G-d Bless America

A little pet peeve...ok this is going to turn into a rant. As my lecturer insinuated today, I have an accent, however what he was wrong about was the source of my accent. I hate it when people think that I am American, and not because I hate America, rather because I don't like it that people are unable to expand their minds to consider that perhaps there are other English speaking countries that people might potentially come from.

Yeah I know it is the most powerful country in the world, however this doesn't mean that it should be the default standard for the world. I don't like it, how it appears here in Israel, to be the number one comparison for the Western world. "Well in America....", a statement mostly made by non-Americans. There is an invisible pedestal somewhere here that has infiltrated Israeli society and placed America 'up there'. America is the benchmark, it is the Mr Jones, it is the place that Israeli's stereotype as being Rich, wealthy, bountiful and full of opportunities - in short - The Promised Land.

Maybe it's because there is a lot of American support, maybe it's because NY is only 10 hours away and there are a lot of Americn Tourists, maybe it's because a lot of investments, charity and aid comes from America, maybe it's purely because the American presence here, maybe it's because of TV - the drug of a nation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgOWTM5R2DA.

Sitting in classes, I am learning about the state of health here and around the world. Again, America is the comparison. From what I can make out about their Medicare/ Medicare Aid or what ever and England's NHS, I really dont understand why the Australian health care system is never mentioned, because despite it's own faults, at least everyone is entitled to basic cover, it sounds so much better....but...."In America....". Then the lecturer breaks out into Canadian jokes, because I guess if you are not from America, like him, you must be from Canada and that is truly 2nd class. I seriously wonder if he could even pin point Australia on a map.

I said to a class mate of mine, I think that if everyone knew how things were done in Australia there would be this mass migration there, to which her response was 'yeah, but it's at the end of the world.". I guess so. The world's best kept secret.... the thing is though, she sort of keeps it that way. Tucked in there Down Under, not really making a noise, maybe that sunburnt country is best left alone, untouched and America can have all the glory and criticism.

I just find it interesting, the sweeping statements often made by people who are trying to compare Israel with the rest of the world, but what comes out is 'America'.
I might just have to go and visit to see what all this fuss is about...that's right...nearly 28 years without ever visiting "The City", to most people here that statement sounds like I come from some back end of Asia...oh yeah...I do.