Is America from Hell?

By Martin N. Kwaning

During the Arab Spring, a series of demonstrations and riots engulfed some Arab countries such as Libya, Egypt, etc. In those demonstrations, some Arabs were found burning the American flag. In the same context, there were also some Arabs who were overwhelmingly calling on Americans for their help.

The spiritual leader of Iran, His Excellency Ayatollah Khomeini, was reported to have said, Death to America. Although later, he did make a clarification that he was referring to Americas foreign policy.

Goddamn America, said Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a former pastor of President Barack Obama. Of course, this pastor was upset about how America was treating citizens as less than human. Across the length and breadth of the entire globe, there is persistent and sustained hatred towards America by someto such people the world will be a better place without America.

Correspondingly, there are overwhelming majority of people in every part of the world applauding America for its generosity and protection for humanityto such people, without America, citizens around the world will be dead.

The narrative that is being given to America is mixedevil or gooddepending on what lenses you are wearing. What is the exact narrative? Is America from hell?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524559632

Martin N. Kwaning

Martin N. Kwaning was born in Ghana. He furthered his education both in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. He was a former student leader, a columnist, and a teacher. He is also the Founder of Eastern Foundation, a charitable organization that seeks to help children remain in the classroom in some of the deprived areas in Ghana (Africa) The author takes great inspirations from famous leaders such as Martin Luther Jr. and Nelson Mandela. These men indeed sacrificed their lives for their fellow human beings. Their belief hinges on the premise that, we always have to love one another irrespective of the background of that person. That belief system is the embodiment and anchor to my faith. “I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles” Nelson Mandela “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” Martin Luther King Jr.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by Martin N. Kwaning.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2016919105

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5245-5965-6

                Softcover        978-1-5245-5964-9

                eBook             978-1-5245-5963-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Rev. date: 11/16/2016

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

751081

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1: In The Beginning

Chapter 2: The Inherent Capitalist Orientations

Chapter 3: The Various Wars

Chapter 4: The Black American Divide

Chapter 5: The President’s Orientations

Chapter 6: Is America a world police Or world fire service officer?

Chapter 7: Why the Hate?

Chapter 8: The Rule of Law

Chapter 9: The Passion of the Nation

Chapter 10: Is America Responding to the Divine Calling?

Endnotes

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the Almighty God for His guidance and marvelous hands throughout my journey. God has guided my every movement and thinking. I could not have live my life without God.

- Martin

PREFACE

D URING THE ARAB Spring, which was a series of demonstrations and riots that engulfed some Arab countries such as Libya and Egypt, there were mixed-messages. In those demonstrations, some Arabs were found burning the American flag. In the same context, there were also some Arabs who were overwhelmingly calling on Americans for their help.

The spiritual leader from Iran, H.E. Ayatollah Khomeini was reported to have said, Death to America; although later, he did make a clarification that he was referring to America’s foreign policy.

In many developing countries, the generous hands of America have assisted countries in their economic recovery, which have allowed them to become politically stable and poverty reduction efforts by the U.S. has been hailed by many loving Africans. In the same context some people wish America was ‘dead’-they hate America.

The truth shall make you free, so says the Bible. There are many stories in the United States of America that have not be told to the outside world. That vacuum; lack of coherent message from the U.S., has unfortunately left the propagandists to succeed in giving America a narrative that isn’t.

Is America a country that God brought to punish humanity or save humanity?

Having lived in both the United Kingdom and the United States of America has offered me a holistic perspective that needs to be shared among many people around the world especially the youth in developing countries.

The Lord said, Lack of knowledge many people perish. I sincerely hope that this book will serve as a small platform by which so many youths will somehow appreciate a different perspective about America. People living in other countries have their own perspective about the mind-set of people living in America: the question is...IS AMERICA from HELL?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

M ANY RIGHT PEOPLE came to my life at the right time.

-To Angel Bahana (a U.S. Army veteran and an employee at General Electric, Texas) for his tremendous assistance and tip bits.

-To Minister Ron Carlson (Church of Christ) for his words of encouragement and prayers.

-To my wife for her tremendous inspiration and support throughout the most challenging times.

~Martin~

INTRODUCTION

G ROWING UP IN a city in Ghana (West Africa), I heard numerous stories about America. Also, not forgetting watching famous movies such as, Welcome to America, The Godfather, ‘Casablanca , Aka Dollars, Born to Win", etc. Those memories were extraordinary. They were, primarily because America was presented to us as a nation that was different from all other nations. Truly, then, many kids even wondered if America was on earth, because those days television was not a commodity that was readily available to even get news about Ame rica.

