America: Hypocrisy, Egotism, and Disillusion America is a grand country praised as being “beautiful for spacious skies/For amber waves of grain/For purple mountain majesties/Above the fruited plain” (“America the Beautiful”). The citizens of this country enjoy the rights and liberties granted under the shield of wonderful America. However, “the land of the free and the home of the brave” (“The Star Spangled Banner”) may not be as golden as it appears. While this country is said to be the land of equality, not everyone is truly treated equivalently. Racism towards both other citizens and immigrants is very much alive in modern day society, as well as being prevalent in history. Both Manifest Destiny and Imperialism exemplify the discrimination …show more content…
In this case, the Americans assumed they were authorized to claim the land because they saw themselves as a superior, more civilized society than that of the Native Americans. In fact, America has a strong antiquity of inflating its self-image. Robert Morgan demonstrates American arrogance when he quotes diplomat and historian George F. Kennan: “ [Americans have] a certain […] desire to appear, particularly to ourselves, as more wise and more noble than we really were.” He also adds that he found “a curious but deeply-rooted sentimentality on our part…arising evidently from the pleasure it gave us to view ourselves as high-minded patrons, benefactors, and teachers of…people less fortunate,” (“There Is No True History…”). A prime example of Americans exerting what they feel is there dominance can be found in the idea of White Man’s Burden. This was a school of thought during American Imperialism serving mainly as an excuse to conquer other nations. White Man’s Burden said that Americans were better, smarter, and more capable than the inhabitants of less advanced countries and suggested that it was the duty of Americans to take over these countries and help them become better. In reality, when Americans tried to execute these beliefs in countries such as the Philippines, their attempts were met with dissatisfaction and rebellion. The other countries did not want to be like America, but Americans …show more content…
In reality, American history is not entirely just and errorless. Such a history would be impossible to come by. There should be no shame in recognizing mistakes made in the past and learning from them to become a better nation. In his essay, Robert Morgan supports this idea when he writes, “Our greatest hope for the study of history, and of representative lives, is that we many learn from both the successes and the mistakes and begin to understand which is which,” (“There Is No True History…”). Americans need to swallow some of their pride and openly examine their egotism. Conversely, it should be noted that not all Americans are hypocrites. Many United States citizens are open-minded and willing to accept new ideas as well as new people into the nation. However, there are still too many Americans blinded by their ignorance and façade of perfection. Racism and bigotry towards both citizens and immigrants is rampant throughout the country. It is evident that America is not a flawless nation by any means. American society has always been, but hopefully will not continue to be, plagued with hypocrisy, egotism, and
Manifest Destiny was a phrase that was made up by journalist John L. O’sullivan back in 1844. The United States wanted to push westward to the frontier such as Texas, California, and Oregon. The reason behind Manifest Destiny was to expand to provide new places to live and jobs. Manifest Destiny is the belief that the Americans could extend themselves from coast to coast. The way Americans conquered the new land were removing the Native Americans from their land.
America is a country that is portrayed differently from others when it comes to freedom. The society of Americans is spoiled unlike other countries because it is materialistic. Unfortunately, since America is spoiled the majority of the community only has a love for money instead of things that are more important such as family and a relationship with God. “It is Americans who are gullible” (Alcorn, Page 191). Li Quan and Ben Fielding were old time friends who went to college together at Harvard University.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This famous quote by the novelist and philosopher George Santanya exemplifies the problem this country has with immigrants and foreigners. While the focus of certain immigrant groups has changed, the standards by which foreigners under fire are treated has not changed. That is to say, the peoples being discriminated against may change, but there is always a specific group or groups of people that are treated with prejudice, and continue to be discriminated against even by the government of the country they are in. The Japanese were treated outrageously after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Manifest Destiny was a nineteenth century concept of American expansion. This concept gave Americans the belief that they were destined to move United States territory into the West, and that America should fulfill its duty of settling and civilizing all the land that was available to them. There were many different aspects of Manifest Destiny, such as its overlying racist ideology, as this concept gave citizens of the United States a mindset that it is America’s duty to civilize the “uncivilized” world to the West, inhabited by the Native Americans. American expansion West oppressed the cultures of the Natives, and replaced them with forced conversion and adaptation of American culture. The system of expansion Manifest Destiny brought about also had a positive influence on the economic culture of America, expanding its borders, allowing for railways to be built, trade to expand, and new goods to be discovered.
