... about Counterproductive Nationalism

BBC News, an internationally recognized news network that reports on global news and issues, can’t be found on the cheapest Television plan. Yet, there are so many American news networks covering news about the United States. TV5monde, a francophone network that shows news, events and shows, is typically offered in premium television plans or as an expensive add-on with premium. I know this from personal experience. As a Togolese family in the States, receiving news about other countries is not just a preference but a necessity in order to stay connected with family back home or in European countries. Sadly, we can’t afford TV5monde because not only do we have to subscribe to the premium plan, but we also have to pay extra to have TV5monde added to our available channels. My family instead settles on hearing news from 3rd party sites, previously recorded YouTube videos, or international calls. While this is an issue for us, I'm at least aware that there are other countries with dire news and pressing issues as well. Americans who have no familial connections with outside countries are rarely aware that other countries have similar issues to those the U.S faces.

Why do I bring this up? The problem of injustice and prejudice is not specific to just the United States or the Western world. Many non-western countries have their own history and present dilemmas and some are finding solutions or are actively working towards solutions. Instead of looking internally all the time, why not take into consideration external attempts at solving injustice issues. America this and America that, it’s okay to be patriotic but at times it becomes tone-deaf and ignorant. I would consider this akin to someone going through personal problems and speaking with a friend to help them get through it. The same would apply for the injustice problems that America faces. No, it’s not a blanket solution and nor is it a silver problem that will fix all of the problems. Instead, it will act as a place to start, a way to look at all options and take ideas from several places. It will also serve as a critical thinking instigator because real world problems seldom have simple solutions, so why aren’t we thinking more critically?