How Many Of You Hate America? | Teen Ink

How Many Of You Hate America?

August 21, 2009
By Eilina Sealtman SILVER, London, Other
Eilina Sealtman SILVER, London, Other
7 articles 0 photos 15 comments

The common view of things is often different from the reality. They can be twisted, beautiful images that shield us from the truth. Sometimes people should think of it not as a shield, but as a blindfold. Because a world superpower is taking steps too far. By consuming more fossil fuels than is necessary, by standing still and making no military progression when it was needed, and by waging war on a country and attacking soldier and civilians over a mere dispute for oil. This “great” country, is America.

Many people look to America and sigh with envy at “the American Dream” . However, that dream cannot last long, while America is guzzling up precious resources left on a rapidly crowding planet. These figures speak for themselves about the evident greed of America:



Coal > Production
531,822,000 ton


Coal consumption
1,060,000,000


Commercial energy use
8,148.38


Electric power consumption > kWh
3,920,613,000,000 kWh


Electricity > Consumption
3,892,000,000,000 kWh


Gasoline prices
0.77


Geothermal power use
5,640


Natural gas > Consumption
652,900,000,000 cu m


Natural Gasoline > Production
12,275,000 ton


Nuclear electricity generation
780.1 terawatt-hours


Nuclear energy consumption
821.1 terawatt-hours


Nuclear reactors operable
104


Oil > Consumption
20,680,000 bbl/day


Oil > Exports
1,165,000 bbl/day


Oil > Production
8,457,000 bbl/day


Oil imports > Net
10,400,000 barrels per day


Oil reserves
22,450,000,000 barrels


Usage per person
8.35 TOE per person


Wall plugs > Voltage
110 V


Wind energy installation
6,740 MW






These crimes are forgivable, as other nations are guilty of many similar crimes, such as Brazilians chopping down the Amazon. But global warming is not the most important aspect that we can hold against America. America has extorted countries beyond the point of recovery. Equador, for example, was reduced to a poor scrabbling wreck once America dealt out loans to them. Now Equador only has 5% of its national budget to spend on public services, whilst the rest of the money goes into paying off foreign aid, almost all of which goes to America. Is this right? Is it fair that Americans can bully nations? Furthermore. America threatens, assasinates, and then goes to war with the presidents of countries who refused to run their countries as they like. The war with Iraq is a simple example. America wanted oil. Iran refused to give for no good reason. Why should we just let them do this to us? Us as a world?
Oh yes, because they have guns!

The U.S.A government is a trigger-happy collection of murderous power figures, They do so much to the world, and yet they have nuclear arms and their military to point at other nations, and say “give me your money!” They succeeded for so long due to pure fear, but now other countries have the chance to strike back. America doesn't have all the power anymore. A single grain of rice can tip a scale. Somehow, America has set in a system which everybody likes. A system where people don't think. Where they impulsively buy items that will break very soon. In America, only 10% of items bought for a house are kept for more than a month, and only 5% of those remain for 6 months. America designs products to be made so they break as soon as possible, but will still leave the client with faith in the product, enough so to buy themselves more.

But who benefits from this system?

The aristocrats do. Right up in their trees, lording over us. There are bankers who awarded themselves millions of dollars in bonuses whilst creating a recession that would cripple thousands of struggling individuals around the world. This doesn't cause stress for people living on government benefits, but for the people who are just above the poverty line. America makes those people struggle and work every day. It does so by enforcing a system where the elite (namely money-posessing) people take hold. Can nothing be done to create a fair and happy world?

Well, there is something you can do. You can be fair. You can be smart, and you can think before reaching for your credit card while watching an auction channel. You can PAUSE and WAIT before buying that “wonderful new shave”. We have to know our limitations, and stretch them. Whoever is reading this, YOU are the workforce. You are the people economically enslaved. There is hope. You can work together towards goals such as Project Venus, Save The Forests, Oil Conservation, and Fairtrade. These small lifestyle changes will help you sleep at night. How can we sleep after reading this, knowing that we are only here through the turmoil and suffering of potentially hundreds of other men, women and children.

When a child reaches to the future, who will have the heart to say, “we've used it up, son.”


