By James L. Lambert
May 31, 2005

(AgapePress) - In the late 1970s I was working for Crocker National Bank in California, which at the time was the eleventh-largest bank in the country. A friend of mine worked for one of its offices along the U.S.-Mexico border in California's Imperial Valley.

At the time, the president of Mexico announced to the public that his country was considering a monetary devaluation of its currency. He told his fellow countrymen that it was imperative that Mexicans everywhere not move their currency out of Mexico (and into the U.S.). As an operations supervisor at the time, I was keenly aware of the situation. I had an employee whose family had assets and business interests in Mexico. The Mexican president transferred $500,000 into his personal U.S. account the day before the official devaluation occurred.

It seems it's business as usual in Mexico. Several months ago, a American construction worker told me that he and a friend were driving to Ensenada (in Baja California) to go surfing. On their way to the coast they were driving cautiously through Tijuana. In the distance, they noticed a police car and reacted by driving especially carefully through town. Sure enough, they were pulled over by the police. The two officers proceeded to ask them for cash bribes so as to avoid jail. They were left with wallets noticeably lighter.

Now there are reports that even some wealthier and upper middle-class Mexican families are worried about the wave of kidnappings occurring in Mexico. This has created a migration of Mexicans out of Baja.

Amidst all of the controversy regarding illegal immigration, it is no wonder that we see many cases of international hypocrisy when it comes to international criticism of the United States. Like many Californians, I am annoyed when I hear Vicente Fox, the current president of Mexico, criticizing U.S. citizens for asking our government to enforce its immigration laws. He wants us to drop the word "illegal" from the term "illegal immigration" when describing illegal entry into America.

We are seeing similar cases of hypocrisy around the world. The media (and many foreign governments) hold our country to impossibly high standards while foreign governments and their politicians display incredible disregard for the rule of law. Although there are many examples of this, neither the mainstream liberal U.S. or foreign media will, for the most part, ever report them.

Consider the following:

• The United States is encouraged by foreign governments to loosely maintain our border, yet the Mexican government quickly expels Chinese and Asian immigrants who enter their country through Mexican sea lanes.



• The U.S. Army is accused of flushing copies of the Koran at Guantanamo Bay, yet overseas, radical Islamic demonstrations are being staged and the Saudi government routinely confiscates (and shreds) Bibles upon entry to their country. Numerous reports are coming from around the world of radical Islamic violence against Christian churches and ministers (Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Sudan).



• America is routinely characterized by foreign governments and their media as a country that has problems with racism (e.g., minority economic suppression, racial profiling, "class warfare," unjust court and voting system). Yet there are profound instances throughout the world where foreign countries display serious racial problems. These include actual slavery in the Sudan. There are racial tensions in countries in the southern part of the African continent between the ruling black majority and the white minority. France, Germany, and England have seen an increasing of racial tensions between its citizens and foreign immigrants. Throughout Southeast Asia there are well-defined social and racial tensions between Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotian peoples. And how about the caste system in India?



• The U.S. media is eager to listen to any complaint about unjust treatment of women in America (e.g., the president of Harvard's remarks, our need for women leaders in business, politics and sports, economic compensation differences between men and women). However, we hardly ever hear from abroad of the huge problems the international community has with mistreatment of women (e.g., sexual slavery in Eastern Europe and Asia; second-class status of women in many Arab states; abuse of women with regard to cheap labor in many Third World countries including Central and South America).



• The U.S. has had its share of economic and political corruption (Enron, Martha Stewart, the sale of military technology to China, to name a few). However, this pales in comparison to the corruption we have seen abroad. Already we know that officials from France and Russia were benefiting from side agreements they had with Sadaam Hussein while the U.N. had an internationally agreed upon embargo of Iraq. Bribes from international drug cartels is another unreported problem that affects everyone. Once a country has been polluted in this arena, it is difficult to turn back. We also know that organized crime has strong influences in South America, Russia, and parts of Europe and Asia.

All this indicates that while America clearly has its own problems, it seems the international community enthusiastically reports our shortcomings. The international community has its own severe problems and should stop its hypocrisy. If America is so horrible, why do so many people from other countries want to come here?

The answer to that last question is simple: we are a free people. America presents a wonderful opportunity for people who enter our borders legally. New citizens here have the opportunity of succeeding beyond the limited opportunities they may have abroad. It's time for America to be appreciated as the great nation it is, despite its flaws. As for its critics, I suggest they try to find a better nation -- and then go live there.