So Angry with Americans, It Is Heartbreaking!

If there is ever one country with whom Britain should be able to call true friend and ally it should be America, but at the same time such an alliance cannot be based on superficiality or convenience. It has to mean something. It has to stir a fondness in the soul by which the ordinary Brit and the ordinary American (of all ethnicities in both nations) can embrace, and take stout-hearted pleasure from knowing we stand shoulder-to-shoulder when the true moral call is made.

Right now, that embrace is found wanting. Britain stands shunned and cold-shouldered by America, she deflects and denies us our love for her. That love, forged both in war and peace is now denied not because of Britain, but because of America. What America has become, what it is and what it stands for today makes a mockery of our alliance. How can Americans love themselves as a nation while they are so fractured and split by their great ethnic diversity? How can they be strong, whilst so afraid of one another?

You could be a shining example to which much of the world could aspire, yet you shun this duty (and it is a duty) for individual self-concern. You crave a 'greatness' you have not yet earned, and you have lost faith in a belief you have not yet attained. These noble virtues are not yours to self-claim, they are praises to be given by other countries, and even then, only to be accepted with humility.

Right now you have an election campaign for the presidency of the United States of America. Think about what those words should mean to each of you...'United States of America'. They should fill up your hearts with a genuine love and pride for one another, yet all you display is a fractious indifference and bigoted animosity that alienates each from the other, so much so that you can no longer claim to be truly 'United'. In short, you have forgotten how to be a nation, or are wilfully shunning the ideal of being one.

These fractious divides are bringing you down, and allowing the most bitter unwelcome sourness to your highest office, and as each candidate beguiles the American people in their race to be first into the White House, you debate with each other which one is the best worst candidate to choose. You need more than a two party system so that other genuine candidates of true calibre for the role of president can join in with the race. You need a greater choice than just bitter and over-ripe.

Yet all of this is in vain, because you do not love or care for one another, and yet it would be the most revolutionary act you could do, to turn it around and to celebrate your diversity, to perceive your differences as your greatest strength, because your wide spectrum of difference allows for a wider spectrum of innovation by which you can all benefit. Only one type of group is winning at the moment, and that is the wealthy political elite. Only they are united in the same goal. It is they who celebrate your diversity, because of the friction it generates, and while you fight amongst yourselves, they are laughing at you all the way to the bank, and constantly placing before you candidates of their choosing for you to elect. Who says you have to elect either one of them? Why would you elect someone who has no intention of governing for the people, who has no consideration for the people in their policies?

Fact is, you are on a long and damaging road to a fix, that is how bad it has become. You seem to have been deliberately steered off onto a tangent of self-destruction, and for some reason, which is beyond my ability to understand, you're going along with it. You are not powerless. Always bear in mind from where the Senate and Congress and the Executive Branch of government draw their power...they draw it from you the people. Without your consent, they have no power. Without you electing them, they have no legitimacy. Stop playing charades!

You need to start loving and caring for one another, you need to be stirred into doing so, and to find a way to perceive all your differences as your strengths. I can only show you why and how I love my country and my fellow compatriots, even when I disagree with them.

Here in Britain we have a hymn that truly sums us up. It is called "I Vow To Thee My Country". It is a poem written by Sir Cecil Spring Rice and put to the music of Jupiter by Holst. It describes how a man or woman can truly love their country and their fellow compatriots through unasked for sacrifice.

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

www.youtube.com...

Without this love for one another you cannot be a country or a nation united. Find a way and let us embrace yet again.

It's not as bad as the media makes it out to be. At least, my experience here has shown me love for and from people of all races, political affiliations, religions, social classes, and ethnicities. Of course I've had (very few) bad experiences as well but the good have far outnumbered those.

Good sentiment, though, brother.

a reply to: elysiumfire

A lot of us here in the states see it too. Remember that we are not all the same in ideology, but that doesnt mean we cant leave peacefully together.

The OP's post sounded like a variation on this:

a reply to: elysiumfire

That was all, so beautiful. Thank you for it. I wish it could run on the front page of every newspaper and magazine in the country.

a reply to: elysiumfire
Most Americans read the first couple of lines of what you wrote then realized their pop tarts were burning in the toaster, so they turned off their computer.
The pop tarts kept burning though...

Hi guys, thanks for the responses. The hymn although British can be applied for any country. It could (should?) be the oath politicians take before they take up office, and utterly mandated to accept and follow through on the words. Politics is a service to one's country, one's people, but right now, in our times, it seems to have become nothing more than a career for politicians to stick their snouts as deep into the public trough as they can. They can only do this through the apathy of the people, so the people need to be stirred into demanding a higher calibre politician. Neither Trump or Clinton are it!

