A Nail in the Coffin: An Open Letter to the People of America

As a Canadian, I grew up with great respect for America. Canada, for all its virtues and perhaps because of its small population, has historically been invisible on the world stage. America, by contrast, has been a rare defender of common human values in the world. I, and many other world citizens, have counted on America as a beacon of righteousness in a tumultuous world.

But that America seems to be disappearing. I was always surprised that the richest country in the world should treat its most unfortunate citizens so shabbily. Unlike the rest of the Western world, America has not provided decent support to its poor, or provided a minimum standard of universal health care to everyone, or provided good, unbiased education for every resident. Shocking though that heartlessness may have been, an attempt was finally made recently to improve on that health care situation. But the election of Donald Trump, with his unconscionable quest to take away minimal health care from the neediest among you, has been the last nail in the coffin of an already dying American compassion-ism.

Think about his approach so far: heartless attacks on basic health care for those who cannot afford it; unequivocal racism, including support of those who march with Nazis; uncountable lies that have been repeatedly proven as such by third parties.

I and, I suspect, much of the rest of the world do not understand how Americans can sit idly by and accept this sort of behavior. Because of your current President, America has lost the last remnants of its moral authority. Moreover, the rest of the world is not going to accept unilateral attacks against it, like Mr Trump’s attacks against mutually-agreed trade agreements. His rabid anti-global stance may well encourage a free trade deal between all Western countries that would exclude America and its companies. And what if America were to be evicted from its European military bases, paving the way for a new pan-European armed forces? Many countries, including America, fought two world wars to prevent such a military build-up in Europe. Such a reversion would be a catastrophe for the world and an insult to the memories of all those brave soldiers who gave their lives to protect our freedoms.

Please, please America. Get back to the great country you used to be. Support your citizens. Unequivocally reject racism and violence. Return again to be a beacon of hope, goodness and justice for the rest of the world. The world will welcome you back if you can find your way. (But you will need to do it soon.)

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