The Cause of America's Obsession With Power, Wealth and Competition
American culture is one of the most diverse cultures in today’s society. America has been called the “melting pot” of nations, and thus has acquired a variety of cultures from many different countries. There are a number of different races, languages, and ethnic backgrounds that reside in this nation. However, as a nation, one of the most dominant symbolic systems is that of which no other country can match. Unlike any other nation, the American symbols of power, wealth, and competition preside over any other system of symbols. Here, it is more important to some people to possess material things than to have meaningful relationships. Here, some people are attracted to others not because of their most endearing qualities, but because of the power they possess. Here, some people spend millions of dollars on advertising so that their product will sell the most units. While some other nations cannot contemplate why we Americans are so obsessed with these symbols, it is in the history of our country where this obsession was born.
America is a country born of war, a war we fought with our European ancestors, a war for freedom. To gain that freedom, America had to be strong enough to fight outnumbered against the forces that withheld our freedom. When that freedom was finally obtained, Americans relished it to the point of proclaiming a declaration of independence that is still revered by today’s society. We still have this freedom because of our outstanding power, militarily and governmentally. And now, after the September 11th terrorist attacks, more and more people are beginning to feel that power. We feel it so strongly, that even when these terrorists from other countries threaten us, we stand together and fight to keep that freedom alive.
A key symbol in this particular system is the American flag. It functions as both a summarizing and elaborating symbol. The flag represents not only our country, but also our freedom, military force, democracy, independence, tolerance, and many other attributes of our country. The elements of the flag, the stars, stripes and colors, can also be elaborated on. The stars represent each state in the nation, and the stripes for each of the original thirteen colonies.
One of the main reasons America was able to maintain its freedom over the years was its incredible wealth.
Before the events of 9/11 the US had been attacked before and we were aware of possible threats. However, these threats, specifically those of Al-Qaeda were not taken seriously by American foreign policy makers or regular Americans alike, so on September 11, 2001 Americans were truly shocked by the scale of devastation and loss of life that occurred. The effect these attacks had on America was incredible. In the years that followed Americans became fearful and discriminatory of religious groups; the government created the Department of Homeland Security and enacted stricter search and seizure laws, and America’s foreign policy became defined by unilateral decision making and preemptive war.
For more than 200 years, the American flag has been a big part of the United States. Betsy Ross had been the first, reportedly, to make the American flag. It originally had thirteen stars, representing the first thirteen colonies, but later it ended up with fifty to represent the states in the Union. It is a symbol of our
“America is a Nation with a mission - and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire. Our aim is a democratic peace - a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and woman”- (George W. Bush, 2004)
Host: On September the 11th 2001, the notorious terror organisation known as Al-Qaeda struck at the very heart of the United States. The death count was approximately 3,000; a nation was left in panic. To this day, counterterrorism experts and historians alike regard the event surrounding 9/11 as a turning point in US foreign relations. Outraged and fearful of radical terrorism from the middle-east, President Bush declared that in 2001 that it was a matter of freedoms; that “our very freedom has come under attack”. In his eyes, America was simply targeted because of its democratic and western values (CNN News, 2001). In the 14 years following this pivotal declaration, an aggressive, pre-emptive approach to terrorism replaced the traditional
The flag of the United States symbolizes our nation and more.The colors of the flag were not just chosen randomly, but with meanings behind it. The specific colors wanted to be able to symbolize our country with powerful words behind it. The separate colors must be able to unite everyone as one. The flag should represent the nation, so there should
The American Flag may not look like much but it stands for the loyalty that every citizen in America has for their country. It resembles many people's love for the place they live. It also stands for the knowing that many people would die fighting for our nation. People have been loyal since America was founded and there will always be somebody that will pass on that loyalty to the flag. Another thing the flag stands for is the growing our country has done over many years.
