The U.S. and the States have the best governments in the world, in my opinion.
If you know what you are doing, you can really raise the roof
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It might surprise some to know that I actually agree with you --- but only if we qualify that by admitting that the remarkable, and perhaps even unprecedented, potential for good in America is a Dream Deferred and a Potential rarely realized.
By framing the question as Destee did, she began with the implication that the US does not engage in rape, censorship, and brutality --- at least not as much as other countries. But any rational examination of that premise immediately reveals it to be untrue. The forced sodomy at Abu Ghraib was not rape? Shall we ignore the National Violence Against Women's survey which concluded that 1 in 6 American women have been the victim of rape or attempted rape?
What about the fact that the US incarcerates the highest percentage of its citizens than any other country in the world? We even beat out Rwanda -- the second place runner up.
And what about censorship and brutality? Snowden hiding out in Russia? Assata Shakur hiding out in Cuba? Dr. King being assassinated by his own government? These things have nothing to do with brutality or censorship?
As I burn through this the later third of my mortal life, I have given a lot of thought into why so many people -- both here and abroad -- either choose to remain here or are actively seeking to move here.
1) America is where the money is.
2) People who have powerful enemies at home desire to move elsewhere. This has nothing to do with America being a safer refuge for political dissidents. If that were true, Sister Megan Rice would not be spending the next 35 months behind bars.
3) Everybody loves a winner. America is the most militarist empire this world has ever known and there are some sickos in this world who get off on being citizens of a country which has the military might to push everybody else around. If you think I am exaggerating about this, go to CNN's website any day of the week and read some of the comments from Americans insisting that the US should nuke some other country.
4) There are a few Americans who think these are the last days of the American empire and that the God has placed them in the Belly of the Beast to Prepare the Way for the coming of the Lord.