The author's comments:
Many of you will be enraged by this article. I mean no offence to any human being, merely a minority's actions. And if you can condemn a terrorist group, can you condemn a group of terrorist that don't use guns and use the American people to shield themselves?

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This article has 392 comments.


on Nov. 10 2011 at 3:09 pm
Sunshine15 PLATINUM, Modi&#39in, Other
20 articles 0 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, nothing else ever has. ~Margaret Mead

America is one of the greatest countires in the world-- you should all be thanking your stars that you're free to speak, and to educate yourselves the way you want to. Look at what's happening now in Syria: how many has Assad killed already? 700 or are we up to thousands? All because he wants to be rich and important. So for all of you who think that Americans are greedy and selfish, don't waste your time trying to make America less greedy, why don't you start with the rest of the world?

on Nov. 10 2011 at 8:34 am
ImperfectlyBeautiful SILVER, Overland Park, Kansas
5 articles 0 photos 6 comments

In all honesty, I'm not patriotic either. At all. I loathe this country. It's hypocritical, our goverment is corrupt, our people stay fat and ignorant, corporate buisness secretly use slave labor, we pollute the enviornment, we discriminate against other races, we are homophobic, we promote celebrities like their gods, we promote plastic surgery and botox, we are superficial and selfish. We hog all the world resources. We don't help ourselves or other peoples. Our history is awful and so our future will be as well.

And yet, people risk their lives to come here, climb over electirc fence in search of a "better life". It's horrible. I completely agree with your article.


on Nov. 4 2011 at 10:23 am
BrokenTogether GOLD, Saraland, Alabama
10 articles 0 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love...and be loved in return..." -Christian, Moulin Rouge

America went to war to free the people over seas from the oppression of Hussein and to fight a war on terror. It wasn't just for oil. We have our own oil reserves. Anyone who says that war was over oil is obviously misguided and demeaning the soldiers who lost their lives fighting for this country. You should be ashamed. I understand the government is extremely corrupt, but that doesn't mean you have to hate everything about America...

on Nov. 3 2011 at 1:35 pm
MagusEceerb SILVER, Buttville, South Carolina
9 articles 0 photos 80 comments
Well, first of all, the nuclear weapons and guns thing is kind of global.  Everybody has guns and nukes, we just don't use them, because everybody knows that if we did, China and Russia and half a dozen other countries would nuke us back.  As for the "disliking of other countries governments", it's kind of hard to like a country that's Russian supported Taliban-a-ship government tortures, stones to death, and rapes its citizens without mercy.

SJoseph said...
on Nov. 2 2011 at 11:20 am
I think the fact that you can say these things, without being killed by the government, gives a major plus point to America...

Ian_M said...
on Oct. 25 2011 at 8:41 pm
Ian_M, Ventnor, New Jersey
0 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"War does not determine who is right, it determines who is left"-Winston Churchill
"Do not try to change what you do not understand"-Ian M

While I agree with most of your arguement, you have some flaws. You're a might uninformed. War is my specialty, but first I extremely dislike your comment on our arms "They have guns!". Yeah, we do. And so does everyone else. For the record, we can't even USE our nuclear weaponry. Ever heard of the START treaty? Yeah, that little document made using nuclear arms againts other countries. And for the war in Iraq, we are kind of like Crusaders there. They had communist dictatorship, people no like that. We come in, take down said government. Oil was an unintended outcome. Nice to have. And I agree with Laura, it is all our government, and, you think we aren't TRYING to solve our usage? To bring up the "guns" topic again, you go too much on stereotypes.

on Oct. 22 2011 at 5:00 pm
Laura_Oliver GOLD, Manchester, Connecticut
12 articles 2 photos 122 comments
Basically, my point is you aren't complaining about the American people, you are complaining about the government. The government is not the people. They are so different, so far removed, that comparing them is absolutely absurd and pointless.

on Oct. 22 2011 at 4:55 pm
Laura_Oliver GOLD, Manchester, Connecticut
12 articles 2 photos 122 comments

I'm from America, and personally I wouldn't like to live anyplace else, but it IS extremely frustrating to listen to all of the stupid things American career politicians do. As an opinion article in my local newspaper once stated, "The reason America is losing power is because there are two governments: the Democrats and Republicans. Their job is to make each other look bad, which doesn't leave much left for the American people."