The early Americans had been under British rule for quite a time, the founders of America had feared possible abuses of governmental powers. Our founders only wanted one thing, that is American liberty. They did not want to necessarily have a higher foreign authority ruling their colonies. Eleven years after the Declaration of Independence, Alexander Hamilton wrote, “Give all power to the many, they will oppress the few. Give all power to the few, they will oppress the many.” This is saying that if you give power to one class or one group of people, they will not please the others and will continue to tyrannize them. The other way around, will also be the same result. This is mainly because all of mankind is power-hungry. Alexander Hamilton
On September 11, 2001, our country was hit with enormous devastation, just after eight o’clock a.m. the first of the twin towers was struck by a suicide pilot, the second was struck slightly later. The towers fell just after ten o’clock a.m., devastating the entire country, and ruining the lives of many. A plane also hit the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and another in rural Pennsylvania causing just as much grief. The U.S. is still in mourning, but standing tall, more Americans showed their American pride in the following months than ever before. In the months to come the only thing that was on the minds of millions was: Should we go to war? War is necessary for the survival of our country. Going to war with Iraq is a fight against terrorism. Many people believed that going to war with Iraq is unjust. Some believe that there are other ways in looking at the situation.
There is much controversy surrounding the idea of patriotism and the iconography of the American flag in today’s society. Some believe patriotism is simply the act of supporting the decisions of the leaders of the country. Others say, to be patriotic, people should be outspoken and voice their oppositions to what is going on in the government. Opinions also differ on the idea of what the American flag represents. One opinion of the flags representation is that the flag represents our history, and the formerly mentioned idea of patriotism. Others believe the flag also represents our history as a nation, but these beliefs focus much more heavily on the negative aspects of our history; such as slavery and other injustices carried out by our nation. These people often believe we should find a new iconography for our country’s ideas of patriotism. As Barbara Kingsolver states in “And Our Flag Was Still There,” “Patriotism seems to be falling to whoever claims it loudest, and we’re left struggling to find a definition in a clamor of reaction” (Pg. 1). Therefore, every American’s duty is to define patriotism amongst the clamor of reaction, recapture the American flag’s representation, and create a new icon for the flag.
To begin with, Americans show their pride in their country by loyally defending her at all costs. America’s turf is one thing that at all costs others avoid. If someone hurts an American, be assured the patriots will commit in full-force to do whatever is necessary to bring about justice. For example, when the pirates tried to seize a U.S. ship and
Americans have long since depended on a falsified ideology of idealized life referred to as the American dream. The construct of this dream has become more elusive with the emergence of popular cultural advertisements that sell items promoting a highly gendered goal of achieving perfection. In “Masters of Desire: The Culture of American Advertising,” Jack Solomon states that ads are creating a “symbolic association between their products and what is most coveted by the consumer” to draw on the consumer’s desire to outwardly express high social standing (544). The American dream has sold the idea of equality between genders, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds, but advertisements have manipulated this concept entirely through representations
What is the American flag and what does it represent? For many Americans the flag represents freedom, pride, and justice. Our flag stands for freedom because of the many lives that had to be lost throughout history for us to be the nation we are today. The American flag stands for pride because of the many American soldiers men and women who lost their lives for us. Lastly, our flag stands for justice because in the United States no matter what crime we do we have the right to a fair trial.
Imperialism in America At the turn of the century, America and the views of its people changed. Many different ideas were surfacing about issues that affected the country as a whole. The Republican Party, led by William McKinley, was concentrating on the expansion of the United States and looking to excel in power and commerce. The Democratic Party at this time was led by William Jennings Bryan, who was absorbed in a sponge of morality and was concerned with the rights of man.
...o captivating. Additionally, it does make an extensive number of appearances at various ceremonies and great events, such as the opening ceremonies of sporting events and national holidays such as Independence and Memorial Day. However, “The Star Spangled Banner” embodies a much broader and more abstruse, cryptic connotation. It illustrates America’s attitude of perseverance when facing seemingly indomitable adversities or unachievable ambitions. It represents America’s unfaltering faith, traditional values, and ethical laws that have come to characterize America’s individuality. It signifies America’s past, a historic reminder that unites the people and instills, in their hearts, a profound sense of patriotism and glory. Most of all, “The Star Spangled Banner” symbolizes the truth of what America truly means–“the land of the free and the home of the brave”.
The American Ideological Consensus is that “…the American people have shared much of the same ideals, the same basic principles, and the same patterns of belief” (McClenaghan 104). When America filled itself with ideologically homogenous people, their beliefs started to define our nation and became American identities. If asked what they think of America, peoples of other nations would say that the roads are made of glass, opportunity is in the air, and civil rights are plentiful. These accounts maybe accentuated; however, the underlying message is that the American people have more freedoms then the peoples of other nations do. The most widely known American identity is freedom, and even though that American identity has been tried and tested throughout much of its history, it can still be said that America is a land of liberty.