Yet, the people cannot demand anything, because they cannot come together in consensus due to the fractious divisions exploited by self-interest groups. Remove the friction and you remove the exploitation of difference.

a reply to: elysiumfire
Dont blame the American people. Our leadership is turning their backs on our long term allies , and befriending those that want to destroy our country. Ever wonder why ? Hiding the reason in plain sight.

a reply to: elysiumfire

S&f, I'm mad with my country men too. That being said, all cousins from the UK empire need to wake up and demand accountability from our governments.

That being said, it implies we all abide by our social contract and stay educated on what is going on, which probably requires a wake up call... We're all spoiled. It's time to wake up.

Gothmog:

Don't blame the American people. Our leadership is turning their backs on our long term allies, and befriending those that want to destroy our country. Ever wonder why? Hiding the reason in plain sight.

Politicians can only do what they do through the latitude given them by the people. Ultimately the people are responsible, and it is in accepting that responsibility that the first step towards something better is taken.

originally posted by: elysiumfire
Yet, the people cannot demand anything, because they cannot come together in consensus due to the fractious divisions exploited by self-interest groups. Remove the friction and you remove the exploitation of difference.

elysium, it's so true that what we have going on at this point is a really damaged, deranged system. I (and so many of us who see through the charade) would give up so much in order to bring about a change.. perhaps, as the mother of two (my daughter already lost her biological mother), I don't quite have the fortitude to die for my country, but would give up any number of comforts in order to usher in a better life for my young ones. It's not love that's lacking from me and most of the people I know, I assure you. Any suggestions as to what we could do to truly bring about change?? Sitting here feeling helpless hasn't gotten me too far as of yet

a reply to: elysiumfire

Nicely said, from an American. Star & Flag, I couldn't agree more with your sentiments. There's strength in numbers yet voters allow the elite to dictate government policies in this country. We have 2 major political parties who continuously ignore the will of the people and cater to the rich. Yet registered republicans and democrats alike still defend both parties. We see it here on ATS every single day! The same posters who are staunch conservatives or staunch liberals can never be honest with themselves and recognize their own party failures! The party system does nothing but divide us.

We have two candidates who have immense baggage and are marred by scandals. Yet the American people feel like they only have two choices. Our two party system has monopolized our elections for years. Our 3rd party candidates are prevented from even debating with these two party candidates! The U.S. flaunts its democracy, yet our elections don't reflect equal representation of candidates. Third party candidates are simply not on the same level playing field as our two major parties. This alone shows the unfairness of our election system.

This is why I've always felt the party system should be eliminated and campaign finance should be equal and capped for all candidates. Take the money and corporate donations out of politics and see how many career politicians will want to stay in office way past the age of retirement like they do now!

This election has shown how rigged our party system is. Yet America will continue to sit on their hands and accept business as usual. I agree, we all need to unite and demand change.

Sadly I don't known of we will ever do away with the two party system, we have had it shoved down our gullet since birth. A vote for a 3rd party is a vote for the devil (candidate they don't want to win) and we buy it hook line and sinker.

The worst part is we were warned about this at the inception of our country and yet we drew our lines in the sand and voted the party line. Reps vs dems today it really is two ends of one rope tied like a noose around the neck of the American population.

This something we are fought from an early age if you are for x,x,x and against y,y,y you are a _______! You better vote like it or they will take your x and force y on you.

We say never open our eyes, to see the forest for the trees, instead we will ride the next talking point to the next and elect the person who represents "our" party never once looking at the candidates actual policies and plans just hoping for better while getting fed the same load of bull that we have always eaten but this term it taste like steak cud my candidate won...yeah right...

A band called the vandals has it eloquently put

"When you're living in "poop" and your life is "poop" and "poop" is all you smell.
You submit and get to used to and live in your "poop" filled hell...." while the song isn't political at all it sure does sum up the American political spectrum very nicely.

I absolutely agree re: loving one another, as trite, quaint, and idealistic as it may sound. It's precisely what we need. As you say, right now it would be the most revolutionary act imaginable.

I also think the government won't change or be restored to its responsibility directly to the people, until and unless we as a people change ourselves. And I'm not claiming I know what the solution to that is, but this is an (edited slightly and shortened slightly to fit better into the context of this topic vs the other) excerpt from a post I made elsewhere on ATS, that I feel makes sense to post here as well:

Right now, voter turnout is so low, [because] the offerings [are] so much more unpopular than favorable, that...

... the majority neither participates, nor feels represented by the options available. (Even the third party candidates in many cases, as is the case for me.) Voting has to matter again, and feel like something we can [all] care about...

