The ugliness of Americans in 19 short propositions

What is an American?

Hypotheses:

1. Does not know the difference between disagreement and violence.

2. Does not know the difference between friend and fellow citizen. Our language does not mark the difference, and his friends are acquaintances while there are no citizens, since there is no politics, only governance.

3. Identifies their nation's government with the will of God. (See no evil).

4. Prefers flattery to irony.

5. Thinks being political is a matter more of their own identity than the world's problems.

6. Isn't sure what he believes or why it's true, but is always certain that he or she is right.

7. Thinks of history as the nightmare their ancestors escaped in coming to our shores.

8. Will remind you that since it is a free country, the way things are is the way they must be, and you can fuck off.

9. Welcomes every kind of person as defined by Census categories, but tolerates no difference with regard to their values and mores.

10. Thinks what they believe is right and proper is a universal truth that everyone everywhere knows, including people like him or her who are not widely read, and have never learned a second language, nor traveled abroad.

11. Prefers knowing to thinking and never questions himself.

12. Thinks all problems are psychological. Especially if they are yours.

13. Understands that what people in authority say is true, and this is so because of their power, though it is because of the reasons they give for what they say and do.

14. Thinks the whole world speaks his language, and wants the things his government offers them on pain of sanctions for wanting something else.

15. Needs to know that you are on the same page, or to give you a head's up (look up here, this is what we say and do).

16. Always needs to be sure things are ok with you, because if you have a problem, he or she will have a problem, and yours will be its name.

17. Knows with certainty what he knows because of the intuition of common sense. And so has no need to think, and certainly will refuse argument.

18. Confuses winning or being successful with being right.

19. Knows, and how angrily, that his demographical group is oppressed by the others, especially yours.