by Demosthenes
During the recent Presidential primary debates there has been rhetoric from candidates in both parties about restoring America's image around the world. The argument usually goes something like this: "The United States has been very arrogant in foreign policy. We have stopped asking for help from our allies around the world and adopted a 'go-it-alone' mentality." Frequently the speaker will add analogies to high school bullies, or cowboys to support this arrogant characterization.
Since analogies seem to be in vogue these days, please allow me to make one of my own. The United States is much more like Tiger Woods or the New England Patriots. (If you are not a fan of golf or professional football, please indulge me, as the point will become evident). The common trait here is dominance;, both are completely dominant in their particular sport. Tiger is expected to win any tournament he attends, and the Patriots have just completed an undefeated season on their way to a fourth Super Bowl title. The other common trait is that other players or teams – and even many fans – despise them.
I know many football fans who this year wanted nothing more than for someone, anyone, to beat the Patriots. Fans would root for their team's archrival in a game against New England,; proving once again the old adage "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." This perverse desire for schadenfreude was present even if the Patriots' had never beaten the fan's team or their record was irrelevant to the fan's playoff dreams. So, why would fans behave this way? Why do some golf fans hate Tiger Woods? The answer is that it is human nature to be jealous of and wish for the fall of the person on the top.
Most of us have felt this very human emotion, and most often we recognize its poisonous effects and attempt to move beyond it. Nevertheless it is this emotion, and not some foreign policy slight, that motivates many of those who hate the United States. America is the undisputed super power of the world; our Navy and Air Force are so technologically superior to any other nation that we can completely dominate the air and seas on a whim. Our Army and Marines are by far the best-trained and most -skilled warriors on the planet, and no enemy would dare face them on a conventional battlefield.
Moreover, our economy is unrivaled; with many single states have greater GDPs than other developed nations. The American entrepreneur is responsible for many of the most revolutionary inventions in the last hundred years (the light bulb, airplane, personal computer and internet to name a few). The answer to that oft repeated refrain "why do they hate us?" is "because we are the greatest nation in the world" or to put it more simply "jealousy." Much like the New England Patriots, no opponent has defeated the United States and we are hated for the same reasons.
If this argument is true, what are we as a nation to do? Some would argue that we should cease our foreign military operations; we must acknowledge that our actions are perceived as imperialistic and try to be a more humble nation. This belief assumes first, that the behavior of the US is somehow nothing more than braggadocio, and second, that other nations will respond favorably to our more humble foreign policy. Each of these assumptions is wrong.
The United States, far from being an imperialist bully, is the most generous nation in the history of human civilization. [Each year we spend billions of dollars in aid to countries all over the globe; from fighting AIDS in Africa to disaster relief and various food programs. American volunteers, such as doctors without borders, travel to the most deprived nations on the planet and donate their time and effort trying to help people.
Our military is often the world's first responder in times of unimaginable natural disasters; immediately after the devastating tsunami in Thailand the United States dispatched an Aircraft Carrier group to the region. The US Navy and Marines flew endless helicopter missions to evacuate the wounded and bring water and food to those thirsty and starving people unable to help themselves. Following the disaster, the American people donated millions of dollars to help Indonesia and Thailand rebuild, a charity effort spearheaded by two former Presidents. The American people offer their military and financial support to nations all over the world without any expectations of repayment or expectation of future in-kind aid; you would think more countries could show a little more gratitude.
The United States is the only country with the ability to respond rapidly to virtually any situation, offering aid to those in need – and yet they hate us. We freed Asia and the Pacific Isles from the tyrannical grip of Imperial Japan – and yet they hate us. America fought back the forces of Nazism, liberating Europe and northern Africa from the Axis powers – and yet they hate us. The United States forced the collapse of the Soviet Union, and in doing so destroyed the greatest threat to human freedom and prosperity the world has ever known – and yet they hate us. Today we are struggling to end the despotic rule of Islamofascists whose regimes subjugate women, deny freedoms of expression and religion, and proclaim that all must worship as they do or die – and yet they hate us.
Those who claim we must act more humbly in order to improve our national image have woefully misunderstood the situation. The nations around the world that hate us, similar to those who hate the New England Patriots, will only be happy when we lose. Far more is at stake, however, than a mere football game. Those who hate America wish to see us defeated and humiliated, no longer able to project our national power around the world to aid humanity and liberty. Sadly, I fear that some of the politicians seeking this nation's highest office would be willing to oblige this desire; an event I can only pray never comes to pass.
