The American Imperialism Buffet

Most American’s view themselves and their nation as a superior superpower to the rest of the world. But is this the case? America is undefeated in world wars; America does spend the most money on their military by a landslide,  but on the other hand struggles with as the nation with the highest murder rate, poverty rate, and highest obesity rate. American citizen’s are at the height of cynicism in today’s day and age. The fallacious belief that the domestic well being of the United States depends upon the ever-increasing overseas economic expansion fuels this arrogance. [1]  In George Washington’s farewell address he warned of the dangers of entangling in foreign problems abroad.  The reason for the United States diplomatic meddling is due to the imperialistic thirst that began in the 19^th century. 

            Let’s start with the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, when the United States boldly laid claim to the entire Western Hemisphere.[2]  The Monroe Doctrine really baffles me when I begin to wrap my head around it. Who did the United States think they were to have the right to lay claim two continents? A country that had not even had its fortieth birthday was now sending out audacious foreign policy documents to countries like France, Spain, Great Brittan, and Russia, who have been around the block a time or two.   Just 11 years after losing to the British in the War of 1812 on their own turf, Americans now think they can protect and patrol two continents. This goes to show the pompous nature that Americans have carried into today time.

            Another example of the United States vicious question for domination was Westward Expansion or, as Americans like to spin it “Manifest Destiny.” With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 the United States now owned almost two-thirds of the modern day contiguous forty-nine states. There was a big problem standing in their way of expansion. Hundreds of Native American tribes lived in the recent acquisition from France. So what did the United States do? Of course forcefully moved the Indians from their homelands in Florida, Georgia and the Carolina’s into the Great Plains. These Indians were just swept under the rug as collateral damage in the thirst for conquest from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

            When Harry Truman was going through school, I guess he did not cover the chapter over George Washington’s farewell address, because aiding South Korea in 1950 was something our First President would not have supported. The United States assumed arrogantly that they could unify Korea by force, because it did believe the Chinese Communist would intervene. This would carry over into the Vietnam war in which the United States would lose over 58,000 soldiers in battle.[3] 

            With my next point I’ll go to that country we cant visit called Cuba. The Hypocritical United States had visions of Cuba becoming a sugar “gold mind”  with America as it’s backer. When Cuba wanted to branch out on their own, the United States now no longer recognizes Cuba as country. [4]  In the Cold War, America tried something new to show that America was exceptional. If you are thinking the United States abandoned their duplicitous ways, well your wrong. All they did was add the words “In God We Trust” to the paper money. Incredibly exceptional… I know.

            The real tragedy that Williams is portraying is the United States is a giant hypocrite that many turn a blind and don’t see. The American government tries to claim the right of all nations to trade freely, and have a choice on deciding the political, cultural, and economic system. Yet through economic expansion and diplomacy these ideals that America hangs its hat is deceitful. The United States views the world a giant buffet for Imperialism, and will do whatever, whenever, and however they want to gain an advantage. Reading William Appleman Williams book “The Tragedy of American Diplomacy” will open your eyes to ideals you may not be aware of; even though the book was written in the middle of the 20^th century many of Williams accusations still hold weight as we enter 2015. I highly recommend you read this book, so you too can stop seeing out of the rose colored classes the United States government gave you.

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[1] The Tragedy of American Diplomacy: Twenty-Five Years after, Bradford Perkins , Reviews in American History, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Mar., 1984), pp. 1-18

[2]  The Tragedy of American Diplomacy, William Appleman Williams

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War

[4] http://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-American-Diplomacy-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0393334740

Lewis and Clark: America's Greatest Diplomats?

After reading chapter 2 of The American West I began to gain a new perspective on Captain Meriwether Lewis and his close friend Second Lieutenant William Clark as great diplomats in American history.

The fact is, Lewis and Clark encountered over 70 different Native American and Indigenous tribes during their journey. The goal of their journey to the pacific had four goals. The first was to establish trade relations with the various Indian tribes. The second was scientific exploration and the discovery of unknown plants and animals. The third was to determine if there was a water way that connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The last but certainly not least important goal of the Lewis and Clark expedition was to formally tell every tribe they encountered that "They are now apart of the United States." With these 3 goals in mind Lewis and Clark need to be as diplomatic as possible in order for the mission appointed by President Jefferson to be a success. The problem was Meriwether Lewis and William Clark had know understanding of geopolitics. This was especially evident on the convoy's return to St. Louis when a skirmish ensued with the Blackfeet Indians. This would ruin Blackfeet-American relations for decades to follow.

The most common image people perceive when it comes to the Lewis and Clark expedition is the teenage Shoshone Indian girl, Sacagawea, leading William Clark and Meriwether Lewis across the Western United States; engaging the parties talks with various Indian tribes. This is completely inaccurate, Sacagawea rarely spoke to the other tribes. Lewis and Clark made all of the decisions when it came to where, when, and how the party would travel. Do you think two men appointed by the President of the United States would risk being led astray by a teenage Indian woman?  She more of a symbol to the Indian tribes that Lewis and Clark were traveling in peace and not a party of war, which is one of the more brilliant decisions of the expedition. Sacagawea was an integral role within the Lewis and Clark Exploration, just not in the same light as she is portrayed by many historians.

Now to answer the important question, Where Lewis and Clark potent diplomats?

I vehemently side with the fact that these two are the greatest diplomats in American history. Never again has America been able to peacefully trade and explore uncharted area like Lewis and Clark did from 1804 to 1806. I've said this once; I will say it again... the expedition encountered 70 different groups of people, with different languages, religions, beliefs, goods, locations. Imagine John Kerry and the Obama administration attempting to accomplish what Meriwether Lewis and William Clark did in the early 1800s... pretty scary huh? When most people think of Diplomacy or Diplomats, they think of foreign countries across the oceans, but after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 relationships had to be made with the newly acquired Western United States. Without Lewis and Clark American Diplomacy with the Native Americans in the West would not have been possible.


-HJ 

35 SECRETS OF BRILLIANT COACHES

HOOP THOUGHTS: 35 SECRETS OF BRILLIANT COACHES: The following comes from a great list that was written by Anne Josephson for the Huffington Post .  The title of the article was "...