Overthrow - Americas Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq by Stephen Kinzer - Essay Example

Prof. “There is no stronger or more persistent strain in the American character than the belief that the United s is a nation uniquely endowed with virtue. Americans consider themselves to be, in Herman Melville’s words, ‘a peculiar, chosen people, the Israel of our times.’ In a nation too new to define itself by real or imagined historical triumphs, and too diverse to be bound together by a shared religion or ethnicity, this belief became the essence of national identity, the conviction that bound Americans to each other and defined their approach to the world. They are hardly the first people to believe themselves favored by Providence, but they are the only ones in modern history who are convinced that by bringing their political and economic system to others, they are doing God’s work.” -Excerpt from Stephen Kinzer, Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq (2006) America is a nation of diverse culture and of multicultural people. They vary in heritage and their ancestors came from different coasts. However, they share commonalities in valuing enjoyment of rights, liberty, fairness, and equal treatment of people which serves as purposive guide in their way of life. It is from this context that America has been historically intervening in varied nations in the name of freedom. It’s also from this political purview that Stephen Kinzer, prominent writer author of Kinzer, Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq, pointed that America perceived itself as ‘a peculiar, chosen people, the Israel of our times.’ Kinzer (2006), a political analyst, perceived that most of the intervention done my American government in other sovereign nations is motivated to protect its business interests from possible restriction and regulations-- such as demands for taxation, labor laws and environmental protection, through geopolitical strategies. Kinzer (2006) pointed that these restrictions imposed by nations, where American multinational companies are operating, are perceived anti-American, repressive or probably dictatorial. When conflict is heightened, the intervention could either be considered economic, political or an operation for liberation from perceived tyrannical governments. He cited that US lead-participation in overthrowing governments was evident in Hawaii in1893 to Iraq in 2003. Kinzer (2006) also contended that American-led or supported coups d'etat in Hawaii, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Nicaragua, Honduras, Iran, Guatemala, South Vietnam, Chile, Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq was a result of similar causes and motivation. Critical of its view, Kinzer argued that in 1898, US helped local rebels in Cuba to overthrow the Cuban government. Is this messianic political view of America indeed evident in the anal of its history? In the 16th century, under Colonial America, it was reckoned that Europeans traversed to America for economic reasons, to escape religious persecution and they settled at what they called the New World. Many of them lived with the assistance of Native Americans and started farming to produce corn grains and tobacco. They also engaged themselves in mercantilism to increase political power and wealth—thus, the extraction of gold and silver from North America and subsequently brought to London market. Mercantilism was protected by government through trades’ regulation and by providing subsidies for emerging industries to develop exports and control imports. The period was however characterized with smuggling, an American way to dodge out trading restrictions of European nations. Conflict rose as pirates launched several attacks. Conflict heightened until Seminoles from Georgia killed the remaining Indian residents at Florida. The regions of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, California and Kansas were also explored by Spanish conquestadores. Missionaries were sent in these areas to propagate Christianity and to declare historic claims. American conquered and recovered the sites in mid-18th century and such religious missions ended. The Dutch meanwhile conquered areas now dubbed as Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The Dutch established feudal relations although it allowed religious tolerance and free trade. The Puritans, who were then settled at the Massachusetts Bay left a heritage of religion and political innovative culture that remained influential these days (Lee, 1980). The colonial history illustrated America as a theater of world war but which inspire Patrick Henry, then a lawyer in the 17th century, to assert peoples natural rights. Such became the central thought of the Declaration of Independence in 1760—that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Henry also pronounced at St. John’s Church the adage “give me liberty or give me death!” at a time when war against Britain heightened. These principles remained the foundation in the assertion of universal freedom up to these days. The period of “Westward expansion” was characterized with the integration of six new states into the Union and expansion of control. Lands were sold to farmers, although there were critics about focusing on marketable products instead of producing food for subsistence. Economic setbacks happened in 1819, but many survived. The expansion also removed all Indians at the east Mississippi and resistance was crushed. This precipitated the developments of markets, railroad system, and development of cities. In the Midwest, Texas was added to the Union which enraged the Mexican government and resulted to war in 1846-1848. As developments toward statehood matured, nation