their next step.
Before the Revolutionary War, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and the like did not feel the need to take a poll of the colonial inhabitants asking them if they thought a revolution would be an 'OK' idea. The Founding Fathers knew that they were fighting for a noble cause and that a revolution would be the only way for them to enjoy the liberties they felt entitled to as humans.
In politics, just as in life, there are right and wrong answers. The only way to truly determine the correct course is to take action and traverse through it. Historically, America has favored action over inaction. Sometimes, the actions taken by the state work out exceptional well, like say the Louisiana Purchase. Other-times it backfires, like the Vietnam War. The only constant, the only thing which is certain, are the critics. For every successful diplomatic or economic decision by the US, there has always been a group who were initially opposed to it. Borrowing a term from hip-hop, the PI refers to these nay-sayers as Haters.
Theodore Roosevelt understood the importance of action and understood the nature of the Hater. He remarked, "It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things." There will always be dissenting opinions, even on matters which seem to have obvious solutions. Inevitably, some toes will be stepped on and people will become angry.
Case-in-point: Even though public schools were desegregated in the South, it took military-backed action to allow for actual integration. When black children started to be bussed into white public schools, protests were formed right outside the school's entrance in hopes of dissuading the black youth from entering the building. While these Haters were outraged at their government's perceived draconian actions, the price the government paid in public opinion was negated by the greater good it caused by enforcing the desegregation laws.
Just because "every country hates us" does not mean the US made a mistake removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq, or bankrolling the Israeli military, or keeping troops in Saudi Arabia. We should never be afraid to take just action in fear of drawing criticism from other countries. The only people that should determine our domestic or international policies work in Washington, D.C - and not Baghdad.
"I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!" - Theodore Roosevelt
