USA

And this is certainly a wonderful place for a journey.

If you’re looking for America, you might want to start somewhere in the middle – in the heartland’s undulating fields of grain, among the soaring Rocky Mountains or under the endless sky of the Southwest desert, its vast expanse changing color with each subtle shift of the sun. Or you could go south, into the velvet heat of the Carolinas or Mississippi, toward the wondrous wetlands of the Florida Everglades or the dusty dream-catcher towns of New Mexico. And then there are the salty coasts. New Jersey, Maine or Oregon – lands of lighthouses and dune grass. And don’t forget the cities. Brash New York, surreal Las Vegas, earthy San Francisco, indie-rock Austin, strong-willed New Orleans – each like a microcountry of its own.

But what might you find there, beyond the pulsing nightlife and awesome landscapes? That is a whole other story indeed – one with chapters on race, religion, class, sexuality and, of course, politics. It is the story of the USA experience, and it’s never simple. Don’t be frightened though; while CNN segments may paint Americans as a constantly bickering family of folks who love to hate each other, it’s certainly not quite that bad.

Not always, at least.

This country has a tendency to feel divided and divisive to be sure. A certain raw extremism pulls at national debates, and centrist efforts at compromise are often drowned out by those who choose sides, plug their ears and start shouting. And our commander in chief has been chief flame fanner when it comes to partisan discord – on a vast array of topics.

The Democrats may have taken control of both houses of the US Congress as of 2007, but the legislators proved themselves less than aggressive when it came to counteracting Bush’s moves. The president is nothing if not stubborn – refusing to adhere to a timetable when it comes to pulling out of ill-fated Iraq, promising to veto any Democratic domestic spending bill deemed too high, even rejecting a European proposal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050 at a 2007 summit, stunning fellow negotiators and infuriating environmentalists everywhere.

It’s this last topic, that of saving the Earth, that has gotten some Americans as hot as the planet lately. While many are slow to catch on – still believing that global warming is liberal conspiracy and proudly driving SUVs or refusing to recycle or even (gasp!) littering – there are plenty of Prius-owning, organic-eating, solar-panel–using folks who have had enough of the country’s wasteful ways. That may be, of course, because it’s trendy to be ‘green’ right now – witness the major boom in green building, worship of mega organic chain store Whole Foods and farmers markets, and locally-grown items on restaurant menus, at least in cities and towns deemed ‘progressive.’

But whatever the reason behind the greening of America, at least something is beginning to shift. Many people credit former Vice President Al Gore with setting off the growing interest; his film An Inconvenient Truth stunned audiences and even snagged a couple of Academy Awards, and now everyone from Madonna (who headlined at the 2007 multi-city Live Earth benefit concert) to Leonardo DiCaprio (who has his very own ‘Eco-Site, ’ complete with environmental mini-movies) are getting in on the action. And that can only be a hopeful thing in a country where so many folks are obsessed with monitoring – and trying to emulate – celebrities and their every little move.

The most prominent celebs lately have been the 2008 candidates for US president. The fuss started way in advance, with New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announcing her run back in January 2007, followed by the long-anticipated declaration from Illinois Senator Barack Obama and the addition of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani – an announcement that had New Yorkers thrilling over the possible public boxing match between two of their own. While much of the most obsessive interest lay in the battle between Clinton and Obama (the question of ‘who will get elected first: a white woman or a black man?’ has long intrigued Americans), curious eyes were also on Giuliani because of the Republican’s early stance against outlawing abortion – a thorny, antiquated topic in this country that just won’t go away.

The crux of that ongoing argument – when does life begin? – is generated by the same aspect that shapes many other conflicts in this country: religion. Generally, that means the belief system of the religious right, fueling its ever-growing hybrid of faith-based politics. It’s displayed in a flagrant disregard for the ‘separation of church and state’ mandate (in the Constitution) when leaders invoke ‘God, ’ ‘the Bible’ and other church-related topics often right on House or Senate floor.

