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?

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This article has 392 comments.


on Jul. 7 2022 at 6:32 pm
Ahem-itz-mj BRONZE, Seattle, Washington
1 article 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
“People underestimate the power of nostalgia. Nostalgia is truly one of the greatest human weaknesses, second only to the neck.”----- Dwight Schrute, The Office

I don't hate it... I'm just ashamed

Samhradh GOLD said...
on Mar. 6 2022 at 8:07 pm
Samhradh GOLD, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
18 articles 2 photos 61 comments

Favorite Quote:
Dá fhada an lá tagann an tráthnóna.

(No matter how long the day, evening comes)

I think it takes guts to write and publish controversial pieces... I’m glad that this a forum for healthy debate

on Jan. 17 2022 at 11:33 pm
leo_nagel BRONZE, Shanghai, Other
1 article 6 photos 4 comments
I'll be honest with you. Probably one of the worst takes I've read today, no offense. You can't justify a bold claim that a country is evil with a long list of large numbers, if that very same country has consistently done good in the past. (Can I also just note, what does wall outlet voltage and gasoline prices have to do with any of this?) This work somehow blames the entirety of modern consumerism to be an American conspiracy, which I just don't get how.

JRR BRONZE said...
on Apr. 23 2021 at 10:21 am
JRR BRONZE, Fort Worth, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments
There are so many people in the comments who obviously just follow the propaganda spewed at them by America: "We have a right to protect our country, constitution, flag, etc.", "It's the best we have", "Other's have it worse, be grateful", "China". In reality, you made some good points. I just wanted to add a couple of things. The only reason western countries don't pollute the most is that they sent factories to developing countries. The factories in China that are polluting the world are our factories, we can't just move our manufacturing to poor countries with cheap labor and say we stopped polluting. I also recommend the book, "Open Veins of Latin America" by Eduardo Galeano to anyone reading this. It has a great description of the exploitation Europe did in Latin America during the colonial era and then the shift of the role of the oppressing power to the US how they still control Latin America's resources for their own gain.

florida_boy said...
on Mar. 2 2021 at 1:09 pm
florida_boy, Grant, Florida
0 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

This was 100% disgraceful, untrue, and hypocritical. It just angers me to think that someone can be so anti-American. It is our duty to defend the flag, constitution, and above all, our great nation. The pollution numbers may have been true, but look at China... China literally pollutes more than we do. Come on.
If you don't like America, leave America.

on Nov. 9 2020 at 9:58 am
TheEverLusciousLucas BRONZE, Goshen, Ohio, Ohio
1 article 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Surround yourself with people who make you happy. People who make you laugh, who help you when you're in need. People who genuinely care. They are the ones worth keeping in your life. Everyone else is just passing through." -Karl Marx

America is a dying Empire.

on Oct. 19 2020 at 8:39 am
LightForce9258, Ewing, New Jersey
0 articles 0 photos 8 comments
I understand that our country has many problems that need to be fixed, but all countries have their internal issues. Also I know that we made some stupid decisions especially in the Middle East, but even we doubt ourselves for that. But comparing us, to other countries such as North Korea or Iran, you will see how much you would pray to be in America.

on Sep. 5 2020 at 4:41 am
allyfinder124, Bellerose, New York
0 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Education makes people easy to govern but impossible to enslave.

I'm not offended. Other countries have every right to mad at america. The problem is that no matter what we do nothing changes. Protesters marched against the war and shouted "no blood for oil". MSNBC did an hour-long documentary called "Hubris: The Selling of the Iraq War" several years ago. Families of soldiers would love nothing more than to have every troop in other parts of the world brought home, but despite the fact that some presidential candidates think that we shouldn't have troops in other countries and are against sending more in, neither would they actually bring the ones that are already there home. Part of the reason is that they need to believe that the war was about more than just oil and america's presence there is a necessary evil. Capitalist libertarians like Ron Paul support peace and are against building army bases in other countries even as they support the economic system that led to the wars in the first place. With the advent of Donald Trump, we've become so focused on the deterioration of conduct and the racial divisions at home that it seems like we can't give every issue the attention it deserves. There's literally a series of encyclopedias on social issues in the united states. Not only that, but the racial divisions of today are the result of slavery and the genocide of native americans that occurred before this generation was even born. That's part of the reason why some white people don't like to discuss race. It gives them a sense of guilt over events that they had no control over. But just like all of the country's problems can't be blamed on the president, all of the world's problems can't be blamed on america. America is currently the world's only suoerpower, but it's not the only one in history. Imperialism has existed throughout history. History books are full of stories of conquerers from both the east and the west. I'm not saying that imperialism is unavoidable and will always exist, but it has existed thus far. Other countries dislike america even as they embrace the capitalistic elements of our culture. America is the most capitalist nation on earth but capitalism is the most widely practiced economic system in the world today. Our foreign and domestic policies don't necessarily reflect the will of the people because lobbyists have the most influence and the american political system is the least democratic one on earth that can still technically be called a democracy.

