You know very well that many of your govt’s policies are flawed, unjust and causing conflict and resentment all over the world.Policies with respect to foreign policy… invading of countries, killing of countless innocent people, supporting criminal dictators who suppress their populations, meddling in other countries’ affairs, supporting states like Israel and Saudi Arabia, overall imperialistic attitude…
1)what have you done (and can you do) to press your government to change those policies?
2)are you satisfied with your efforts?
3)have your efforts yielded anything?
PS: Those who will answer with vote…republicans and democrats have followed largely similar foreign policy…the basics stay the same…we know both supported war on iraq and afghanistan, supporting israel and saudi arabia etc etc… so does voting really contribute towards any change in policy??
American citizens that you see here are mostly of Pakistani/Indian origin meaning they are only second class citizens and can do little to press their government.
I am an american citizen of pakistani origin but i am still a patriotic pakistani.
I will tell you about a scenario. If i am voting in an american election for one of 2 candidates, Candidate A and Candidate B.
Candidate A is good for America but bad for Pakistan, while Candidate B is bad for America but good for Pakistan. Then i will vote for Candidate B without any hesitation.
American citizens that you see here are mostly of Pakistani/Indian origin meaning they are only second class citizens and can do little to press their government.
lol I have never felt like a second-class citizen in this country.
1) Since college, probably not much, other than providing donations to good causes. But I think for a more specific reply, you need to be more specific about the kinds of policies you are referring to.
2) I don't know. I know I can do more, but I also know that there may be other things more pressing for me to address. Again, it depends on your topic.
3) Change in US policies? No. Encouraging more people in the US to help various causes outside the country? Yes.
I am an american citizen of pakistani origin but i am still a patriotic pakistani.
I will tell you about a scenario. If i am voting in an american election for one of 2 candidates, Candidate A and Candidate B.
Candidate A is good for America but bad for Pakistan, while Candidate B is bad for America but good for Pakistan. Then i will vote for Candidate B without any hesitation.
See this I don’t understand. You come to the states and get citizenship… Meaning you have some sort of attachment to the county you’re in. You live here, work here, eat here, sleep here. This is your home. Sure you’re from another country and you should want what’s best for your “mother land”… But you’d risk something bad happening to the place you reside just for the benefit of something that might or might not happen for a country you no long associate with, only by name?
Voting. Voicing my opinions. Networking and connecting with people who do have influence.
To some extent. There’s always better than can be done.
American citizens that you see here are mostly of Pakistani/Indian origin meaning they are only second class citizens and can do little to press their government.
I am an american citizen of pakistani origin but i am still a *patriotic pakistani. *
I will tell you about a scenario. If i am voting in an american election for one of 2 candidates, Candidate A and Candidate B.
Candidate A is good for America but bad for Pakistan, while Candidate B is bad for America but good for Pakistan. Then i will vote for Candidate B without any hesitation.
LOL
Openly trolling 'ghaznavi and 'maait''? ;)
maait! Your posts have been inflammatory and derogatory as well.
**
If you are a citizen of a country then you should vote for the candidate who is good for the country of your citizenship. This is where your future and your future generation belongs to. Period.**
sorry about the ambiguity in the OP. Policies with respect to foreign policy.......... invading of countries, killing of countless innocent people, supporting criminal dictators who suppress their populations, meddling in other countries' affairs, supporting states like Israel and Saudi Arabia, overall imperialistic attitude...
these are the specific issues i was asking about....
and those who are talking about vote.......republicans and democrats have followed similar foreign policy...the basics stay the same.......we know both supported war on iraq and afghanistan, supporting israel and saudi arabia etc etc.................. so does voting really contribute towards any change in policy??
I am an American citizen not of desi descent. In fact my ancestors came here in 1632. I do not consider myself a 2nd class citizen, however I do think that the rights of all American citizens have been chipped away at and reduced and undermined, by the power of corporations and the military-industrial complex. And arithmetic...
There is a noble and naive misconception everywhere that American democracy means each citizen has a voice and that voice is heard. Simple numbers mean that MY voice is one pipsqueak among 300,000,000. I am probably also one of the older people on GS, and I have lost the youthful optimism that keeps one battling against unjust policies.
I believe all one can do is do the best one can in one's own little corner of the universe.
I would ask you OP, are you satisfied with the actions you have taken and the power you have to alter the either the general trend of or specific policies of the Pakistani government? Pakistan is a democracy, too, right? How loud is your voice?
Interestingly..you didn’t answer any of the questions i asked…especially in the context i provided with regard to the foreign policy issues…(if you do not find anything wrong those policies you need not answer any of the questions..the question wouldn’t apply to you at all)
i don’t understand the need for deflections, you ended up asking me in turn… …only if the topic was about pakistan..i would …but you see, the topic is about american citizens and american policy…if you would like…please open a thread about pakistan..i will gladly reply there…if i answer here, it will only derail the thread…
so you don’t want to answer the simple question and add mumbo jumbo about my nick and other irrelevant stuff… deflections again ..one would hope you had the necessary intellect to post a relevant response.
i would request the mods to remove irrelevent posts…i hoped for a serious discussion.
I didn't realize this was an interrogation -- I thought it was a discussion. My point is the relative powerlessness of all citizens with respect to their govt.
Do I have to put forth an opinion on each and every aspect of US foreign policy? I sure hope not, because it is a vast and complicated mass of actions and policies and I am ignorant of so much of it. Am I writing letters to my Congressional representatives? No. Do I think this would do any good? No. Other than that, an ordinary citizen doesn't really have any other way to do anything.
You want me to go out and protest in the streets? I'm too old for that.
I didn't impose my definitions. i asked what efforts, in your POV, were you making.
now about the part 3, have your efforts (mentioned in point 1) yielded any favorable results?? and did voting for the opposite party yield any positive results?
..one would hope you had the necessary intellect to post a relevant response.