Breeze Perspectives: So I'm an ugly American—So what?
By Garrett Hooe, contributing writer
Posted on April 24, 2006

So I sat here wondering what in the heck I would write about for my last column in The Breeze. Being able to write to other students of this school has been a privilege, and for those who have had the patience (or simply the lack of anything else to do) to read what I have written, thank you. Occasionally, especially when you are a college student, it is difficult to remember that there is a world of 6 billion people out there. We have heard it all before, but sometime we are going to have to answer when the real world comes knocking at our door. Much of what I have written was thought of on a Friday or Saturday morning after a solid night of partying. The college bubble is a prized one, I know.

But if I could pick any place to enter the real world in, it would be in this country. Being an American is different than any other being a citizen of any other country. Other nationalisms are based on ethnicity, religion, language and geography. Being an American? You can be anyone, worship anything, speak any language you want and be from pretty much anywhere. Despite not having mandatory military service like many other nations, we have the best armed services in the world. And it’s not even close — the two largest air forces in the world are the Air Force and the Navy. Technologically, we are years ahead of our allies and decades ahead of our enemies.

Americans, despite what other nations may contend, know what will work. Up until 200 years ago, mankind had never devised a system of government that has proven to be as effective as ours, although Athens came close. Then our founding fathers, and generally all of our elected representatives since, come along and tell the world what is really up. Yeah, of course this may change in the future, and as long as John Kerry attempts to speak for Democrats, the other political party doesn’t look so good, but don’t think for a minute that an American wouldn’t enjoy being on top.

Enron and Worldcom aside, our business and manufacturing is as good as anyone. Heck, the world admits that we carried the global economy for much of the previous century and all of the current one. When other nations want to spend their money, they come to us.

As good as we are with our minds, we have proven that we can be just as good with our physical talent. Athletes from across the world come to train in the United States, and the general population (by that I mean JMU girls) understands the importance of exercise. Olympic dominance is expected, and if we fall short in an event, well, who really cares about that sport anyway.

There are so many things that America, and Americans, do well, I couldn’t possibly mention them all. These feelings — and expression of them —  are widely known as ugly Americanism. That’s fine. I’ll take ugly Americanism over cute Europeanism, or whatever they call themselves.

At this point there is usually some larger idea or bigger picture that I get at. This time, my nationality stands for itself.

Garrett Hooe is a senior political science major.