America's 250th Birthday: Which side are we now?

 

As that great comic strip character Pogo said: We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us.

Introduction

 

Happy Birthday America! Democracy and individual liberties have survived for 250 years. Slavery was eliminated after a long and bloody civil war. The right to vote and civil liberties were extended to all Americans. America innovated the Industrial/Information Revolution and made the country the largest and most technologically-advanced economy in the world. In the 20^th century, America opposed and helped defeat authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. America was an inspiration to all people who opposed tyranny and oppression. From 1607 onwards, America was a special country built by immigrants and their descendants.

 

This celebration should commemorate the 250^th birthday of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which stated the basic rights of Americans and denounced the “tyranny” of King George. The preamble is a statement of the ideals of individual liberties, taken mostly from radical Enlightenment thought in England and Scotland. Most of the Declaration is a denunciation of the King George’s attempt to deny Americans those rights. I am not surprised that President Trump has so far ignored the Declaration.

 

The foundation of this remarkable democratic experiment is the Constitution and the first 10 amendments (the Bill of Rights). The basic rules and political institutions were set out. Having denounced King George of England in the Declaration of Independence, the founders were particularly sensitive to the threat of an imperial presidency. The powers of the president in Madison’s first draft of the Constitution were watered down in subsequent debate. 

 

The founders, especially Madison, used the Roman Republic as their model. Polybius, the historian of the republic, was quoted (in Latin) and alluded to often during the Constitutional Convention debates. The delegates were aware of what happened to the Roman Republic, how it committed suicide and became the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire - a government of corrupt, brutal, psychopathic emperors.

 

Two of the justices on the first Supreme Court believed that the Court could decide on the constitutionality of laws. There was some consideration that the court should review the actions of the president or members of the executive branch. But mostly this was left to the people through elections and their representatives in Congress, who could remove the president through impeachment.

 

The Founders believed that Congress was the repository of popular sovereignty and would contain attempts at an imperial presidency. But they did not anticipate an organized political partiy dominated by the president, making members of the president’s party in Congress subservient to the will of the president. They did not anticipate that the Senate and House would sometimes abdicate their constitutional powers to the president.

 

If the American republican experiment fails, it will be because of the self-destructive actions of the American people and their elected officials. Bad government, or bad governors, is the result of a combination of arrogance and ignorance (hubris to the Greeks). Nowhere is this clearer than in America’s foreign policy and the use of military force. The men who led us into Vietnam admitted later they relied on America’s superior firepower but were ignorant of the history of Vietnam. Ignorance of the history of Afghanistan and George W. Bush’s ignorance of Iraq led to unfortunate long-term consequences.

 

This is surprising since America’s founding was based on the American Revolution. The Americans revolted because of England’s king and government arrogance and ignorance of the realities of the changing American colonies. Many of America’s leaders believed that America would be an inspiration to the people of other countries who wanted the same individual liberties and membership in a democratic society and government. These leaders including Woodrow Wilson after World War I and most American leaders after World War II.

 

England relied on the country’s overwhelming superiority in military might compared to America. But the mistake they made was that for rebelling Americans this was an existential war. Either Americans won or they would end up with much harsher rule from England. Eventually, George Washington and some Americans knew that if they were able to continue the rebellion, England would eventually realize the cost of the war was too high and they were not going to subdue the obstinate Americans. England cut and run; despite losing America, England was still the dominant world power.

 

European democratic leaders are supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia. Anti-democratic parties in Europe are mostly favorable to Putin and Russia. That Trump is supporting Russia and pressuring Ukraine to basically surrender is a denial of the ideals that led to the American Revolution. 

 

President Trump as King George

The irony of the American Revolution is that 250 years later America resembles the English government we revolted against, a government we saw as tyrannical. Power was centralized in the king; he believed he had unlimited power. He appointed the cabinet and dominated Parliament, partly through corruption and partly through reactionary supporters (landowning aristocrats and gentry). The American colonies’ representative in England (Benjamin Franklin, who had lived in England for many years) was attacked and humiliated. Fearing for his life, he left for America (deported), getting there just in time to help write the Declaration of Independence.

 

President Trump as a Roman Emperor

 

The men who destroyed the Roman Republic only thought of their personal ambitions, not their loyalty to Rome and its laws. Roman legions were loyal to their ambitious commanders/politicians. They used military force (the Roman army) to occupy and dominate Rome. They unleashed “reigns of terror” against their enemies in Rome. Members of the Roman Senate were either killed or intimidated into silence. 

The last of these ambitious generals/politicians was Julius Caesar, who centralized power and had himself declared Dictator. The first emperor – Octavian (Julius Caesar's grandnephew and designated heir), later named Caesar Augustus – killed the last defenders of the republic (including Cicero), centralized all power in himself, and “hollowed” out republican institutions and the citizen’s protection under Roman law. Anyone criticizing the Emperor was denounced and punished.

 

If most of us celebrate the Roman Republic, Donald Trump identifies with Caesar, Octavian and later Roman emperors. Someone like Trump was the founders’ worse fear. A demagogue attacking democratic institutions and “enemies” at home. Attacking allies abroad, as Rome alienated its Italian allies, who revolted against Rome. Disrupting America’s economy with erratic tariffs and trade policies, as England did with the Navigation Acts. Policies made based on personal ambition, personal resentments and family enrichment, a common feature of kings and authoritarian rulers.

