Why the world hates America

Spending the first 14 years of my life in Australia, I only ocassionally encounted the anti-American sentiments that span the globe today. But even in Australia, a long-time ally and friend of America, there is quite a bit of hate for America. Some Americans seem to think that people hate America because "America is so much better than their country." But that is the exact reason why America is hated in the first place! Not the only reason, but definetely the beginning of truth. A couple days ago I drew a complete mind blank while thinking of blog topics. I was searching through possible blog and debate topics on a random website, when I came across the question: "should all countries change their official currency to the U.S. dollar?" To many this might not seem like anything noteworthy. But the first thought that struck my mind was "wow, what an arrogant idea." To me, this question reeks of bigotry and the belief that America is the only worthwhile country in the world. That everybody should change their currency to the US dollar to tailor to the needs of America. What makes them think that everybody in the world would want to change their currency to the U.S. dollar? If the world collectively decided to use one currency, wouldn't they just produce an entirely new currently for everybody? I just don't see how this is a legitimate question. This close-mindedness, the belief that America is the be all and end all, is what makes people hate America. Don't get me wrong, I love America just as much as any other American. That's why it kills me everytime I see somebody popping off about how "America is so much better than everyone else." I don't condone or participate in America bashing, but speaking as both an American and an Australian, I can clearly see that it is not unfounded. There's a fine line between patriotism and bigotry, and many Americans need to realize it.

Voting: a right or a duty?

VOTE OR DIE; the hyperbolic slogan created by celebrities such as P. Diddy, 50 Cent, and Paris Hilton, aimed at convinceing everybody to vote. Although there is no direct correlation between failing to vote and dying, it makes the point that everybody needs to vote so the government represents everybody. There are many who disagree with this slogan, saying that uneducated, apathetic people who don't want to vote, shouldn't. Personally I think that everybody in the country should vote, and should be required to vote. In America, voting has never been compulsory, but in many other countries it is. Being an Australian, I am fairly familiar with compulsory voting, although I have yet to cast a ballot in an Australian election. I believe it is my duty, as a citizen of Australia and America, to make my voice heard. In Australia, all citizens (minus felons and the mentally ill) are required to vote in all elections. Those who choose not to are subject to fines and penalties. For many reasons I think this is a great idea. I can already hear people screaming "it's a violation of our freedom to force us to vote," but I think that many Americans think their "individual freedom" entitles them to a lot more than it does (or should). By requiring citizens to vote you are requiring them to exercise their freedom. Because if you don't vote in a democracy, you really aren't living in a democracy at all, you are more or less living in a dictatorship chosen by your peers. Think about it, you never made known your preferences regarding who runs the country. So you're living in a country that is run by people you had absolutely no choice in putting in power. Compulsory voting means that everybody in the country's opinion is counted. Take Australia's voter turnout compared to America's voter turnout, Australia with about 95% and America with about 55%. Another thing compulsory voting does is greatly reduce voter apathy. People that know they must vote will be better informed and care more about the election, since they have to vote for somebody. Perhaps the most interesting benefit to compulsory voting is if you choose not to vote. If you don't vote under this system, your non-vote actually means something! With compulsory voting you pay the penalty for not voting (a fine), making the statement that you don't believe in the system. But if you choose not to vote in a country such as the US, you just appear too lazy to do anything else but complain. I think this country would take greater leaps forward if the government represented everybody, rather than just those who choose to vote. I doubt there will be any changes in the near future, but the US should eventually make voting a requirement, so the government truly represents the entire country.

Alcoholism a Disease?

One of my favorite South Park episodes is an episode where Stan's dad becomes an alcoholic. Stan's dad gets a DUI one night driving drunk and is forced to go to AA as part of his punishment. In AA, the leader in the meeting tells Stan's dad that he has a "fatal disease." Stan's dad takes that statement a little too seriously and begins to drink copious amounts of alcohol because he "has a disease and can't control it." When he shaves his head and hops into the grandfathers wheelchair, Stan finally has had enough, he tells his dad "you just need to not drink so much, it's very simple." Stan visits the people at AA who proclaim to him that his dad has no control of his diease. Obviously South Park doesn't always present the most politically correct ideas, but I thought it brought up some interesting questions about whether being addicted to something is a disease. I know many people might consider it offensive to question whether alcoholism is a disease. My family has a history of "alcoholism," but I like to think that the choice is mine whether I want to drink heavily or not. Sure, I may be predisposed to addiction of alcohol, but I don't feel like that makes me have a disease. The one retort that the people at AA had against Stan's claims was "Alcoholism is a disease because it is a physical dependency, that makes it a disease." But isn't heroin addiction being physically dependent on something? I don't see anybody calling heroin addiction a disease. So why say alcoholism is a disease? All it does it make an excuse for people to drink too much alcohol, and say they can't help it because they have a disease. I understand that alcoholism is no laughing matter, alcohol causes countless problems in todays society. I also feel like anybody with alcohol problems deserves the help they need. But Stan put it best when someone said "Yes it is, Alcoholism is a disease" and Stan replied "No, Cancer is a disease, my dad needs to drink less."

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Missed Opportunities

You have to capitalize on every opportunity in life. Think of all the opportunities we miss out on in life because we act too slowly or merely never see the opportunity. I just missed out on a huge opportunity in the stock market. I have been trading shares online through e*trade for about a year now, and have made some fairly good money. But just a few days ago I came up with the idea to short sell a company that I though was ready for some big losses. For those who don't know, the basic idea of short selling is you hope that the stock price goes down rather than going up which is what you usually want from a stock. There's a lot more to it but that's basically the idea. So I came up with the idea to short sell this company, but decided I would ask my uncle how he felt about it since he is very good with the stock market. As I was waiting for an email reply, the company's stock price dropped by over 60%! Too Late! I was so mad, to think of all the money I could have made from that. One thing I'm having trouble with is letting it go, it's like a bad taste in my mouth that won't go away. I realize I have to let it go and move on, hopefully finding more opportunities just like it, and actually acting on them! What I learned: sometimes it is better to go off of your own information rather than consulting someone else. Next time I'm just going to go with it, instead of looking for guidance from someone else. Hopefully I will better capitalize on my opportunities in the future

Outside the Comfort Zone

Having lived in many different places throughout my life, I look at adaptability as one of my top strengths. Moving to different neighborhoods, going to different schools, and making new friends have helped make each new transition easier. Its also given me different outlooks on different issues and made a more well-rounded person. Some of the transitions weren't easy, but I think that it's important for everyone to experience new things and leave their comfort zone often in their life. You can't really grow as a person unless you are willing to go out on a limb and experience some sort of stress related to the unknown. So go to a country that you don't know a word of the native language and go eat something you've never even heard of. Basically don't be afraid to try new things and to take yourself outside of your comfort zone.

Family First

One thing that I've been thinking about a lot lately has been the changes everyone undergoes in college. I think these kind of changes take place all the way through life, but college is where some of the most profound changes take place. In college, you are immersed in a foreign environment among foreign people and left to your own devices. I for one, have already felt some changes taking place. One change I have felt is an increased feeling of appreciation for my family. I've always been close to my family, but in my high school years I often put my friends ahead of my family. This was most noticeable in my final week at home before college. When I should've been spending as much time as possible with my family before I left, I spent as much time hanging out with my friends as possible. It's amazing how time and space can change things. Now that I'm hundreds of miles away from my family I have a greater sense of how much they mean to me and regret not spending every last moment with them. I'm glad that my priorities have changed, and that I can better appreciate everything my family means to me. The next time I visit I'll be sure to have my priorities right, and put my family first.