THE GREATNESS OF AMERICA

By R. A. Pearson

As America celebrates its 234th birthday, the country can look back with pride and point to major accomplishments the people have made along the way. At its founding, the nation took on the strongest country in the world and wrested its independence from that nation by war, something no other country has done to this day. The several states later created a federal government in the form of a written Constitution, with three branches of government, checks and balances on each branch, delegated powers for that government and a Bill of Rights to protect the people of the nation from any excessive powers of the government.

America grew into a continental power by purchasing lands such as Louisiana and Florida, annexing the independent State of Texas, and winning large tracks of the Southwest during the Mexican War. America survived a Civil War between the Northern and Southern areas of the nation between 1861 and 1865; a war that claimed at least 620,000 soldiers lives. During the Spanish-American War, America became a world force acquiring the Philippines, Guam, and other territories. The United States armed forces helped bring an end to World War I, and through the efforts of “the Greatest Generation” America literally conquered the world during World War II, then gave it back asking for only the space to bury our war dead on the land we had liberated. During the early 1950s America’s sons were once again asked to stop aggression in Korean, and they did so in the mud and cold of that peninsular.

The U.S. emerged as one of the two dominant world powers after World War II and granted independence to many of its territories such as the Philippines. While America became engaged in a long and eventually unpopular war in Southeast Asia during the 1960s and 70s, the country continued to prosper economically at home. Finally, The last 20 years saw three wars in the Middle East with the outcome of at least one of these, the War in Afghanistan, still in doubt.

While America was making this march of progress its history was shrouded with the taint of tragedy. The unfair treatment of the Native American tribes who were displaced and decimated by white expansion across America is a major blight on American history. The enslavement of African-Americans who worked in southern fields until after the Civil War cannot be forgotten. Furthermore, the treatment of other ethnic groups such as the Chinese, the Irish, and the Southern Europeans who entered the U.S. as laborers for the railroads and other American projects rank high on the list of American’s exploitation of others for our own benefit.

However, today America finds itself a unique and diverse nation, with a unique history, facing unique challenges. The economy has undergone a major recession and is slowly recovering; however, unemployment is over nine percent. Many have lost and are still losing their homes. Americans face debt on an unprecedented scale. The nation is fighting two costly wars. The national debt is at an all time high. There is a catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Yet the Congress, the legislative body the nation expects guide the nation out of the mess, seems incapable of any type of action except blame, finger pointing, and stalling. The Republicans and the Democrats refuse to work together and rally around their base, waiting for another election while the nation sinks into a quagmire of debt and distrust of government and its institutions.

The problem is that there are no longer statesmen in Congress, there are only politicians. The statesmen have left or been driven out of the political arena due to the fact the American political system has become so divisive no one wants to solve the real problems America faces. To do so requires hard work on real issues. Statesmen do not scream, they leave that for the used car salesmen on late night TV commercials. Statesmen solve problems by working with people of all views and do so with open ears and an open mind. An example of this lack of statesmanship or leadership one can cite is as of June 10, the Democratic leaders in Congress have refused to deal with any budget issues for the next fiscal year for fears of endangering the reelection campaigns of their Democratic membership.

One real statesman who left Washington was Republican Senator Charles (Chuck) Hegel of Nebraska. He was an opponent of the War in Iraq and voted with the Bush administration only about 70% of the time. Many considered him an independent and most respected him for his positions on the issues of the day. He decided not to run for reelection in 2008.

In the 2010 elections two moderate individuals who have come under fire from the extreme wings of their respective parties are Charlie Crist, the Republican Governor of Florida, running for the U.S. Senate, and Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln, a Democrat. Lincoln withstood an aggressive, multimillion-dollar campaign by national unions and liberal interest groups, such as MoveOn.org, who desperately sought to defeat the moderate Senator by supporting Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. The unions reportedly spent $10 million against the Senator citing her opposition to the “public option” in health-care reform as the reason.

In Florida, Charlie Crist dropped out of the Republican primary and decided to switch to independent status in the general election due to rising opposition from Marco Rubio’s challenge from the party’s extreme right. Crist came under fire from taking federal stimulus money and accepting a man hug from President Obama during a presidential visit to the state. Crist’s poll numbers show him a little ahead of Rubio in a three man race and may have a real chance to gain ground if he handles the oil spill with grace and success. His walk on the beach with rock icon Jimmy Buffet during the on going oil spill demonstrates real statesmanship and a willingness to listen and to work with all parties in solving problems. All the solid Republican Gulf states need federal help and dollars on the oil spill. No one around the Gulf is talking secession, nullification, and rejection of federal aid and cash these days, are they?

Americans must also be aware that most political compromises are worked out over long, hard, closed-door sessions. There was a reason the U.S. Constitution was drawn up behind closed doors and closed windows in 1789. The founders wanted to present the document as a whole, not piecemeal to be picked apart item by item before the document could be viewed in its entirety. America has seen the modern sausage being made and did not like it. Compromise needs a little behind closed door diplomacy.

Today we have 24/7 news networks like MSNBC, and FOX News, the blogers, and more talking heads than a triple Hydra. Patrick Henry had said, “I smell a rat” when he heard about the convention. He was afraid for democracy. Today, America has enough rat smellers to sniff out a conspiracy to steal cookies from a Methodist Vacation Bible School in Rural Georgia. However, these ‘commentators’ may be more interested in stirring the pot and their own ratings than allowing real statespersons to work and develop. In a day when Americans choose their news by choosing their news networks, the political screamers and one line zinger sound-biters tend to get more air play and kudos than the real statesmen and problem solvers of the nation.

The greatness of America begins with its moderates and compromise. It was compromise that created the U.S. Constitution and our principals of government. Yet where are the moderates? They are being voted out, thrown out, and forced out by the extremes of both parties. America needs moderates to get things done in Washington. America needs to send the fire-eaters, both left and right, home and elect moderates. Maybe then the peoples’ business can be done, and America can get on with being great again!