 

There is a statue of George Washington in the Capitol Building wearing an ordinary Roman toga. Washington as Cincinnatus, the Roman farmer who put down his plow to defend Rome at the head of a citizen army and then, after victory, refusing dictatorial powers and returning to his farm. I’m guessing Trump would like to see one of himself wearing the royal toga of Roman emperors. Trump seems obsessed with gold; like early emperors, he sees Washington as a city of gold and marble. Like Nero, he intends to build a large statue of himself. Unlike Nero, he hasn’t put a golden dome on his residence (the White House) but he has stuffed it with fake golden bric-a-brac. Like Caligula, he intends to rename government buildings (temples in Rome) in his honor, erect golden statues of himself, and enjoys mocking and humiliating his personal enemies. 

 

Like Roman emperors, Trump is putting his name on America’s money. He intends to erect a triumphal arch to himself. Celebrating his birthday with cage fights on the White House lawn? Maybe dressed as gladiators?

 

 

For almost 150 years, the executive branch of the government was small. Most of the time, the largest department was the post office. Americans opposed a large standing (permanent) army as a potential threat to democracy. But the Great Depression and America’s rise as a global power changed that. The president now has enormous resources and potential power in setting the agendas in both domestic and foreign policy. Trump has name sycophants loyal to him to head government departments, not to the Constitution or the traditional missions of their departments. The executive branches of government are used to pursue and prosecute critics and opponents of the president. The Department of  Justice is President Trump's personal law firm; with the FBI, his personal tool to prosecute opponents. At a recent convention of Republican supporters, Trump exhorted them to pledge alliance to him, not to America or the American flag.

 

America Today

 

America has pulled out of almost all global organizations and thus forfeited global leadership and influence. President Trump has denounced global warming as a “hoax.” President Trump mocks and humiliates democratic leaders and supports their far-right and neo-Fascist opponents. President Trump has eliminated all health care aid to countries in Africa. He has signed treaties restoring some of the aid in exchange for American control of their mineral resources. He has removed the president of Venezuela, not to restore democracy (he has refused to meet with the Nobel Peace Prize leader of the democratic opposition) but to control Venezuela’s oil reserves. 

 

 

A belief in personal power at home and military power backing intimidation abroad is nothing to celebrate. There is no pretext that America should uphold American ideals. He is a danger who weakens America’s democracy. The historic question is whether this is a passing aberration or the beginning of the end of the American experiment in democratic rule and individual liberty at home and the end of supporting American ideals, democratic governments, and pro-democracy political movements abroad.  

 

The bombing of Iran started after widespread protests and dissatisfaction among the Iranian people, an economy in shambles, and loss of Iranian power and influence in the Middle East. America's policy towards Iran, if based on American ideals, should have been obvious. Like with Venezuela, the objective seemed to be control of Iranian oil. But every war game of the U.S. intelligence and military services led to Iran closing the Persian Gulf. Trump’s senseless war with Iran became an existential war for the Iranian regime. They will survive and become an even greater threat to the Persian Gulf and the global economy. 

 

The war led to global economic disruption and inflation. The world blames America. Even in allied countries, disapproval of America skyrocketed. A recent poll of Europeans showed a higher percent disapproved of America than Russia. On top of earlier mockery and actions that alienate European allies, including constant praise of Putin and cutting off military aid for Ukraine. Helping Putin destroy Ukraine is not a good argument for winning a Nobel Peace Prize, although President Trump might win the Neville Chamberlain Award. All this further reduces American influence and credibility.

 

Do Americans really want a new imperial America starting with the seizure of Greenland? Really? Go to war against our NATO allies, who have moved troops into Greenland to protect it from America? Or maybe it’s Iceland - Trump confuses the two.

 

If America continues to use government at home as a danger to individual liberties and military force abroad without any moral or ideological content, then America is just another powerful imperial empire. The radical political experiment we began in 1776 and built with the Constitution is in danger; American “exceptionalism” comes to an end.

 

Can America be a world power and remain a republic? For Rome, the answer was no. So far, for America, the answer has been yes. Whether the republic will endure depends on the American people. 

 

For a detailed discussion of the reasons for the collapse of the Roman Republic and a few analogies with America, see

 

The Roman Republic Commits Suicide. A Cautionary Tale for America   

AMERICANS AT 250

You have to love Americans. America was settled by immigrants. Most Americans are proud of where they came from; almost none of us wants to go back to live in the old country. 

We're now a nation of tourists. Including military tourism - we invade countries we know nothing about, do a lot of damage, and then come home. And, like most tourists, learn nothing.

I find it extraordinary that so few presidents since 1960 knew anything about the world or foreign policy, or cared about foreign policy before they were elected. Nixon is an exception but he had other problems. George Bush Sr. had foreign experience; his son was an ignorant embarrassment but still got us into a foreign war that didn't turn out well. Our current president seems to have a fascination with countries that have lots of oil. When he leaves office, his proudest achievement will be the sun never sets on his golf courses.

Most Americans know virtually nothing about American history. The first three years I started teaching college, out of curiosity I gave my students a very basic multiple choice test on American history (American history was a required HS subject). Almost all failed. One student got almost all the questions right. Why? She was studying for her citizenship exam! Maybe Americans should have to pass the citizenship exam before being allowed to vote.

This year, of course, celebrates an important event in American history. Most Americans have learned it had something to do with cage fighting. Not unexpected, since the Secretary of Education made her fortune promoting pro wrestling.