The Inefficiencies of Idolizing a City Upon a Hill
During the early colonization of the New World, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was known as “a city upon a hill.” This was a metaphor for the moral compass of early colonialism. This colony was to represent the ideals of the puritans for the rest to follow. Now would you rather live in this city upon a hill, a self proclaimed idol for the rest of the world to follow in suit, or in the city of brotherly love where natives, Quakers, and religious pariahs alike congregated in peace. One-hundred-and-fifty years later, America took strides against the colonial system, declaring their independence from England, inspiring many countries to rise up against the autocratic monarchies of the time.
Although we served as a role model for democracy and freedom, we failed to truly represent those ideals by continuing to enslave the African population as well as neglecting aid fights for democracy in the Carribean as well as Central and Latin America. This has been the narrative of American history, helping ourselves and avoiding the rest of the world. Although some argue that making change on an American level is effective as it inspires other nations around the world to instill the same change, it is better to be a global citizen and have an increased understanding of our planet and people around you. Caring about and knowing about people around the world inspires you to make change in your own life and other’s lives.
Americans would say that we helped progress the rest of the world and any actions we have taken have been in pursuit of democracy; in reality, we were acting in our best interest. We acted to hinder the spread of communism in the cold war so that we would remain the global economic superpower. In these attempts to “establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity” did just the opposite of that for the nations where we intervened (Preamble, Declaration of Independence). Shortly after WWII, we executed a coup in Guatemala to remove President Jacobo Arbez from power. Americans were told this was to stop communism from gaining a foothold in the western hemisphere, when in reality the people of Guatemala had democratically elected Arbenz; following our efforts, Col. Carlos Castillo Arnas was put in power. He ruled with an iron grip and didn’t grant any rights to his citizens(History.com). We acted similarly in the Middle East, Iran and Afghanistan, as well as throughout Latin America, Cuba, Chile, and the Dominican Republic. The U.S. government organized several coups to overthrow communist dictatorships but either failed, or resulted in fascists taking their place and further hindering their chances of development.
America remains the economic powerhouse that they have been, and while Americans believe that we are the moral compass of the world, we are not. What we see and hear from our president leads us to believe that we are doing well, but the reality of our situation is painful untrue. How are we to be the beacon of prosperity for the rest of the world to rely on, when we are killing each other in the streets. How are we supposed to inspire people with tales of immigrants coming to America and making something out of nothing while children are being detained and their parents are being deported. How are we supposed to guide the world into the future when our president refuses to attend climate change summits, and enact legislation to save our planet.
If we look across the Atlantic Ocean to European nations who are trying their hardest to make a difference we can see that we are no longer the moral compass we thought we once were. While none of these solutions have fixed the issues we see on a global scale, these countries have transcended borders to make change globally. The French government has taken initiative to ensure that their citizens have access to not only water that is potable, but also water that is healthier and more mineral rich. France has also led the climate change movement on a national level, hosting conferences for all countries to attend and make change together. The Thames River, which was one of the world’s filthiest bodies of natural water just ten years ago, is cleaner now than it has been in decades and is once more filled with aquatic life. Iceland has managed to reduce carbon emissions from energy plants to almost zero percent. Germany has had their borders open to refugees from the Middle East for years, and the feelings of xenophobia and ethnocentrism have not been present, at least to the extent that it is in the United States.
I’m not saying that Europe is perfect and the rest of the world is terrible, however the United States, along with many nations around the world, has a long way to go and a pretty terrible history to make up for. I think that an “American Union,” much like the European Union would be a step in the right direction. American’s who complain about immigrants don’t realize that American intervention in Latin America has been the cause of deep rooted issues in their governments and, essentially, the cause for immigration. If we want to become the America that we want to be, our concern shouldn’t be building a wall, but instead tearing down the metaphorical barriers that separate us from the rest of the Americas and lending our neighbors a hand. Venezuela is in the middle of a revolution, Brazil is heading towards a fascist future, Mexico has one of the highest rates of murders per capita in the world, and Central American nations have been struggling economically for decades, as well as those in the Carribean. The economic power of the United States and policies of Canada are more than enough to make the Western Hemisphere a better, more hospitable, and richer place than it is right now. Knowing that we can make this change first in the Western Hemisphere and then across the globe, why shouldn’t we?
Editors, History.com. “Colonel Castillo Armas Takes Power in Guatemala.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/colonel-castillo-armas-takes-power-in-guatemala.