... I think the solution is going to have to happen on an individual and then community basis, first with a commitment to greater civility so that we don't contribute to the forces being wielded and exploited on an social level for political ends, and then by producing from among ourselves candidates that feel as they are supposed to: of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Right now the sense of disfranchisement and disconnection between ourselves and any candidate, is so great as to be almost a total breaking of the central premise of our republic imho.

...

We don't like to admit it... but our politicians are us. They may be a dark, corrupt, horrible aspect of us... but they are us. As George Carlin put it once, "Where do people think these politicians come from? ... They come from American parents and American families, American homes, American schools, American churches, American businesses and American universities, and they are elected by American citizens."

...

We like to imagine we are distinct from them... and that...

...we are sending "them" a message... which might well be the case... but until we recognize that the government is us, and that we have to replace what we lament with some other, better aspect of ourselves...

... [we can't] avoid the fate we all in the back of our minds fear we're headed towards in due time.

...

We need representatives we can actually believe in and who will substantively do things differently... and right now, society either doesn't produce those people, or doesn't allow them to rise to office.

Basically, as you suggest OP, I believe we must change how we treat one another, and how much we care about one another - en masse - as a society - before the "system" can be changed. Because as abhorrent as it has become, that system... sadly... is us.

Again, I'm not claiming to know how exactly we go about that. Or asserting that we even can necessarily. But I'd like to believe we can. Somehow.

Peace.

That was all, so beautiful. I wish it could run on the front page of every newspaper and magazine in the country.

And it probably will be , seeing how the City of London controls the purse strings & the media, enabling them to do and say almost anything.... follow the money

we as a people are media driven, plain and simple. The media, powered by large corporations have an agenda and it is clear. As this agenda is threatened by a candidate or group, the dividing, demonizing, and the rest begins. This division is not just America, it is worldwide and always expanding and adjusting to its goals. This is not a local problem, and yes, you have division in your country, you just refuse to see it, and the head in the sand mentality does not further your cause. There is much at stake this time around and both sides are really bad, one sets a new standard for evil. There are those that see things differently, and the media drives the wedge....do not fool yourself, just look at the constant media lies. The world is not a peachy place, grow up and forget wonderland Alice.....

I think all you guys get to see is the media's constant coverage of inner city cesspool behavior. Small town America is nothing like you describe.

There is much more small town America than the nonsense that you see in metropolitan areas. Frankly, I hope the large cities cannibalize themselves so that the rest of us can move on with actual civilization.

If you ever get a chance to visit OP, just stay the hell out of metro areas. You will see that everything else is pretty okay.

This isn't disagreement with your premise mind you, just want you to know that there is more to America than the self centered metro wastes.

This may be a positive note -

I and me bestie are sitting here drinking. She's a F***ing Michigander! and I'm an FIB!

And we're both in Chi Town here.

This is like some kind of unimaginable peace accord.

ooooooo maybe the universe has shifted ~

And maybe the Cubs will win the world series?

I'd have to take that as a sign of the Apocalypse though.

a reply to: elysiumfire

Elysium,

You missed the window - 1945 to 1960 were our best years. The American dream had a fast fuse.

We burned bright, but not for long.

a reply to: elysiumfire

I don't embrace anyone just because of their country's history (of which I didn't not participate, for the most part) or because of the border within which they live.

I appreciate a human being on an individual level, and it takes time to build up trust and friendship and adoration and camaraderie and respect. Just because you are in Britain and I am in America does not, in any way, indicate that we need to like each other because of those attributes alone.

But like others have noted--if you don't live here, you really won't get a clear picture of how life in America is. You see the worst of my country through the media (mainstream, social, or otherwise) but, in comparison, most likely see very little of the daily positivity and kindness that exists here.

To be fair, though, our country was created because of a dramatic political divide--that divide allowed us to become the country that you claim should be a shining example to the world. We have a relatively short history, but it is filled with political uprisings--but even so, we are still a nation, and when it truly matters, we can come together like no other country can, both for ourselves and to the world.

Quite honestly, while your post was well written, focusing on country borders and alliances is what causes massive conflict in the world--is that really something that should be promoted in the name of embracing togetherness?

You seem to perceive the media's portrayal of our divisiveness as absolute fact, when the reality is that the average American pays no real attention to the BLM movement, or to presidential rallies, or anything that may come across as massively divisive to outsiders looking in. The reality is that, for the most part, Americans are polite and kind to one another--but that doesn't make the news, now does it?

I harbor no delusions that our country is without fault--nothing is perfect, especially when it is made up of more than 300-million people who are all unique individuals with different ideas and ideologies and goals and personalities--but to pretend that we are a defunct nation that has given up on love, kindness, selfless service, and myriad other positive attributes in communities and a society is to deny reality.

You make some decent points, but I can't help but think that they're unintentionally made with quite the liberal dose of hyperbole thrown in.