Wallace Shawn is the publisher of a magazine titled “Final Edition” that only had one issue. In this magazine issue Shawn describes the reaction of the American public when shown photographs of American soldiers tormenting people. He notes the reaction of the general public as becoming desensitized to the photographs and instead found it to be something normal. Shawn writes “the problem is that [men in Washington] would say that all of the marching and trampling they’re doing is actually for the benefit of me and everyone I know,” (50) and challenges the notion by writing about how the benefit should be for “our very beautiful planet as a whole” (51). Shawn concludes by lamenting the immigration policies of his country and those of other countries.

“An “American” Publishes A Magazine” is from a magazine called “Final Edition”. It talks about how the American public were shown several pictures that showed American soldiers torturing, degrading and mocking very thin people in chains and how most people didn’t even react to them. The author says that he would rather think and talk about something else instead of the words “the United States” because he would rather fill his brain with nicer thoughts than ones of the men in Washington DC even though the author admits that “all of the marching and trampling they’re doing” benefits most Americans, including himself. The author gives many examples about how the United States is not the most important country and how he personally views everyone as equal. The magazine only had one edition because the author wanted people to read it and try to figure things out with friends and people they trust.

The author is expressing how people view and feel about being an American. He doesn’t understand how the United States, which he said was founded on a “genocide”, should dictate policies to other countries. He freely admits that he enjoys the benefits and living in the United States, but doesn’t agree with their policies or considers himself an American. The one and only edition of the magazine was for him to state his views.

In “An ‘American’ Publishes a Magazine” Shawn writes about a magazine he published called Final Edition that went out of business after only one issue.  In this essay Shawn writes about Americans and how they reacted to the images  of American soldiers “tormenting desperate, naked, extremely thin people in chains” (49). Later on Shawn concludes his essay by sharing his opinion about United States and the world regulations.

In this Magazine the author Wallace Shawn views the American public as those with the most power in society. He goes on to express his disappointment in the way that the American public and government officials responded and handled an incident that occurred involving American soldiers who tortured and mocked extremely thin people. Shawn also gives his personal opinion and of what it feels like to be an American from through his eyes.

            Americans in general were to give their reactions based on their life, news, online post, or magazines. This essay of “An ‘American’ Publishes a Magazines” contains how living in American isn’t as good or bad in ones’ opinion. Instead, it morally tells people how one would personally feel about living in America and trying to think about being Americans.