America: A Contradiction

Many people immigrate to the United States because they believe that it is better than their native country. In fact, many people believe that the United States id the best country in the world. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness; these are the self-evident truths that act as the backbone for the United States. There are few countries that have the luxury of living in a society in which they believe in inalienable rights and those rights are protected. This is one of the reasons that many people from other countries decide to make the large commute to the United States. This country is known as the land of opportunity, which I suppose is true, but it all depends on the person. Some may even consider the United States to be the best country in the world. Every nation has its own share of problems and the U.S is no exception. With that being said, I do not believe that the United States is the best country in the world because it does not fully exemplify what it represents which is equality for all and the power of the people.

Although America constantly includes the ideas from John Locke, who believed in rights and equality for all man, this country does not actually believe this to be true. An example would be the on going battle of homosexuality. Many same sex couples cannot reap legal benefits that a heterosexual couple would, through marriage. If America is supposed to be the land of equality, why is that those who are different are constantly being ridiculed and not given the same rights as everyone else? Personally, I do not see the harm in same sex marriage. A person has the right to love and marry whom ever they feel is best suited for them. Some have even pushed the issue of adding the restriction of homosexual marriage, into the Constitution. If this does occur, than it will only further represent how much this nation contradicts itself.

I personally believe that the most powerful force in any country is not the government, but its people. Citizens of a nation do not realize how powerful their voice can be as a whole. With this in mind, the government looks for ways to limit the rights of the common man, mainly through politics. For example, Americans do not directly elect the president. Each state has a certain amount of representatives; depending on how large the state is, to decide who they feel is the better candidate. This is the Electoral College System and it is a form of indirect democracy. This limits the voice and power of the people and no matter whom the representatives elect, they will never fully represent American citizens. The Electoral College also makes many of the elections appear to be more corrupt, considering that these representatives can and most likely do accept bribes from the candidates. If the people had direct democracy, I believe that this country would not be in the position that it is in now. Yes, Americans do have a pretty large voice, compared to other countries. But, as time progresses, it is beginning to subside.

The United States is a land of opportunities and is pretty advanced, in comparison to other nations. However, like everything in life, it does have its flaws. I do believe that America is better than some countries, as far as politics go, but it is extremely bold to say that this is the best country in the world. America has a habit of contradicting itself. This country does not fully exemplify the rights of the people and equality for all. Ironically, those are the two aspects that this country takes pride in.