Chile, the land of generosity; The United States, the land of narcissists

After the Chilean mine rescue, I wrote an article with how Chile came together and were behind the miners.  I also contrasted Chilean President Pinera's actions of a noble leader during the mine disaster with president Obama's pathetic photo ops during the gulf oil spill (See:  The Chilean mine rescue and the downfall of the United States) 

Now I want to mention how the rescued miners care and have concern about each other - something that would never happen now in the United States.  The thirty three miners hired an accountant and will pool all the earnings each of them earn for appearances, book deals, etc. and they are going to divide the money equally among themselves.¹  President Pinero was there while all the miners and rescue workers came out one by one.  He also visited the miners the next day in the hospital.  He really cares about them and was not just a brief photo op stunt.

In the United States, if  miners became trapped like the miners in Chile, this would not have happened.  The miners would still be deep in the earth as the president finger points and places blame on everyone else and congress debates the best methd in making an attempt at rescuing them -- after all the studies and impact statements, of course.  It would be left to the mine owner to come up with a plan and rescue the miners.

If this had happened in the United States, after the rescue each of the miners would clammer for the best deal they could get for themselves and would not care about any of the other miners that were trapped with them.  This country hs become one of narcissists, backbiters, and haters of everyone except self.  There is no teamwork or concern for others in the United States.  Even when people come together to work on a project, you can be sure that individually they care more for themself than they do the project.  This can be shown time after time after a contractor builds a project only to be discovered he used inferior materials to what was called for in the planning or contractors / employees that scam the people that hired them.^2,3,4 as well as be shown by the high crime rate and general lack of concern people show towards others.

In order to survive, the United States MUST come together and care for each other.  Other countries look at the United States as self centered narcissists because, for the most part, we are.  Americans will go to a muslim or Jewish country and demand pork even though it is offensive to those countries.  What is wrong with caring about others and not eat pork for a week or two?  Many Americans  appreciate the road signs in english in foreign countries yet they refuse to even consider having other languages on the signs in the United States that would help foreign tourists as well as new immigrants.

People in many other countries look out for one another and there is a sense of security.  The police and military are viewed as doing their jobs because they do not abuse their power as they do in the United States.  Leaving SeaTac for Israel in 2007, I saw people treated like trash at the security checkpoints by minimum wage TSA workers at SeaTac and Newark (and return through Dulles).  Going through some of the most secure checkpoints in the world - Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and the Taba border crossing between Israel and egypt - Everyone was treated with respect and the security personnel  were helpful while going through security and passport control crossing the borders.  (BTW, English was spoken better by airport workers at all the foreign airports I was at than in the United States airports)

In Vienna, Austria and Krakow, Poland as well as throughout Israel, everyone was so friendly and nice.  People were helpful even if there was a communication problem (I do not speak either German or Polish and only a little Hebrew)  All airports I was at (Vienna (twice), Krakow, Ben Gurion, Newark, Dulles, and SeaTac) The only rude airport workers were at the three American airports and the only unprofessional airport security - including customs - was at the three American Airports. By observation, most everyone had more hassles through U.S. security and customs than they had through any of the other airports or border crossings I was at (I also went through the Eilat Israel / Aqaba Jordan crossing on a tour to Petra)

Watching the Chilean miners' rescue and how their president cared about the people, how the people cared about their miners,  and how the miners care for one another brings back the memories of how America, the once great nation, once was.  Just ten years ago Americans showed care and concern for others.  What happened?

As I previously wrote about, much of the problem in the United states has to do with group narcissism and   (See: The narcissism epidemic, collective narcissism, and the "Terri is guilty" herd mentality  )  People no longer care about anyone except themselves.  Of course there are exceptions but they are becoming fewer and fewer as time passes.  I would like to say things will improve but it won't until we elect leaders that care about the people instead of how they can gain power and wealth for themselves.


1.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39682179/ns/world_news-americas/ 
2.  Judge defends decision in Big Dig sentencing
3. Military supplier admits defrauding U.S. Navy
4. Ex-principal pleads not guilty in $1M school scam