America the Great

If you have seen me discuss the United Nations security council or hang out with Mari and friends discussing "the Americans" you might be surprised by the positive tone of this post's title: America The Great. I don't mean America Ferrera, though she is great too, but this very country that I love to hate and, given I have been here for 7 years, love to live in.
I have been comfortable with my hypocrisy. Yes, I live here. Yes, I have married an American and will happily bear his 4th of July celebrating offspring. But I will argue with anyone - be it a professor, activist, a real state developer or an 8 year old - that this is NOT the greatest country on earth. Like any IR major I can sustain this argument long enough to tire the other person out (except if they happen to be a somewhat competent PolSci major).
I will argue about America's consumerist frenzy. I will argue about America's cheating in foreign relations. I will bring up how the World Bank and IMF were formed. How wrong American economists always are. Most of all I will bring up America's hypocrisy. What is it about spreading democracy by sponsoring coups on democratically elected leaders, and financing war lords and dictators? What the fuck is up with the richest country not having universal health care and being populated by 15 year olds who cannot read? Then I will bring up hypocrisy again. Hypocrisy is a reoccurring theme in looking at America's history and path as a country.
This is why I am so comfortable here.
I too, have learned to embrace my hypocrisy. America and I have a lot in common.
If I say: Yes, they were made in sweatshops. Yes, I know how badly they treat their workers. And Yes, I purchased them because i need something to run with. America says: Yes, we know he is a dictator. Yes, we started giving him money again. Yes, we will support him because we need something to run with in the Middle-East.
If I say: Yes, I know cigarettes are bad for me. Yes, I understand that they are bad for you too (pufffffff). No, I will not quit because it will cause me a temporary discomfort. America says: Yes, we understand that the farm subsidies do us a lot harm. Yes, we understand that it's probably doing the most harm to the poorest people. No, we will not stop them because it will cause us temporary loss of votes and heart attacks to over weight white males in the farm lobby.
I didn't always think like this. Cognitive dissonance gave me a lot of comfort and I have for long lied to myself. But last Saturday I went to Santa Cruz board walk, and there I witnessed America at it's best. There was something comforting about the 2 dollar fried cheese cake on a stick. There is something warming about a Chinese family wrestling an Indian family to the air hockey table. It was splendid to realize that the guys in front of me in the Churro's line actually works as a janitor at the board walk and can afford to take his family to the board walk.
I realized the beauty of consumerism which has made this country so abundant that even the homeless here are better off than construction workers in Brazil. The greed which made all those people give loans to people who could never afford homes and refinance houses based on exaggerated values so families could go on Caribbean cruises.
No, it is not the greatest. No, I will not start shopping (and admit to it) at Wallmart. And I will not eat McDonald's (only if I am really really desperate or drunk). But I will admit that with all the craziness any country in which you can see families of all colors and creeds standing on a 5 $ Churro line is great in my book.