Birthed from a worldwide past of authoritarian government regimes and founded upon unique principles no other nation had seen before, the United States was born to be symbol of freedom and hope to the world. “We shall be as a city set upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us.” America symbolized freedom of the individual and limited governmental power derived from the consent of the governed, an exceptional concept that sparked a worldwide desire for freedom and voice in the hearts of people. However, resulting from the Industrial Revolution and rise of individual fortunes and originating with the Progressive ideas of Woodrow Wilson, recent American history shows a departing from the founders’ Biblically based values within the leadership,
To Americans, America is a normal, basic country. America is an argumentative and feeling country with debates around every corner; yet somehow it retains a respectable air for a majority of the time. However, to people who live outside of America, the idea of what America is or could be differs entirely.
The white race believes--believes with all its heart--that it is their right to take the land. To kill Indians. Make war. Enslave their brothers. This nation shouldn't exist, if there is any justice in the world, for its foundations are murder, theft, and cruelty.
History is really amazing, but it can be horrifying to, the incident that occurred between the years 1877 and 1945 shows how horrifying and judgmental we can be towards each other. America is a place where people like immigrants seek for a better lifestyle away from their home countries, but when they get here it is far from better. In some incidents, you can say justice had been served, but with some justice were treated unfairly by others. People losing their life’s because of the judging of other people. The united stated between the year of 1877 and 1945 did not live up to Emma Lazarus ' poem engraved on the statue of liberty which is supposed to symbolize warm and welcoming signal of hope, but instead gave immigrants and native American
America is a nation where great things happen consistently, but with the good comes the bad. People are judged and criticized everyday for who they are or who they like. This should be changed. In this free country no one should be stripped of what they are because it's different than a majority. If the citizens of America come together and realize being different is not a bad thing, we can begin to heal as a whole nation.
It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” (Audre Lorde, Our Dead Behind Us: Poems) Americans have a silent code of not speaking on anything that has to do with race. When it comes down to race many would like to turn a blind eye to what the real problem is because they are afraid to step on anyone’s toes. We hide behind color-blindness. Saying that we do not see color we only see a man.
Now, on to our business for the week. Only two more weeks and we will be finished with our course. As the course starts to wind down, America is just winding up!
It must be noted that whites and blacks are commonly associated with America. Once you look past these two races, one often identify others as un-American and may even call them foreign while they might be just as American as the next guy. Unfortunately, in this great land, there are people that the government is only too glad to arrest for simply being on American soil without proper documentation. It appears that Americans no longer stand by that fabled inscription on the Statue of Liberty that reads so nobly, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door" (YourDictionary). The American people feel so entitled, that they would refuse hard-working individuals willing to make personal sacrifices only to live in this land with people who don’t seem to want them around.
America is a snivelization. Sueing others for our own problems, over exaggerating problems, and complaining about having to work hard. We could change Herman Melvilles’ thoughts about the US being a snivelization by not complaining about every little thing that happens to ourselves, by doing the hard work and at the end of the day you’ll feel good about what you have
America’s society has some distinctive characteristics that separate it from that of the rest of the world. Although diverse, the American society is unified in the number of traits that they all share. All American citizens value their individuality as well as their equality. Americans are not afraid to voice their opinions or to oppose something that they disagree with. If there is something that is not right, Americans will not hesitate to work towards positive change of that cause.
Discrimination is an unseen weapon used by today 's generation. America herself has become extremely prejudice without acknowledging the consequences of her actions. Although America is not deliberately following the ways of her past, her uncanny behavior is only worsening the discrimination she swears to rid have herself of. Consequently speaking America has attempted to rid herself of her past misconceptions, she has mistakenly given her past discriminated victims more rights than everyone else. Living in this beautiful country I have come to realize that our government feels as if they need to make up for our past political parties mistakes.