A Humane Face of America
The people of the world has divergent views about the US, sometimes a saviour and shelter for the poor, needy, orphans, supressed, affected populas, while sometimes a hegemonic, waring, posing instability to its opponents, whenever these states or world actors pose any threat to the US interests abroad. The concept about a super power to resolve all the global matters faced either to its friends or foes could be supernatural but not practical. It is quite difficult for one to justify his position helping one against the other even with good faith could be somehow correct, but the divergent opinion will remain alive. The american public, their sacrifices for growth and liberation of the civilization, supremacy of judiciary respect for human rights, elimination of poverty, spreading of education, economic growth, projecting civic norms, could never be over sighted. But the reality is that inspite of good or bad depictions, almost every individual in the modern world dreams to visit US, may be because of her status of being the land of oppertunities, home of great people, enormous strong insitutions, modern educational and research universities, fast authentic communication system, mastering technology, having one of the worlds developed and advanced space and nuclear technology program, arms and aerial supremacy having thousands of aircrafts, and the major contributor in terms of human assistance. Computer and electrical machinery, vehicles, chemical products, food and live animals, military equipment and aircrafts are the US previleges being shared with the rest of the world as its major exports. US is home of Internet, google and yahoo, and by early 2005 nearly 68% of Americans were estimated to be online pushing globalization and e-commerce a boost.
The US response to global crises is commendable, her humanitarian services are contributed by some well reputed states owned human aid organizations. The Action Against Hunger, American Red Cross, CARE, Direct Relief International, Habitat for Humanity International, International Aid, International Medical Corps, International Relief Teams, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam America, Project HOPE, Save the Children USA, World Concern, World Emergency Relief are some of them to be quoted here. The U.S. government is the world leader in responding to the global pandemic of AIDS, and has made the fight against HIV/AIDS possible for every human being. Besides, the Tsunami Reconstruction, South Asia Earthquake were major projects carried out by the USAID. It would be unjust if not to underline the US role in major universal crisis like Kosovo, reconstruction of Afghanistan, Darfur, former Yugoslav republic of Mecedonia’s, where the US has directly and under the umbrella of NATO and UN played its role in resolves.
Looking back to the history, the US has been passed through rise and fall since, July 4, 1776, when the unanimous declaration of the thirteen united states of America were signed. In the text of the declaration is also stated that , ” all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”, giving a true impression, that America is the nation having moral up values for human equality, rights, cheer able life and liberty in its constitution. The American nation fought bloodiest civil war in 1860, when President Abraham Lincoln, declared “Government cannot endure permanently half slave, half free…”, a firm step to demolish slavery. The war ended in 1865 with good notes, when the U.S. Congress approved the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, to abolish slavery. The cost of civil liberty has turned out to be 620,000 human lives. In 1941 when the global scenario was going through severe changes, Japanese attacked the Philippines, Wake Island, Guam, Malaya, Thailand, Shanghai and Midway and also US Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands dragging the US to world war-11. The world witnessed the first ever atomic bomb used, where the victory remained aside, but humanity sustained defeat and a greater loss in Asia, Europe and Pearl Harbor,Nagasaki, Heroshema at large. The seed of conflict for cold war was mainly based on ideologies, when the champions of capitalism and communism eye ball to eye ball.
The 1964 civil rights act outlawed racial and other discrimination in the US. The judicial supremacy has always been ensured in the country and the perfect example is impeachments of President Andrew Johnson, President Richard Nixon, and President Bill Clinton.
The US policies are sometimes criticized due to its bossing behavior, and the most recent unpleasant incident is invasion of Iraq, that universally damaged her public image. The recent crisis with Iran, Venizuella, Syria and Palestenian conficts are the issues, where the US would go under real test, when the entire world is expecting peaceful solutions of all outstanding issues.
In a situation, when the entire world is confused over its failure to curb terrorism and extremism from this planet, and the four atomic powers plus Germany is not clear that how they could pursue their sovereign diplomacy, so up to somehow the US is the only power that has the tendency to champion the rights of oppressed nations, work for civil liberty, democracy, and human rights. Those who think that likewise the former Soviet Union the US disintegration would minimize international conflicts could predict the future of some conflicting zones like Afghanistan, former Yugoslavia, central Africa—when the US would be no more available to police them. Certainly in current situation the role of the US is very indispensable to cow down the warlords, force dictators for conducting free, fair and transparent elections and constrain the big power from the invasion of their small neighbors. For heading toward such goals, this would more convenient to thoroughly examine the US policies, where its policy makers are crossing the limits, they should be realized the great sacrifices of American people they had rendered for civil liberty, individual freedom, and human rights during their civil war.
April 07 2009 07:02 pm | American Red Cross