The contemporary history of United States - Essay Example

Also, they tell us that why don't we know the answer. Besides, their works contains the message that the U.S citizens have to do something urgently to save our two-century old democracy. Both Kinzer and Johnson trace the roots of current crisis back to the much celebrated 'little splendid war': in which America declared war on Spain in the name of liberating the colonialized nations of Latin America. The oppressed nations got liberated from Spanish imperial rule as the result of the Spanish-American war which broke out in 1868, were soon became U.

S protectorates in order to protect the interests of American businesspersons in those lands. Kinzer points out that 'the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was the culmination of a 110- year period during which Americans overthrew fourteen governments that displeased them for various ideological, political, and economic reasons' (Kinzer, 2007, p.1). In our country, people commonly identify us as citizens of an innocent nation which stands only for virtues. The prevailing attitude is that whatever we do is for good.

Behind all this fashionable rhetoric, there lies the ugly side of the truth. The story of American interventions in foreign countries that were supposed to be for prompting democratic culture and liberal values is just farce. The very beginning of America's regime change policy with the overthrow of Hawaiian monarchy was founded on lies. The then governing class in the U.S propagated the view that it is for the sakes of the democratic rights of Hawaiian people. In reality, when the Queen Liliuokalani gave voting rights to all the people without considering ownership of property, the U.

S had to intervene to protect the interests of large planters and other riches. Kinzer has an altogether different take on American history from the ideological state apparatus that nourishes the official view at the expense of truth. He convincingly argues that the overthrow of Jose Santos Zelaya, the president of Nicaragua in 1909 was with the direct knowledge of then president of U.S, William Howard Taft. Importantly, Kinzer also notes that 'the United States rose to power at the same time multinational corporations were emerging as a decisive force in world affairs' (Kinzer, 2007, p.4). It is a telling observation.

Much of the American interventions was to pave easy way for exploitative activities of the multinational corporations and was simulated by the business elites who penetrated to public offices. Moreover, the democratic movement in our country that is composed of civic movement, trade unions and progressive political parties were not able to become blocs of counterbalance power against the tyrannical corporations. Besides, the hegemony of corporate ideas such as free enterprise, personal growth and crass individualism prevented the American public from being a democratizing force in effect.

For the rest of the world, it was impossible even to imagine countering American corporate power. The corporations were 'the vanguard of American power, and defying them has become tantamount to defying the United States' (Kinzer, 2007, p.4). As corporations substantially increased their economic power, they started wielding