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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business
America doesn't seem to have a lot of friends in foreign countries. Recent events again highlight how this great country seems to be hated and resented around the world. Maybe it isn't too hard to understand. After all, there is resentment against those that are big and strong and good.
Canadian Gordon Sinclair once wrote a column regarding this distrust and hate toward America from certain foreign countries. Let me give you some of my thoughts and paraphrase some of Mr. Sinclair's.
I believe that Americans are the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth.
Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured billions of dollars and forgave other billions in depts.
When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted on the streets of Paris.
When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries to help. This spring 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped.
The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans.
I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to help other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble?
It's tough to be loved and respected when you are big, powerful and good. When I was a kid, I remember every time Ted Willams of the Boston Red Sox, came to bat, he was booed and hissed. Why? Because he was good! Because he was the best! People love to root for the underdog and throw brickbats at the champions.
America is the champion of the world. We don't seem to generate much love or respect. We have surely learned that you can't buy friends. In times of great stress and trouble, we should look very carefully at who comes to our aid and have a long memory of those who do and those who don't.
For Zions Bank, this is Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
