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?

Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 392 comments.


on Nov. 5 2013 at 7:14 pm
CiaraMarie BRONZE, Phelan, California
4 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know." - Lao Tzu

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you. The people here in America are not at fault, at least not all of them. Our government does what it wants, when it wants to. The people have no say so anymore. The officials of this once great country try to give people the illusion that the government does what the people say, but they don't. They are running our country into the ground and making us look like fools to other countries. I still have hope for this country, but it will be destroyed by the greed and selfishness of the politicians.

on Oct. 17 2013 at 3:22 pm
JustinNelson BRONZE, Woodbury, Minnesota
4 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
Human life without knowledge of history is nothing other than a perpetual childhood, nay, a permanent obscurity and darkness.

Your obviously not thinking too hard, as your name implies. See when someone provides such a concise and erudite opinion as this one, and your nationalism, NOT patirotism, raises alarms for no particular reason than the fact that you think that this person was raised in a country that you've never been to, nor experienced first-hand, and you've been taught lies by your school and TV about those countries; well it seems to me that YOU have been indoctrinated, not the author.  Go read a book or something that you didn't get at a Scholastic Book Fair.

on Oct. 17 2013 at 3:14 pm
JustinNelson BRONZE, Woodbury, Minnesota
4 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
Human life without knowledge of history is nothing other than a perpetual childhood, nay, a permanent obscurity and darkness.

I applaud the author of this article, so many writers on here have absolutely know sense of depth in terms of fact and the reality of our world. Thank you for writing this and keep up the enlightenment.

Kindle GOLD said...
on Sep. 14 2013 at 11:12 am
Kindle GOLD, Sudbury, Other
11 articles 0 photos 93 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There is no subject so old that something new cannot be said about it." -Fyodor Dostoevsky

"Forgive me my nonsense, as I also forgive the nonsense of those that think they talk sense." - Robert Frost

I don't think the U.S. is alone when it comes to global warming and the use of fossil fuels. That's going on everywhere in the world, including the UK and even Canada. This is a world problem and needs to be solved as such.

Alabian GOLD said...
on Sep. 12 2013 at 8:36 pm
Alabian GOLD, Limbo, Other
13 articles 2 photos 125 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you can fly, don't stop at the sky cause there are footprints on the moon" - Owl City

I am an American and a Christian as well and I totally agree with you.

on Sep. 11 2013 at 8:26 pm
thinkingtoohard, Boston, Massachusetts
0 articles 0 photos 9 comments
It's sad that you feel this way. I saw you live in the UK...how could you have any idea what America is like on the inside?

on Sep. 11 2013 at 8:10 pm
thinkingtoohard, Boston, Massachusetts
0 articles 0 photos 9 comments
totally agree...it sounds like this person was raised in Russia or the Middle East where these opinions were drilled in...its sad

Alabian GOLD said...
on Aug. 27 2013 at 7:16 pm
Alabian GOLD, Limbo, Other
13 articles 2 photos 125 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you can fly, don't stop at the sky cause there are footprints on the moon" - Owl City

I'm sorry, but as a loyal American citizen, I cannot read this article with pleasure.

on Jul. 12 2013 at 1:47 pm
Miniterror GOLD, Yuma, Arizona
10 articles 1 photo 54 comments

Favorite Quote:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

I must tell you that I am both a loyal American citizen and a devoted Christian. You have no idea how much the United States helps around the globe. I think it's ridiculous that you can say that it is our fault that Equador has gone into a political crisis. We give them the money and it becomes their responsibility to handle it after that. And when it comes to Brazil cutting down trees, I can understand your concern, but they need both wealth and land to rise up economically and politically. As far as military, do you realize how many weapon designs we get from the UK and other countries? You guys who are all hating on the U.S. who live in other countries; you are creating that military. As a matter of fact, a large number of Americans come from your countries to work here instead. We use our military for self-defense and the defense of our allies. Something you might want to know about is the fact that the war in Iraq was caused in an attempt to free the country from it's terrorist dictator. Our war in Afghanistan is an act of self-defense also, but not against Afghanistan...against al-Qaeda; the terrorist group responsible for the attacks on our country on September 11, 2001, where they killed thousands in an attempt to cripple our country; similar to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor before World War II. And, like then, we fought back. As far as pollution and fossil fuel consumption, I don't care. I believe that we must take advantage of every resource we have. If you can find a cheap and efficient way to use renewable energy, please do so. But until then, we will continue to use fossil fuels to keep our country strong. Also, as a Christian, I must point out the fact that the world was not made to last forever. Eventually it will have to run out of resources and we will have to move on without them. I know I will get a lot of rage from this comment, but please understand that America is trying to (and is in most places) help the world.