Another issue that, like abortion, gets caught in this web is that of gay rights, specifically same-sex marriage. The notion has been played out in various states, and while a handful now permit civil unions for gay couples, many specifically ban it – just like the country does as a whole with its Defense of Marriage Act. Signed into law by President Bill Clinton back in 1996, it ensures that no gay marriage (legal only in the state of Massachusetts) will ever be honored on a federal level.

Of course the major source of consternation in recent years has been the war in Iraq, which began in spring 2003 as a centerpiece of President Bush’s war on terrorism in the wake of September 11. Citing US intelligence that Iraq had assisted those terrorists and was in possession of ‘weapons of mass destruction, ’ Bush launched a preemptive attack and took over the country. Neither of his charges turned out to be true, but some Americans still believe that doesn’t matter, and relish the fact that a Middle East dictator has been toppled and replaced with a nascent, democratically elected Iraqi government. But criticism of how the Bush administration is conducting the war has risen as quickly as the number of US casualties.

At the time of writing, polls showed about 56% of Americans considered the war to be a mistake – and only 33%, not coincidentally, approved of Bush’s job in office. Also at that time, the USA had spent $442 billion on the war and had around 160, 000 troops stationed in Iraq, and the number of US deaths was over 3600. Iraqi civilian deaths were estimated at over 67, 000, but most likely are much higher. As fighting continued, the Bush administration was trying to create a viable military exit strategy while avoiding putting a timetable on the process. Democrats and even some Republicans had begun to seriously challenge that stance in mid- 2007, but it remained to be seen who would win in the end. But with just over a year left in office to clean up the mess, it certainly wouldn’t be our Commander in Chief.

Bush really hasn’t done much when it comes to breaking down the preconceived notions of Americans as greedy, myopic, pompous cretins. The president had never even been to Europe before taking office, his disregard for immigrants has been shocking and the lengths he’s been willing to go for oil seem boundless. Still, it makes an odd sort of sense, and here’s why: the United States of America is essentially a series of miraculous dichotomies, each helping its seeming opposite to thrive. It’s a place where people embrace the technology of heart transplants with the same enthusiasm as yoga, a land where the nation’s richest folks live among some of the poorest. Americans are diehard traditionalists – flocking to old-fashioned state fairs and barbecues and cotillions, and feeling in love with all forms of nostalgia – and yet they always keep an eye on the future and the cutting edge, glomming onto concepts like space travel and virtual reality and IVF babies with adventurous spirit. The people of this country can come across as America-centric, caring about nothing but their cars and clothes and images. But spend some time here as a foreigner who easily piques the interest of locals and you’ll quickly see how curious, soulful and open-minded they can be.

The sum of this country’s parts is indeed much greater than any politics or policies. And that’s an important point to keep in mind when grappling with yet another political flashpoint in this country: immigration, especially the undocumented sort, which has been fueling what some see as a thinly veiled excuse for xenophobic, racist discussions. The Bush administration initially pledged to increase US-Mexican border security, but hasn’t funded it, and has turned a blind eye to businesses that hire illegal immigrants. In mid-2007, the controversial Immigration Reform Bill – which aimed, among other goals, to allow undocumented residents to apply for citizenship – died in the Senate. It was a disappointing failure not only for Bush and for legislators, but for the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the USA, separated from families back home and working two, sometimes three, jobs to support them. Now a plan to build a reinforced fence all along the border has growing support among legislators, making it a shockingly real possibility.

It’s all pretty ironic, considering this country’s unwavering image as the great melting pot of the world. And while it would be too simple to dismiss the whole mess as just another dichotomy, it would not be so far from the truth. Because this is a country founded on the concept of immigration – of foreigners, with differences, coming together and living as a single nation. And despite all the bickering and hypocrisy and complex human emotions that drive both the good and the bad here, this is still a place that is incredibly diverse and desirable and passionate and gorgeous and, in endless cases, welcoming, in spite of itself. It’s part of the great yin-yang that is the US of A. Come in, explore, see all sides for yourself. When it comes to presenting new perspectives, this country will not disappoint.

Travel Alert: Restrictions on airline carry-on baggage are in place throughout the US. For details check the Transport Security Administration website.

Last updated: Nov 20, 2008