And I wouldn't blame Americans as a whole for the Iraq war and whatnot. We didn't have a choice. George wanted a war, he got one (and he still managed to ruin our education system! What a multitasker!). Plus, our un-environmentalism is mostly due to the mislead sheep in Congress that spread lies and cause confusion about global warming. For un-informed people, it is very difficult to sort through the dust and find the truth, which leads to some people very easily believing half-truths and lies, especially when the alternative--the truth--is painful.


SakethBalaji said...
on Oct. 17 2011 at 2:46 am
SakethBalaji, Chennai, Other
0 articles 0 photos 5 comments
sorry about all the wrong spellings
anyway you know what i mean

SakethBalaji said...
on Oct. 17 2011 at 2:45 am
SakethBalaji, Chennai, Other
0 articles 0 photos 5 comments

america may be a paranoid bully 
but this is necesary sometimes

america may hav made all the wrong moves this decade but anyone would rather have USA as he bully than china .

i think all of you would agre

 


on Oct. 16 2011 at 2:17 pm
savetheplanet PLATINUM, Anaheim, California
45 articles 9 photos 564 comments

Favorite Quote:
It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

We have plenty of female politicians and we have elected our first African Amercian president, a female president isn't far behind.  Women in America have the mst opportunities.  Just saying.

on Oct. 14 2011 at 4:33 pm
I completely agree with you. America does things based only off the fear of other countries. When the Iraq war first started, I had no idea why we were going to war. As I grew older, and learned more, I began to oppose the war more and more. America is a bully. We go in, and attack countries because we dissagree with their politics. Maybe those countries don't want our help. Maybe they're fine the way they are. I completly agree with you and your opinioni about America

on Oct. 14 2011 at 9:09 am
wedontshutup BRONZE, Jaipur, Other
1 article 11 photos 5 comments
no offence but that speaks for itself that how male dominated your society is.....

on Oct. 14 2011 at 9:06 am
wedontshutup BRONZE, Jaipur, Other
1 article 11 photos 5 comments
no offence but that speaks for itself that how male dominated your society is.....

on Oct. 10 2011 at 3:44 pm
Rocinante SILVER, Wexford, Pennsylvania
7 articles 1 photo 386 comments
You're right most of it is true

human6 GOLD said...
on Sep. 28 2011 at 4:42 pm
human6 GOLD, Fasd, New Jersey
12 articles 0 photos 132 comments

Favorite Quote:
If you cannot convince a fascist aquaint his head with the pavement-trotsky
The bourgeoisie might blast and ruin its own world before it leaves the stage of history. We carry a new world, here, in our hearts. That world is growing this minute.“ durry

america does not exist

human6 GOLD said...
on Sep. 28 2011 at 4:40 pm
human6 GOLD, Fasd, New Jersey
12 articles 0 photos 132 comments

Favorite Quote:
If you cannot convince a fascist aquaint his head with the pavement-trotsky
The bourgeoisie might blast and ruin its own world before it leaves the stage of history. We carry a new world, here, in our hearts. That world is growing this minute.“ durry

i don't hate it i just don't believe i exists

on Sep. 15 2011 at 10:53 pm
savetheplanet PLATINUM, Anaheim, California
45 articles 9 photos 564 comments

Favorite Quote:
It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

You know, I've noticed that most of the negative reactions are from Americans who are just angry because this article is U.S. bashing.  But if you look at the facts of the article, it's absolutely true.

on Sep. 15 2011 at 10:51 pm
savetheplanet PLATINUM, Anaheim, California
45 articles 9 photos 564 comments

Favorite Quote:
It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Uh, excuse me?  I beg to differ, with the exception of us not having a femail president yet, women still have the most rights in America by far.

on Sep. 15 2011 at 10:50 pm
savetheplanet PLATINUM, Anaheim, California
45 articles 9 photos 564 comments

Favorite Quote:
It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Hey, you're right.  America, for all it's glorified images, is pretty corrupt.  Although it's better than living in some countried, and I like America, that doesn't mean I endorse everything we do.  In fact, I disagree with most of it.