rage on slavery in the West which ended in a civil war. Relative peace was restored in the last quarter of 19th century which sustained the geographic expansion activities of US. America purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 at a cost of $7.2 million. It also purchased the naval coaling station in Midway Island near Hawaiian chain and was later annexed in 1898. As the twenty century entered, West is already integrated and United States is thereafter composed of 48 states. As America emerges as World Power, it sustained its expansion activities still. Expansionism in this era proved beneficial to America’s foreign trade during McKinley, Roosevelt and Taft administrations. It paved toward market expansion too in foreign countries. US only found a cause to wage war with Spanish government after its Battleship Maine was destroyed at Havana. Such conflict escalated in Manila Bay at a time when Philippines was still a vassal of the Spanish government. After being defeated in this war in 1898, Spain sold the 7,000 islands of the Philippines to United States at $20 million under the Treaty of Paris. Former US President Theodore Roosevelt vigorously pursued his diplomatic campaign and supported the Panama revolution in 1850s for its independence to harbor political leverage in digging and administering the Canal Zone. This took effect through Hay and Bunau-Varilla Treaty. Following its support for Cuban independence, America was endowed with economic rights in Cuba and a space for its military naval base in Guantanamo Bay. This political pattern recurs in the Caribbean regions. The strategy is dubbed as Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe doctrine. In 1899, America declared an open door policy with China for trade and helped suppressed Boxer Rebellion in China. US further compete in blockading ports of Venezuela against Britain and Germany in this period too. Under the Cold War era, first nations balance their powers by inventing and storing weapons of mass destruction. In 1949, Soviets made A-bomb while US made hydrogen bomb in 1952 but was also copied by Soviets too in the subsequent year. Under US President Harry Truman, the era featured industrialization and technological advancement to meet world’s economic problem. Women were allowed by law to work as partner for progress and education got priority to instill competence among American labor forces. As the world is polarized with ideological underpinnings, capitalism espoused by US is met with communism. Building on wealth and power, US control the Mediterranean region as first world countries started to regionalize their control like how Soviet Union positioned itself as a regional power. Anti-communism rolled as a political counter-campaign to isolate Russia, China and other countries practicing communism. It was perceived that foreign communists were infiltrating the federal government and vice versa. It was a political battle between American and Russian intelligentsia—CIA versus KGB in a tag of distrust. They dubbed it the Red Scare and battle was waged to maintain political and economic dominion around the globe. As part of the developments, US and Britain merged power to sustain its interest in western Germany under the pretext of economic rebuilding. Such prompted Stalin to declare Berlin Blockade in 1948 to prevent food supply within the region. As a consequence, US and its allied nations used planes to massively supply foods and needs for the people in West Berlin. This motivated the signing of North Atlantic Treaty which created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949. The campaign was supported with radio and television propaganda as an effective means of cold war strategy. The post-9/11 attack pushed US to assume the lead role in decentralizing anti-terrorism political campaign after the massive attack done at Afghanistan following the passage of Patriot Act inked by President George Bush. US organized the Department of Homeland Security with about 184,000 employees to manage security from potential terrorist attack. US foreign policy also shifted despite the capture of Osama Bin Laden, the suspected head of terrorist association, at Pakistan. As economic crises worsen, US was suspected in sponsoring civil strife in many Muslim-dominated countries were oil reserves are present such as the case in Libya. In conclusion, it can be inferred that Kinzer may have justification of his political analysis based on some historical facts. America may have political and economic interests in all interventions it has initiated to maintain its credibility and competence as a superpower among first nations. However, as events unfurl, it can’t be said that all events are engineered for US desired political outcome. Some circumstances are influenced by external factors and America only opted to make positions to its advantage. References MLNC. Issues and Controversies in American History. MNLC. Ballwin, MO.http://www.mlnc.org/electronic/facts/issuesamerican.html Accesed Jume 11, 2011. Norton, Mary Beth and Katzman, David. A People and a Nation: A history of United States. Seventh Edition. Cengage Learning. http://college.cengage.com/history/us/norton/people_nation/7e/students/studyguide/index.html Accesed July 11, 2011. Kinzer, Stephen. Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq. http://www.democracynow.org/2006/4/21/overthrow_americas_century_of_regime_change Accessed: June 11, 2011. Ernest Lee Tuveson, Redeemer nation: the idea of America's millennial role. University of Chicago Press. 1980 America's Story. Patrick Henry Was Born May 29, 1736. Colonial America.http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/colonial/jb_colonial_henry_1.html Accessed July 11, 2011. Read More