The Illusion of Greatness: America’s Legacy of Conflict and Unfulfilled Promises
The Illusion of Greatness: America’s Legacy of Conflict and Unfulfilled Promises
Historically speaking, the USA is not a country you can make great again; it is a nation of European immigrants who tried to build their own utopia and failed. First, they stole the land from the native inhabitants, profiting from the slavery of people taken from Africa whom they viewed as subhuman based on the color of their skin, while killing each other in conflicts over territory and resources. In fact, since its founding, the people of the United States have often used violence against each other.
When a leader stood up against slavery, it led to a civil war between those opposed to slavery and those who wanted to continue profiting from it. The wealthiest slave owners financed the fight to keep slavery. I’m not saying every American was like this, but a significant percentage aligned with the powerful while oppressing those beneath them. The underlings felt empowered when they could blame slaves for their misfortunes, which is why they treated people of color differently; they felt stronger by subjugating others.
The same principles can be applied to MAGA followers and those opposed to this movement. Those in the movement feel better because they believe they’re part of a secret that makes them superior to non-believers. The non-believers, however, feel sorry for them because they understand it’s just a collection of fairy tales with no real secret. People want to feel special, and you can’t take that away. It’s like the difference between being knowledgeable and lacking understanding; those who lack awareness may not realize their limitations, but they can sense when someone is patronizing them, and they deeply resent it.
This dynamic played out in the general election. Many people, who may not have the means to fully grasp the complexities of the economy due to lack of access to education, find it easier to listen to the appealing narratives of a demagogue who tells them what they want to hear, making them feel special. They display merchandise like flags and hats that doesn’t matter if these products are made in China to show the world they’re part of something bigger, a movement, challenging anyone who tells them otherwise.
Today, the USA reached a new milestone in its history, an inevitable point in its evolution as a nation. A country of immigrants voted for someone who wants to stop immigration and rebuild the American dream the very dream that once allowed European immigrants to come to the USA to build better lives on the ashes of Native American settlements and through the labor of slaves.
America ended slavery and the destruction of native settlements long ago. Now, it seeks to stop immigration and isolate itself, being short-sighted. Instead of rebuilding itself as a global superpower, it has opened the door to corruption, risking exploitation similar to what happened in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. It needs to learn this lesson, as the rest of the world has: the highest-bidding corporations will gain more power to do as they please.
Good night, America.