The Ugly America Sparknotes

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The novel, The Ugly America, by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick, was published in 1958. The story takes place during the height of the cold war in the early 1950’s in Southeast Asia, centering on the fictional country of Sarkhan. The United States is attempting to defeat communism in Southeast Asia and gain supremacy over the Soviet Union. Unlike their Russian counterparts, the diplomats representing the United States in this mission to defeat communism in Sarkhan fail to understand the local culture and address the needs of the people. Assigned to Sarkhan, Ambassador Gilbert MacWhite is dedicated and intelligent, employing a prodigious effort to fulfill the mission. During MacWhite’s tenure, other U.S. officials and citizens are able to invoke positive change. However, the failure of high level diplomats, without a clear strategy, undermines their efforts. In the end, Ambassador MacWhite makes several key mistakes. He is unable to execute the change necessary to address the threat of communism, poverty, and underdevelopment in Sarkhan, leaving him responsible for the failure of his mission. In 1954, the Honorable Gilber MacWhite was sent to replace Louis Sears as ambassador of Sarkhan. A year earlier, Louis Sears, accepted the role of Ambassador to Sarkhan. He was there only waiting for a Federal judgeship appointment, which just became available in the United States. As Ambassador, Sears is completely unqualified with no propensity for diplomacy or respect for the Sarkhanese people, refusing to even learn the Sarkhanese language. Indicative of the overall kind of ignorance expected from U.S. Officials, Sears ignores the brutal beating of American John Colvin to stop him from introducing milk into the Sarkhan eco... ... middle of paper ... ...nure there are individuals who cultivate a positive change in the lives of the people in Sarkhan and Southeast Asia. These individuals are able to win friends for America and improve the living conditions of those who desperately need it. Unfortunately, Ambassador MacWhite failed to do the same. The full responsibility for the failure of his mission in Sarkan falls on MacWhite. Although dedicated, he was unprepared for the realities of Southeast Asia. Among all the mistakes he made, in each one he failed to start with the smaller things. He was reminded throughout his tenure both by the examples of individuals making a difference and direct suggestion from respected officials. Had he established a feeling of genuine concern for the population and a set of principles to combat the problems in Sarkhan, he may have succeeded in shaping foreign policy in the region.

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