POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN IN THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
An American by birth and a Canadian by choice, I have lived half my sixty-odd years within the U.S. and half outside.
America, as distinguished American historian Page Smith said, is 'schizophrenic.' Ambivalent would have been a better, more accurate word, but 'schizophrenia' as it used to be used communicates the idea.
Yes, Americans are often very friendly day-to-day within the country, but it is equally true that Americans are among the most arrogant and unpleasant people in many of their relationships.
Which face of America you are shown depends completely on the nature of your relationship. If you are a decent middle-class person, without any views or beliefs outside the accepted norm, you will be greeted with friendly behavior.
You will receive an entirely different reception if you are an immigrant with even a word of criticism of your new land. You will receive a less than enthusiastic welcome in many cases if you are a refugee. You will be widely hated if you are an illegal migrant, such as the poor Mexicans who do much of the hard work of American agriculture. As a convict you will be deprived of the right even to vote, and in many cases this will continue after you serve your sentence.
Anyone who has even belonged to a communist-like organization is not allowed to immigrate. As a migrant, you will not be called an immigrant but an 'alien.' If you do not take up your formal American citizenship in a timely fashion, you will be treated with resentment.
Americans see nothing wrong with signing treaties - whether trade or other international relations - and then violating them if it is in their momentary interest. They do this many, many times.
As anyone who deeply knows America understands, there is a great deal of anger in the country. This anger won't be seen in a normal business or office relationship, but it shows up in many other situations.
I think it has a lot to do with the Social Darwinism that characterizes much of American society. Probably the heavy influence of Puritanism plays a role with a bad gene pool. It is easy to observe many angry people on the streets of any American city. You will also see that anger in city police, in government bureaucracies, and in border guards.
The anger is also seen in a truly ugly national politics. Just look at how the Clintons were treated. Listen to the vicious commentators who fill the air-waves with genuine hate and anger. Look at the assassinations of national figures. Or look at the well-documented brutality of American police.