on Jan. 13 2020 at 3:02 pm
SolInvictus76, Leavenworth, Indiana
0 articles 0 photos 70 comments
Is our country perfect? No! But to suggest we are scum on the Earth is totally ignorant and misleading. Of all of the countries on the Earth, we are the least racist, most multi-ethnic, equality-driven country in the world. We are the most free of any people, have the best economy, and are living in the best of health. We pollute so much less than other nations, and lead the globe against terror, pollution, and socialism. This article is nonsense!

on Dec. 6 2019 at 1:50 pm
SolInvictus76, Leavenworth, Indiana
0 articles 0 photos 70 comments
This is shameful!

on Dec. 6 2019 at 1:48 pm
SolInvictus76, Leavenworth, Indiana
0 articles 0 photos 70 comments
To suggest that our country, of all others, is a hateful, greedy country full of racists and bigots is just crazy! If we're so bad, how did you ever get the opportunity to ever share this? If we're so bad, how did an African American man not just win the presidency, but win by a landslide and then get reelected the next election cycle? If any country on this planet is greedy, it's got to be China. A truly imperialist country run by militant warlords. They look at western society and they look at you and they see scum. What is especially sad about this is most of the Chinese citizens are against there leaders on most issues. Hong Kongers for example, see America not as a precedent for every greedy society. They look at us and see the greatest country that this world has ever known. Oh, and by the way, China produces much more carbon emissions than America does. But, no, America is to blame. Not the nice, selfless, Communists, who are today killing Millions and shipping millions to "re-education" camps. No, that could NEVER be! It's the greedy selfish, white, capitalist pigs of America.

zoeyu BRONZE said...
on Jun. 9 2019 at 10:52 pm
zoeyu BRONZE, Conroe, Texas
3 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder." - Rumi

Although America is not perfect - no country is - we should all be grateful for the opportunities and privileges this country has given us. Take this article, for example. In a different country, you may have not been able to publish this and voice your opinion. Although it is important to recognize the faults of this country, it is equally important to strive towards initiating positive change.

Robert214 GOLD said...
on Jun. 7 2019 at 9:52 am
Robert214 GOLD, Guangzhou, Other
11 articles 0 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
Make the best of what is within our power, and take the rest as it occurs. -Epictetus

Very good points! America should no longer lead the world in many aspects...

on May. 11 2019 at 4:34 pm
22rbhattacharyya GOLD, State College, Pennsylvania
18 articles 2 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken -Orson Scott Card

If you hate America so much, why don't you go to Venezuela, a beautiful socialist welfare state?
Oh yeah, cause then if you complain about Venezuela you go to jail.

on Feb. 5 2019 at 1:54 pm
delaneyjanz BRONZE, Fort Smith, Arkansas
1 article 0 photos 2 comments
As most people are saying, yeah America is not perfect...nowhere is. This writing focuses solely on the bad things in America, even dramatisizing. While I do not agree with many things happening within the US, you cannot focus only on the negative. This is an unfair bias towards this nation.

WK9232015 GOLD said...
on Oct. 5 2018 at 8:23 pm
WK9232015 GOLD, Amherst, Massachusetts
10 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
Never underestimate a well read woman

I agree that America isn't perfect, but what country is? I do agree that we should look at the hard truth though, even if it isn't pretty.

on Feb. 26 2018 at 2:23 am
JacobLindland SILVER, Dulles, Virginia
9 articles 0 photos 1 comment
Interesting, you do have a point...

Trump will crush america like his own dreams.\

on Nov. 29 2017 at 10:07 am
22rbhattacharyya GOLD, State College, Pennsylvania
18 articles 2 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken -Orson Scott Card

I am a proud American and you just wrecked yourself even if you do not support our country you can shut up and stop spewing hatred like you guys think rednecks do about racism You might not like our country but it is your duty to defend the flag, the COnstitution and our military

Locke9 BRONZE said...
on Sep. 17 2017 at 11:34 am
Locke9 BRONZE, Scottsdale, Arizona
1 article 0 photos 4 comments
I think your forgetting the fact that the world isn't fair. America is grounded on the belief that all people should be TREATED equally. But, in the end people aren't all identical, which means that people will never have the exact same amount of money or job security. It just can't happen, but Americans do the best we can to get close.