Just call me Seppo

I just love how non-Americans feel like it’s their right, no even their duty, to have an opinion on American politics and the American way of life. Wait, no, it’s not the opinion – it’s great that they have one. It’s the need to share that opinion with Americans – it’s that need for them to feel like they have the right to share that opinion with me. It’s the need they feel to ask me who I’m voting for and then tell me that America doesn’t have any good choices anyway, so it doesn’t matter who I vote for.

It’s the need for them to tell me how American capitalism has ruined the world and how we feel the need to push our beliefs and way of life onto other cultures. It’s the need for them to call me a “seppo” (look it up in urbandictionary.com – it’s not nice) even when they’ve only known me for 3 seconds. It’s the need for them to ridicule me because I’m not forced to learn the Australian governmental system when I’m in school.

I understand that the US has a huge world presence and therefore, what we do affects a large number of people. But you know what? We do A LOT of good too! We don’t just invade countries. We also provide a lot of humanitarian aide. Most of us in the US are good people. Yes we have some bad eggs, but that can be said about any country. And YES, some of our schools have metal detectors in them, but we’re trying to make our schools safe for our kids. And when the US is 5 times the size of yours, YES, there’s going to be more violence, because there are more people!

And I don’t believe that we always push our beliefs on everyone else. I think some of you people WANT to be American. For instance – Abercrombie and Fitch are HUGE over here – even though there isn’t one store in the country. Huh, clearly, we’re not pushing that brand but yet you want it. How is that OUR fault?

I realize that I’m in your country by choice but I don’t think I’m asking too much for some plain ole respect. If you came to the US and I talked shit about Australia, you’d call me a rude, ignorant American. So why is it ok for you to do that to me?