Indeed, the description some of our people gave about America was that of a monster or as a beautiful place depending on who was telling the story. Some viewed America as the torturous and unforgiving nation. Still others firmly described America as the Babylon and compassionate nation. Then, whatever their motives were vis-à-vis the name-tag ascribed to America, is hard to explain. However, one thing that was common among many Ghanaians and perhaps true to many other African countries; America was the only country commonly on the lips of many youths.

It was interesting that those few, who described America as the monster, were largely the political class on the left. That is, those who seemingly aligned their political philosophy to that of the socialist principles or ideals.

This political class gave all kinds of reasons for their disdain towards America. To them, all African woes could be traced to the doorsteps of America. They claimed that the CIA was the most torturous agency in the world. In fact, to them either a political party or a Head of State kowtow to the whims or caprices of the U.S. or you have your government overthrown or destabilized.

Such was the atmosphere that famous African Head of States, such as Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Omar al-Bashir, Idi Amin, etc. were allegedly overthrown by America’s instigation. In fact, the vociferous nature of supporters of those former Head of States who blamed America as accelerating their heroes’ demise was such a powerful tool that many people believed their allegations against America. In the end, some ‘souls’ were drawn to their allegations against America and the CIA. In the same context, it was equally interesting that any country, government or a political party that pledges its allegiance to America is seen or described as an enemy to the socialist principles.

Today, hatred towards America cut-across the globe. Some from Russia to Venezuela, to some countries in the Middle East; all are united somehow in their disdain towards America’s global philosophy or foreign policy. The extreme indifference towards America has reached the point that former Venezuela President Hugo Chaves was reported as saying that America is giving world leaders’ cancer. Hugo Chaves seems to imply that his cancer and subsequent death can be attributed to America killing him. The spiritual leader of Iran H.E. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sums up sections of Middle Eastern countries hatred towards America when the media quoted him for saying, Death to America. Of course, he later explained that he meant America’s foreign policies and not the nation.i

Rightly, many people have been wondering why some people hate America so much? Others have been pondering on why America should be the world police.

Is America indeed a wicked country as some wants us to believe? Does America really have good intensions for the entire world, as the country wants us to believe?

Since, the foundation of America, its enemies and friends have paradoxically been united in one thing: America is a great nation. The question that arises; if it is a great nation; is it great in good deeds or bad deeds?

Truly, the narrative some people outside the jurisdiction of America have about the country is not exclusive to them alone. Indeed, President Barak Obama’s former pastor Jeremiah Wright was severely and widely condemned when a recording emerged as having said that:

"The chickens are coming home to roost…...God damn America"

Indeed, many people described Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s statement as a reminiscent of an outside enemy’s views. Frankly, there are sections of Americans who secretly share the views as expressed by Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Some Americans are disillusioned, disgruntled and frustrated about the country’s constant involvement in other countries domestic affairs. For instance, in their quest to address or presume to have the panacea for some of the problems or challenges that seemed to have plagued America, many of the 2016 presidential candidates have labeled their campaign strategies or slogans as, Make America Great Again, We Are taking Our Country Back. Significantly, many Americans firmly hold the view that their country has gone backwards and need urgent solutions in order to reset its unique position around the world.

Equally are individuals who strongly hold the view that America should not intrude into the affairs of other nations. To them, America should not be ‘babysitting’ other nations, but rather those countries, which America seem to dictate the direction of their governance systems should be left on their own to decide their future regardless of the form of government they so desire. Still, others passionately believe that it is the duty of America to intervene in other country’s domestic affairs in order to help and shape the aspirations of citizens of those countries.

This ‘tug of war’ between what is right and wrong has indeed polarized Americans. The truth is, the exact role that America should play in world affairs has no political colorization. For, there are some Democrats who hate America’s ‘world police’ status and in the same measure are some Republicans who disliked America’s interventionist posture. When the coin is tossed, some Democrats and Republicans alike want America to continue with the status quo-continuous wearing of the ‘world police’ tag. To them, there is no way America should retreat from the world stage. It is clear that the exact role America should play around the world dominates every political discussions and even in the religious front. While some religious organizations want America to ‘teach’ the world the right and acceptable way to govern, there are disagreements as the exact form the transmission of that message to the outside world should be especially those in the developing countries. One frightening situation on what role America should play in world affairs has permeated through our religious organizations such that it has triggered a media selection approach by some religious groups.

In the wake of the unprecedented awakening of terrorists’ organizations around the world, the urgent need for America to define or refine its role in world affairs have taken center stage. Aside the threat emerging from extremists who are desperately wanting to cause havoc on innocent Americans, there is also a seemingly ‘cold war’