5 reasons why America is great

It’s been a long time coming but Election 2016 is almost over. It’s not always been that pleasant to watch democracy in action over the past months, so we thought we’d just take a moment to remind ourselves of a few things that make America great.

1. Americans are great

He’s holding the stars and stripes so we’re assuming he’s American.

Yes, our cousins across the Pond may get a bad rap sometimes what with apparently not knowing how to queue, being frustratingly happy and healthy all the time and, yes, quite (very) loud, but we really wouldn’t have them any other way. Anyone who has ever visited the USA can testify that there’s something truly uplifting about the American sensibility. At first, we Brits may dismiss the over-enthusiastic greetings as part of the constant (and at times entirely unfathomable) tipping-dance, but after a while you come to realise there’s something else going on. As an immigrant nation, the vast majority of the country is intrinsically welcoming and hospitable to newcomers and visitors, even those they kicked out because they don’t like tea. Be warned though, the American spirit is highly contagious.  Spending as little as a week in the USA can have a dangerous effect on a Brit’s personality. You know you are in trouble when on arriving back in the country you bound up to Passport Control sporting a mile-wide toothy-grin and declare “Good morning! How’s your day going?” Luckily, the impassive face and single raised eyebrow which your greeting is met with will have you back to yourself in no time.

 

2. The food is great

The burger. Probably an artisan one that costs more than most people earn in a day.

We love food. America loves food. Ergo, we love America. Seriously, the plethora of dishes to be found across the US is a major factor contributing to its greatness. In fact, you probably couldn’t find a better metaphor for the nation than the melting pot that is its cuisine. Burgers (obvs), cheese-steaks, soul food, tacos, gumbo, pizza, ‘slaw, BBQ, hot dogs, sandwiches, pies, burritos (THANK YOU), meatloaf, waffles, Reubens, mac and cheese, lobster rolls, cronuts, peanut butter and jelly, Southern fried whatever – the states are united in the deliciousness of their diversity. They even like salads over on the West Coast, if you’re into them. One quick point though – American Cheese isn’t a thing. Sometimes friends just need to tell friends the truth, ok?

 

3. The First Amendment is pretty great

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Top of the amendment pops, the First Amendment is the one which perhaps has come to define the idea of America in the minds of the rest of the world. It guarantees freedom: freedom of speech, of faith, of protest and of the press. As such, the First Amendment is the life-blood of the nation, the starting point for the country’s achievements, its failures, happiness, and horrors. It is the sentence which gave birth to both the American Dream and the Second Amendment. But what makes it so great, so powerful and inspiring, is that much like the Declaration of Independence, it is a startlingly simple message which can be easily and immediately understood and disseminated. For a nation to make such a promise to its citizens was unheard of at the time, and no wonder it made people want to become a part of the experiment.

However… What’s with all these amendments? Next time, maybe just take a little longer on the draft so you don’t need to go back afterwards adding bits. Again, love you lots.

 

4. The music is definitely great

A man with a guitar on a road, symbolising the entirety of America’s contribution to music. Look, it’s hard to find suitable photos sometimes, ok?

OK, remember when we said that food was the ultimate example of America’s diversity? Well, so is music. They’re equally ultimate. Roll with it. The thing with America, and it’s a good thing, is that it is young. It’s basically a teenager on the world stage and, as we all know, teenagers have the most fun even though they don’t deserve to. Unlike the rest of us who are set in our ways, they are open to trying things out, to challenging the status quo, mixing things up and seeing what new stuff they can create. Aretha Franklin, Gershwin, Guthrie, Beyonce, Bernstein, Dylan, James Brown, Philip Glass, Sinatra, Patti Smith, Michael Jackson, The Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash – America has given so much music to the world it would take an age to list it all. That same hope, the freedom to try new things, to rebel, to be angry and protest are all there in the music. No visit to the USA is complete without taking in a little live music – in many ways it is the fastest route to understanding the place – and its certainly something we think contributes to the nation’s greatness.

 

5. Choice is really great, and so is change

Her arm must *really* hurt.

This is something we really do admire in America – its capacity for change, something one might think having a written constitution might restrict, but since that constitution has the concept of choice baked into it is perhaps inevitable. Not to blather on about the county’s relative youth, but just think of all the choices it has been faced with and the changes it has been through in such a short space of time: from colony to independence; from united to divided states, and back again; from slavery to emancipation; repression to civil rights; from potentially endless to fixed term presidencies; from migrant hub to isolationism, to advocates of freedom and democracy in the modern world. This is not to say that all choices made and their subsequent changes have been good ones, or that all actions undertaken by the super-power have been true and just, but rather that America and Americans have a tremendous capacity to effect change, over and over again. These days the choices they make have the potential to change the entire world, like it or not. But the very fact that millions of people across its vastness can have their voice heard and change the entire direction of their government every four years, should they wish to, is something truly great. For those who disagree with the outcome, well, they have the right to up-end the whole thing in just four more years.

However America changes in the time between today’s election and the next one, the country will remain a great place to visit for all the reasons we’ve listed and many, many more. Though, personally, we wouldn’t want to live there. You guys really have no idea when it comes to tea. Lipton it is not. Get that sorted and we’ll reconsider. You’re not busy today are you?

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *