American Imperialism and Democracy

I have been saying for a few years now, that we are living in the declining age of the American Imperialistic Empire. The United States of the 20th century wanted to take on the roll that the Great Powers of Europe embraced in the late 19th Century, then failed miserably to let go of after World War One. This idea was to expose other nations and cultures that our way is better and less civilized people of the world need us to be a protector, a teacher and this not only the right way but also the only way to govern. So much for Woodrow Wilson's idea of self-determination.

This idea of nation building through democracy and free elections, while overthrowing dictators is nothing new for those on the other side of the Atlantic. As their power and influence has shrunk since 1945, the United States has stepped into that role. For better or worse, the goal from 1945-1990 was to defeat communism, and our foreign policy was primarily driven by that goal as was our foray into Korea, Vietnam, and Grenada. From 1990-2001, it became about nation building and defending our (oil) interests in Kuwait, Somalia and the former Yugoslavia. It is highly ironic that George W. Bush campaigned against these so called Democratic Party issues in 2000, and now has turned his whole presidency into this very issue of nation building in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now many large and small countries are beginning to resent the influence which the US is attempting to push onto them, which is exactly what led to the cracks in the British Empire after the Treaty of Versaille in 1919. The British Dominions and India began to see their own nationalism outside of those of the Great Britian itself. Trey Ellis is suggested that todays American NeoCons (Cheney, Wolfowitz, Libby, etc.) have pushed American strength to the brink which has

...greatly sped up the deterioration of American might...

They lied us into Iraq to create a beachhead to reshape the entire region. Meanwhile in our own backyard Latin America is slipping forever away from us. For over a century we viewed Central and Latin America as our unofficial colonies (the same way we conceded Eastern Europe to the U.S.S.R. after World War II). For decades Cuba was the only neighbor in the hemisphere who refused to do our bidding. Now Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Honduras are either out of our pockets or actively contemptuous of us. And in July, if current polling holds, left-leaning Lopez Obrador will replace Vicente Fox in Mexico.

On the other side of North America, Canadians are no fan of the U.S. either. In a poll last year by the National Post it was revealed that Canadians believe George W. Bush is almost as great a threat to Canadian national security as Osama bin Laden. And in Great Britain, just about the only U.K. citizen that doesn't vilify us is Tony Blair.

Perhaps it is time to stop focusing on forcing democracy on other countries, when in fact our democracy needs to be re-evaluated and perhaps revamped or even overhauled. Looking at current events in Washington, the Abramoff situation should be an eye opener for the public to demand a change in how our government operates and how our democracy is run.

In Andrei Cherney's blog, he talks about how democracy needs to evolve and change with its citizens, its culture and the times. He quotes Thomas Jefferson in 1800 as saying:

The purpose of government was "to secure the greatest degree of happiness possible to the general mass of those associated under it."

Obviously, the world, the country and our government has changed in 206 years but if we can shift the focus back to this concept and away from lobbyists, corporations, foreign interests, and internal pork then we might be able to get more than 40% of our population out to vote. None of these influencers have the ability to secure this happiness which Jefferson sought. They are only are in this for themselves, following Gordon Gekko's motto from the 1987 movie Wall Street, "Greed is Good" As Cherney continues:

We once again have a corrupt bargain between powerful interests and pliant politicians. Energy policy is set not by citizens or their elected representatives, but behind closed doors by lobbyists and industry. Congress prohibits Medicare from negotiating for lower drug prices. The number of registered lobbyists in Washington has doubled since 2000 and the amount these lobbyists charge their clients has increased 100 percent - and those clients are getting every cent of their money's worth. You don't have to look much further than this week's headlines to see that the voice of everyday people in ourgovernment is getting drowned out by the desires of a few.

It is imperitive that find a way to wrest control of our government from these special interests and give it back to the people.

Democracy can be so much more than it is today. The Information Age is fundamentally about democratization - about power to the people. Workers have more ability to make their own decisions on the job. Consumers have more choices and more ability to shape what they buy. Our challenge now is to make American democracy come alive. To use government to give power to our people. To truly tap the talents of all. To actively break down the barriers that keep people from choosing their own path. To make equality come alive again. To makedemocracy mean more than elections, but real self-rule.

So let's find ways to make college universal. Let's stop running our schools on a calendar set by harvest time and let's end one-size-fits-every-kid education. Let's not be anxious about globalization but excited and use America's economic strength not just to enrich a few but to lift billions out of persistent poverty. Let's open up our decision-making process so individual people and communities make decisions instead of the elected few and distant bureaucracies. This can be a moment where we make democracy not just a form of government, but a way of life.

You see, there have always been two views of American democracy. One is that the wealthy and powerful and the educated experts are better suited to making decisions for all of us and to having control. That's the view that now drives this country's policies. Then there's the other view that power and authority and a voice should be given to the people themselves; that prosperity flows from their efforts and that they should be given government's help in taking control of their own lives.

Let's put our faith back in people.
Let's defend our progress but never be satisfied with it.

Let's re-boot our democracy - and put it in sneakers and sandals and pumps and Tevas and ballet slippers and whatever else you want to wear as long as you get out their and put our democracy back on the march.

"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past," said Jefferson. Let's go out there and dream again.

I realize this sounds like pep rally speech, and it was probably intended that way, but I honestly believe the time is right for the people to stand up and demand their representatives to be responsive to their needs, not to the needs of the organizations that are lining their wallets. I believe the people need a catlyst to lead the way out of these times and into the new century.

Where is the next Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., or Robert F Kennedy, who is willing to stand up for the people and fight for the people, not just the greedy special interest's. I will follow that person to the mountain because that is what made this country great, and it is what will prevent us from further decline. If we do not heed this call, then it is recommended in the words of Trey Ellis that we:

Start taking lessons in Mandarin