Discusion Board Own Opinion - Essay Example

Historians argue whether the drive for empire was about idealism or dominance. What argument would you make? Do you see any modern connections to thereasoning behind imperialism then and today’s international issues?Americans fight for freedom – or at least that is what George Bush was known to say when he decided to enter the world stage after the horrific acts of 9/11. There is some truth to that statement but as modern society is aware of the limited nature of some resources, such as oil for example, it could also be argued that the drive for empire was more for control over resources than any other ideal.

From an idealism perspective you have some nations fighting for their religion, or they use their religion as a pretext for war. You have other nations fighting for resources. America has always maintained, in any conflict it was involved in that they fight for the right of all humans to be free. I think the question that should be asked is why is America the only country that thinks it knows how to define freedom?Roosevelt was the architect of “big government”. How did society react to his policies?

How does that reaction compare to modern society’s reaction to the Obama government economic policies? Roosevelt was lucky, if you can call it that, that America’s economy lifted at a time when his policies of higher taxes and more jobs were stripping the country of any leisure spending. In his case the tax payers didn’t have a choice – they either paid taxes to pay for welfare programs, or to put people into work which amounted to the same thing. Obama, despite saying that he wants to follow FDR seems to think he can do the same thing but in a “different” way.

The debate isn’t so much that Obama or FDR were right or wrong, but rather what system if any has ever been right. Economists say now that less than 5% of the population of America have 40% of the wealth. The rich-poor divide just keeps getting bigger and is now being seen on a global scale. But while there is still only two major parties in any democratic government voters only have two choices – left or right. Obama’s attempt to put himself in the middle is likely to backfire because when you are sitting in the middle you can get blasted from both sides.

How is America’s current relationship with developing countries different from America’s relationship with the third world during the cold war? Is it different at all? What issues divide America and developing countries today?During the cold war America had a very clear policy about right and wrong – you were either a communist loving country, or you weren’t and America was helpful to any country that could show they were not allied with Russia. In fact, embarrassingly so in some cases like Iran for example in 1977.

India was an outcast because it would not ally itself with one side or the other and so America excluded them as well as a host of other countries perceived as being Russian states. Today it is different – America is not as communism fixated as it used to be. Russia has lost much of its power although communist holdings in Central and South America still cause some Americans to be uneasy. The isolation of any nations though has to be done with a spot more discretion. We are living in a global village and isolating markets like India and China would not be a good economic move – so times have to change, but they are related more too economic ideals than any other reason in this authors opinion.

What is the legacy of the civil rights movement today? Is it completed? If not, what remains to be done? If so, how do you explain events like the LA riots of 1992?It is thanks to the civil rights movement that President Obama sits in the White House today. If it hadn’t have been for the likes of Martin Luther King and so many others, President Obama would probably be working in a factory somewhere. This author does think that the civil rights movement did some amazing things. But it didn’t address racism it has driven it underground as the LA riots showed in 1992.

It certainly has not helped poverty. African Americans score disproportionately higher in statistics for crime, poor education, and lack of income. They were told they could live in a white world, they were just not shown how to succeed in it. Cases like President Obama’s shows that it is possible for the African Americans to be equal, but they would be the exception rather than the rule. Given your studies in this course, do you see any parallels between Americans current foreign policy issues and anything from its past?

What lesson could or should be learned from that parallel? What should be America’s role in the world today?In the Second World War America tried really hard to stay out of the conflict – this was an example of the then non-intervention policies. But fast forward to today and foreign policies are about promoting freedom, increasing trade and helping allies to live in a democracy. Two major initiatives are the War on Drugs and the War on Terrorism which are both really important ideas, but even with the news about Osama Bin Laden neither initiative has been that successful and both concepts have drawn criticism from some quarters about the interfering in the affairs of other countries.

This author would rather see America as a role model, than as a High School monitor. There are a number of nations around the world that could benefit from seeing America, not as a nation that threatens sanctions at the first sign of trouble, but who instead informs and assists and then stands back as newer nations learn to find their own unique space in our global village. Works CitedBrinkley, Alan. The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People, Volume 2, 6th edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009