Mirror

I've had something on my mind for a while now.

I'm getting so sick of people thinking that America is the greatest country on Earth.

Because God knows our government isn't corrupt, doesn't violate its people's rights, and does everything in its power to keep the people happy and healthy. Oh wait.

First off, for anybody that's going to counter any of this with "Oh but we're a democracy, the best one on Earth, and we have to spread democracy!", I'm gonna let the cat out of the bag. America is not a democracy. Yep. We're a federal republic. The men who wrote the constitution didn't think the general populace would be smart enough to elect its own leaders, so instead of an actual democracy, we have a federal republic.

Second, America is completely run by money. Everyone can be bought off, and apparently, all of our so called leaders have been. Special interest groups, lobbyists. Any leader could commit an atrocity and have it all erased with the proper funding and bribes. If that's not corruption, I don't know what is.

For the third point, I just have two words: Patriot Act. Seriously. As Benjamin Franklin said, "People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both."

I'm just so sick of people telling me how great America is, when we lack some pretty fundamental things (that a first-world nation should have), like universal health care. Most Americans are one major medical emergency away from the poverty line. Why? Did that person ask to get cancer? It isn't right that our country sucks the life out of the ill. That's just kicking a man while he's down. People die needlessly in this country, all because some large corporations want to save a few billion dollars, so they can pay off the President to speak in their favor.

I understand some of the liberties that I, as an American have. Such as the freedom to religion, which I'm constantly grateful for. I'm glad that women aren't (openly) discriminated against. I'm glad that I can vote, for whatever that's worth. But the thing that gets me, is that I could have all of these same freedoms and rights in most of the developed world. Canada, England, France, Sweden. All those freedoms, plus health care.

I'm sick of the "just look out for yourself" mentality. I'm sick of people being petty. Let's all just look out for one another.

I'm aware that I'm just blathering on at this point, and I should probably get some sleep sometime soon. I just had to get some of that off my chest. Its been upsetting me. There's more, but that's for another rant.

Ta.