PROMETHEAN ANTAGONIST

A recent opinion poll in Canada, commissioned by several Canadian newspapers found that forty percent of Canadian youths “think” (it may be more accurate to say “feel”) that their neighbor to the south -- the U.S. -- is “evil.” Now, there's a novel accusation in philosophically trendy times. What's strange about this perception is that Canada and the U.S. share the longest peaceful border in the world. Are these youths cowering in fear that they may be attacked by the U.S.? After all, the U.S. has a reputation for aggression against docile, and innocent democratic states, doesn't it? America has indeed "victimized" Nazis, Militarists, Communists, and lately, Islamo-fascists. Why not farmers and office workers in Canada too?

Of course, results in the Canadian poll are little different than what one might find in Europe or other Western countries. It is in such relatively free and affluent systems that citizens have enough spare time to despise their own middle class lifestyle and the free exchange of goods and services that permit their historically unusual circumstance. Such political sentiments are easily extrapolated to hating the current symbol of all this bourgeosie progress.

And there was, of course, Iraq. After international media and a host of Leftist authors (i.e. Michael Moore) were finished touting their cliché line, America become an obvious force of evil for having removed one of the most authoritarian regimes in existence. Iraq has become a mere centerpiece in a tirade regarding the evil found in all aspects of American society and culture.

Surely, If some Canadian youth don't like American movies, they shouldn't watch them. If they don't like American music, they shouldn't listen to it. If they don't like American fast food outlets (owned and staffed by their own citizens), they should certainly eat elsewhere. So, what exactly has come from America and imposed itself on Canadians against their will?

With all the slack being cut of late for ruthless totalitarian regimes and terrorist Islamo-fascism, I have to wonder why the word evil is so readily applied to the country of Disney and Thomas Edison.

Probably a good portion of the world's population now hope for the eventual defeat and decline of America and its style of government (self-government) so that others can assume the role of "evil" hegemon. Since evil can often incarnate in varieties of style and intensity, those horrified youths’s who have been duped by public schools and media might consider more caution in what they wish for. There’s certainly greater and more evil threats than those that exist on the longest peaceful border in the world.