美国在我心里崩塌
美国长大，我(和所有美国人一样)一直被灌输美国例外论。尽管我就读于美国最好的学校之一，但我上的任何一门课都没有对美国及其独特的新自由资本主义和民主国家在世界各地利大于弊的观点提出实质性的挑战。对我来说，当我开始了解和探访那些至今仍能感受到美帝主义影响的国家时，对伟大的美帝主义这个核心信念终于破灭了。
例如，几年前我访问韩国梨泰院地区时（韩国万圣节踩踏事故那个区域），我对大量美国士兵的存在感到震惊。这些士兵身穿军装，驻扎在附近的美军基地龙山基地。尽管这些士兵像往常一样过着他们的日子，但他们出现在本来应只属于韩国人的环境中，这鲜明的象征不断地提醒人们，美国有能力把自己的意志强加给敌人——以及“朋友”。事实上，这个军事基地只是美国在80个国家持续运作的750多个基地之一!
我的埃及之行是另一次颠覆我对美国印象的经历。在我计划行程的过程中，我得知东部地区(靠近加沙地带)持续的暴力活动使该国许多地区日常市民和旅客无法进入，我深感悲痛。共和党人和民主党人对以色列的坚定支持公然与美国所谓的对人权的承诺相矛盾，出于某种原因，这种承诺似乎并没有延伸到巴勒斯坦人。即使在国会中对巴勒斯坦表达最低限度的支持，也足以让几位进步派代表被谴责为反犹主义者。当我终于有机会旅访埃及时，脱离了书本和新闻，亲眼目睹了大多数公民的破旧生活条件时，我意识到美国(还有英国和法国)帝国主义的遗产是不可否认地存在。
今天的美国是一个大国(在强大的意义上)，但如果没有历史上曾经和正在进行的对较小国家的征服和侵入，它就不会接近今天的地位。没有埃及和巴勒斯坦，就没有美国。
是的，对美国的负面想法你们可能日常有很多，而同样也会来自于一个成长和生活在美国的我。
如果有兴趣，欢迎继续看以下链接：
美国人对“侮美”什么态度
KK.akida 原创，转载需联系授权，侵权行为将进行法律追究
作者：Kenton 常春藤达特茅斯大学，美国华裔
修译: Gemini K
Has the image of the United States ever collapsed in your mind, and if so, when, why and how?
Growing up in the U.S., I (along with all Americans) was fed a steady dose of American exceptionalism. Even though I attended some of the best schools in the nation, not a single class I took substantively challenged the idea that the U.S. and its particular brand of neoliberal capitalism and democratic nation-building have done more good than harm across the world. For me, this core belief was finally shattered when I started learning about and visiting countries where the impact of America’s imperialist projects can be felt to this day.
For instance, when I visited the Itaewon district in South Korea several years ago, I was struck by the heavy presence of American soldiers. Clad in military uniform, these soldiers were stationed at nearby Yongsan Garrison, a former U.S. military base that has since been relocated. Though the soldiers carried about their day as usual, their very presence in the midst of what would otherwise have been a typical scene in South Korea was a stark and constant reminder of America’s ability to impose its will on foes--as well as “friends.” In fact, that military base was just one of over 750 bases that the U.S. continually operates across 80 countries!
My trip to Egypt was another experience that subverted my image of the U.S. During my trip planning, I was deeply saddened to learn about the ongoing violence in the eastern region (due to its proximity to the Gaza Strip) that rendered many parts of the country inaccessible. Staunch support for Israel from both Republicans and Democrats alike blatantly contradicts the U.S.’s alleged commitment to human rights, which for some reason doesn’t seem to extend to Palestinians. Even voicing minimal support for Palestine in Congress was enough to cause several progressive representatives to be decried as anti-Semitic. And when I finally visited Egypt and witnessed firsthand the decrepit conditions under which most citizens live, I realized that the legacy of American (and also British and French) imperialism is undeniable.
The U.S. today is a great (in the sense of strong) power, but it wouldn’t be close to what it is today without its historical and ongoing subjugation of lesser powers. There is no U.S. without Egypt or Palestine.
