| Political Philosophy |
| Jim Hlavac |
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Political Philosophy
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America has never gone on to conquer other lands and control them and
send the wealth back to Washington. We have not tried to control anyone.
We don't try to favor one group over another. We have tried to engage in
peaceful commerce with the entire world. At best one could argue that we
mistakenly followed the advice of previous colonial rulers, such as with the
French in Indochina.
In fact, one could argue that it was from about 1890 to 1915 that
America reached the height of its "empire building." The
Spanish-American war being about our only lapse into traditional empire
building. And even that war had as a sometimes stated principle of
removing the last vestiges of the Spanish Empire and bringing liberty to
the rest of the Americas. That we weren't successful, or didn't totally
adhere to the one principle doesn't mean it wasn't part of our ideas. Since
then we have pursued another course of action, namely the spread of an
idea.
There are people who say that we are in the age of American Empire.
As usual, nothing that they mention is really true of any Empire that has
existed. Our military troops abroad are hidden in remote bases and
virtually never interact with the local people unless we build a road or
some other bit of infrastructure. The American Military is not sitting there
in the towns, at the side of the propped up mayor telling him what to do
and how to do it. Instead we at most ineptly try to convince the leaders of
the country to behave. We are so oblivious to the ways of Empire that we
try to reason with the leaders of these countries like two governors are
discussing a new bridge between Iowa and Illinois. We are in denial that
these countries are really working to destroy their people and their
neighbors. If we were really Empire we wouldn't have these troubles that
we have in the world, we would simply crush those who opposed us.
Can anyone doubt that the United States couldn't simply slaughter
anyone who got in our way? Instead, what do we do? We try to station
as few troops as possible for as short a period as possible so we can
rebuild some schools, get the water pumps running and leave the people
in peace and democracy. We bend over backwards wherever we are to
accommodate those who oppose us. Why, there are demonstrations all
the time against Americans in countries -- do we just shoot into the
crowds as the French or English or Russians might have done?
Indeed, we are so un-Empire that because we never subjugated a
country no one has ever had to start a war to throw us out. And the one
example of this being partially the case, which is of course Vietnam, the
reality is that the Southerners weren't rising up against us -- it was a
Northern Communist party that was driven by conquest and enslavement.
Every Empire in history has been at odds with the people they rule,
who are in a near constant state of trying to overthrow the Empire. But
with America nearly every trouble spot in the world invites and begs and
calls out for American involvement and control over the situation. "Only
the Americans are fair" is the constant refrain. In every region of the
world there is some substantial group of people that want American
involvement. The only basic problem is that when it is the common
people, usually their government is against it because the government
wants to remain the repressive hell it is. And when many a government
wants our help what they are sometimes asking for is simply a chunk of
money for the current rulers. And those rulers wouldn't need the money if
they were reasonable in the first place.
No other Empire has ever been invited into the world like the American
"Empire" has. Those people who view America as an Empire, with
Hegemony and imperialism, are in fact blinded by their own beliefs. They
are so driven by the Divine Right of Kings and the right and the power of
the state that they are simply incapable of seeing America for what it is:
The most benign power on Earth -- seeking only to show how peace,
prosperity and freedom can be created to the rest of the world.
send the wealth back to Washington. We have not tried to control anyone.
We don't try to favor one group over another. We have tried to engage in
peaceful commerce with the entire world. At best one could argue that we
mistakenly followed the advice of previous colonial rulers, such as with the
French in Indochina.
In fact, one could argue that it was from about 1890 to 1915 that
America reached the height of its "empire building." The
Spanish-American war being about our only lapse into traditional empire
building. And even that war had as a sometimes stated principle of
removing the last vestiges of the Spanish Empire and bringing liberty to
the rest of the Americas. That we weren't successful, or didn't totally
adhere to the one principle doesn't mean it wasn't part of our ideas. Since
then we have pursued another course of action, namely the spread of an
idea.
There are people who say that we are in the age of American Empire.
As usual, nothing that they mention is really true of any Empire that has
existed. Our military troops abroad are hidden in remote bases and
virtually never interact with the local people unless we build a road or
some other bit of infrastructure. The American Military is not sitting there
in the towns, at the side of the propped up mayor telling him what to do
and how to do it. Instead we at most ineptly try to convince the leaders of
the country to behave. We are so oblivious to the ways of Empire that we
try to reason with the leaders of these countries like two governors are
discussing a new bridge between Iowa and Illinois. We are in denial that
these countries are really working to destroy their people and their
neighbors. If we were really Empire we wouldn't have these troubles that
we have in the world, we would simply crush those who opposed us.
Can anyone doubt that the United States couldn't simply slaughter
anyone who got in our way? Instead, what do we do? We try to station
as few troops as possible for as short a period as possible so we can
rebuild some schools, get the water pumps running and leave the people
in peace and democracy. We bend over backwards wherever we are to
accommodate those who oppose us. Why, there are demonstrations all
the time against Americans in countries -- do we just shoot into the
crowds as the French or English or Russians might have done?
Indeed, we are so un-Empire that because we never subjugated a
country no one has ever had to start a war to throw us out. And the one
example of this being partially the case, which is of course Vietnam, the
reality is that the Southerners weren't rising up against us -- it was a
Northern Communist party that was driven by conquest and enslavement.
Every Empire in history has been at odds with the people they rule,
who are in a near constant state of trying to overthrow the Empire. But
with America nearly every trouble spot in the world invites and begs and
calls out for American involvement and control over the situation. "Only
the Americans are fair" is the constant refrain. In every region of the
world there is some substantial group of people that want American
involvement. The only basic problem is that when it is the common
people, usually their government is against it because the government
wants to remain the repressive hell it is. And when many a government
wants our help what they are sometimes asking for is simply a chunk of
money for the current rulers. And those rulers wouldn't need the money if
they were reasonable in the first place.
No other Empire has ever been invited into the world like the American
"Empire" has. Those people who view America as an Empire, with
Hegemony and imperialism, are in fact blinded by their own beliefs. They
are so driven by the Divine Right of Kings and the right and the power of
the state that they are simply incapable of seeing America for what it is:
The most benign power on Earth -- seeking only to show how peace,
prosperity and freedom can be created to the rest of the world.