The U.S and Us

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The U.S. and us, is quite wide, like the horizon. 

The ‘us’ could be Canada, which has the fortune or misfortune of sharing borders with the U.S.  The ‘us’ could be countries like Philippines forced to tolerate U.S. troops because of World War 11 agreements.  The ‘us’ could be Germany, that was punished by allies for Hitler and the war.
Photo: Nonqaba waka Msimang.
The ‘us’ could be personal decisions to go to the U.S. because of the belief that it is the ideal destination for academic, economic and cultural advancement. Anyone who has lived in Commonwealth countries, or South America is familiar with long lines snaking U.S. embassies as travellers looking for visas, wait patiently for gates to open for business.

 Security is very tight in U.S. embassies because of foreigners’ love hate relationship with America, long before President Trump.  The U.S. might be the embodiment of everything they detest, but that doesn’t stop them from wanting to go there. 

Some go to America for the wrong reasons, like 9/11 (September 11, 2001), when the World Trade Centre went up in smoke, debunking the belief that the U.S. is immune to terrorist attacks.  Others go there for academic reasons, to get hold of state of the art laboratories or research material. 
The perception that U.S. colleges are superior overlooks the fact that they offer different products.  Some offer lower quality education, while some are centres of excellence.
Other foreigners go to the U.S. to have a better life offered by the dollar, because their local currency is inferior to the dollar, overlooking the truth that they can only attain a better life in the U.S. if they have legal immigrant status, live above ground and do not hide every time they hear a police siren.  If they don’t have that status, they might become slaves in family restaurants, places or worship and Trump’s vicissitudes.

The U.S. Supreme Court backed the president and stayed his travel ban for people born in Chad, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Syria in December 2017.
The U.S. is the land of milk and honey.  No.  It is personal and confidential.  Leaving one’s country for the U.S. might be a downgrade, whether Donald Trump is in the White House or not.

By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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