Trailing the world in humanity
Tidings Editorial
Well, at least we made the top 100.
In a the first ever of its kind, a new report on a Global Peace Index rated 121 countries according to their general peacefulness. As one might expect, the United States did not fair very well, barely breaking into the top 100 at No. 96.
"The Global Peace Index studied 121 countries from Algeria to Zimbabwe and its publication comes one week before the leaders of the world's richest countries gather for the G8 summit in Germany to discuss issues of global concern," a release states.
One would hope this is useful information, as the appalling rate people continue to kill each other would seem to be among the pressing issues of "global concern."
According to the release, the scale measured, "countries' peacefulness based on wide range of indicators — 24 in all — including ease of access to 'weapons of minor destruction' (guns, small explosives), military expenditure, local corruption, and the level of respect for human rights."
While it is not realistic to expect the world's preeminent superpower to lead the way on such an index, or even break the top 25, the fact that the United States ranks among the most violent nations of the world should at least give even the most ardent patriots among us pause.
Democracy and freedom are embedded in our country's core beliefs. Defense of those values have at times led the United States into war. But too often where the purpose is less clear, our propensity toward violence has hammered away at these cornerstone values revealing a measure of hypocrisy and violence that lowers our moral authority in the world.
We don't need a peace index to point out that despite the rhetoric of this administration touting freedom and democracy, this war is an terribly unpopular one around the world that is widely discredited among even staunch U.S. allies.
It is often said that true patriotism requires loyal obedience to our country's leaders. But true patriotism stemming from a deep and abiding love for the fundamental principles of American civics demands we rethink our current place in the world and the violence we inflict on it. Patriotism values this country and insists we hold our public leaders in account. Patriotism blanches with shame at reports of American torture. Patriotism is emboldened in defense of human rights, those same rights our own Thomas Jefferson wrote about at the start of this all.
A true patriot reads this score and pauses. Somehow we must rethink all of this, admit failure and move in a new direction. Because we only have to look down one rank, to the country that holds No. 97 on this list, to foretell the deaths of many patriots without a change.
No. 97 is Iran.