on Jul. 12 2013 at 12:58 pm
Miniterror GOLD, Yuma, Arizona
10 articles 1 photo 54 comments

Favorite Quote:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Thank you! Thank you very much. I understand we have made mistakes, but if we suddenly decided to stop helping other countries and quit using our military I can't imagine what might happen.

on Jul. 12 2013 at 12:50 pm
Miniterror GOLD, Yuma, Arizona
10 articles 1 photo 54 comments

Favorite Quote:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

I want to know how many of you are Americans and/or Christian

on Jul. 1 2013 at 1:30 pm
ChickenLegHouse BRONZE, Brighton, Michigan
3 articles 0 photos 44 comments
CDHLegend, I agree with you on the most part, we have been great and I belive we can be again, but at the moment we are doing a little rough. Simran, you seem very angry, and that is of course, understandable. But take a second and look around, is the average American you see curupted and power hungry? By the looks of what I see people are just trying to make it by right now. And on the subject of thoughs 'unnecesary wars' I'm not going to get into the reasons behind them and all that; but just remember that it was our fathers, our brothers, and our husbands getting killed out there too. So don't you dare make it out like we went over there, crushed some lives, and then all made it home in one peice. Because we didn't, and I think you're smart enough to realize that.

AliMotamedi said...
on Jun. 7 2013 at 10:35 am
AliMotamedi, Ampang, Other
0 articles 0 photos 21 comments
i get the message and i agree with it, the problem with humans is that they think they should serve themsleves in the best way possible during the short life time that they have. but the right thing would be to help and work so we and others to come can live with ease and comfort. almost all ancient civilizations undestood this, and made our work much simpler!

on May. 13 2013 at 12:46 pm
prettysoccer_girl34 SILVER, Park City, Utah
5 articles 0 photos 28 comments
I'm an American and I totally agree with this article. It was well written and smartly presented. :) Good job 

Loticus said...
on May. 12 2013 at 9:26 pm
So we should stop fighting terrorism? We should be come a dictatorship? We should go even further in our debt to spend billions of dollars on researching eco-friendly energy alternatives? Stop helping minor countries?

on May. 11 2013 at 8:41 am
SimranRazdan GOLD, Hyderabad, Other
10 articles 0 photos 34 comments
Don't even go to the UN. That organization has lost it's meaning , acting like a lapdog to the country. It did nothing when America invaded Iraq because the superpower and biggest contributor cannot be opposed. Even the Guantanamo problem has not been solved because America created it and they have big guns. If this is called steps towards world democracy and global peace, then I have no idea who you're kidding calling the organization or the country democratic when both believe wholeheartedly in the policy of "power is might"

on May. 11 2013 at 8:34 am
SimranRazdan GOLD, Hyderabad, Other
10 articles 0 photos 34 comments
Of course everything is so hunky-dory now, with problems (and people) kicked out of the way. And obviously it's not your problem that the unnecessary war plundered hundreds of families because hey! You wanna reach the top. One question. How does it feel being "great" after all you guys have done? Is it lonely, cold , being at the top of the world? Cause you deserve it.

on May. 11 2013 at 8:29 am
SimranRazdan GOLD, Hyderabad, Other
10 articles 0 photos 34 comments
You are a freakishly huge country with a negligible population , genius.

on May. 11 2013 at 8:27 am
SimranRazdan GOLD, Hyderabad, Other
10 articles 0 photos 34 comments
They have plundered countries for greed, killed civilians (of other countries) in the name of democracy and have bullied at every given opportunity. If this is world's superpower, then I am glad I'm not a part of the coldest nation ever known to mankind.

on May. 10 2013 at 6:23 am
AnnabelLee423 SILVER, Somewhere, Other
6 articles 0 photos 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.

I believe it is easy to just blame America for the abjection of our world... The obvious victim, because America is everywhere.... Shouln't you, however, take a time to reconsider and wonder if England for example, could do something? Isn't it proper, first to blame ourselves and then the others? Perhaps if every nation stopped dropping accusations, we'd take this world to a different level...