Vista - An Unfinished Nation

Hey guys,

I am currently writing a paper in my History class about the working class in America. I thought I might post my introduction, in hope of some review/comments. Any suggestions as to where I should go with this would be appreciated.

Title of paper:

An Unfinished Nation: Economic Insecurity and Exploitation

Introduction:

The United States of America is a nation founded under the ideals that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A nation that ordained and established a constitution, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to themselves and their posterity. In other words, an unfinished nation. A government of the poeple, for the people, and by the people, can only be truly established when political and economic despotism have been abolished, and class rule is at end. Moreover, it can only be achieved when a classless society that guarantees full democratic rights for all workers is established; an end to the economic insecurity and exploitation of the working class in America. With these principles and virtues acknowledged in the United states of America, the most primary freedom would be obtained by all Americans, economic freedom.

lol, Nobody has any opinions on the following socialistic implications? =P

that's a big topic--you're up to the task?

it's a good start...

this is just an invitation to open this;



......please don't get me started on the collection of States that has the highest percentage rate of incarcerated human beings [3 million, more or less], in the world; that is the largest Police State [Civil and Military] in the world; that has given the rest of us on this Earth, all the good things in life - McDs, KFC, Dennys, Subway etc; that didn't until my lifetime, recognise the sanctity of basic Human Rights for all of it's citizens.......and on, and on, and on...

The simple fact remains that the USA will never achieve economic freedom, especially while China looms as the biggest economic powerhouse that this world has ever seen.

lol, I agree with you. Unfortunately China is a communist country, so their people don't really have many "freedoms."

But I have heard that Sweden has the highest standard of living, and they are a Socialist country.

@ mpcrsc562 - Well I'm already on my 6th page. (started writing the paper about 6 hours ago) lol... hopefully I'm up for it. I think I am, I've made some good points thus far.

hm..... very interesting.... well i can tell you know the country that was founded those 200+ years ago is not what we have today.... we are becoming more and more socalist with every step.... except the people who run the grovernment are pushing what they want to see our nation as on everyone. which is dooming us to failure.....

Yes you are quite correct. I was discussing the issue with my grandfather earlier today. We talked about how Sweden has the highest standard of living; but Sweden is also smaller than California. The fact that they are a small country and are mostly the same nationality, with the same basic values, makes socialism work for their country.

America however, is too diverse of a country and has too many people from different backgrounds and different values. That is why socialism wouldn't work in America. It's a great concept and all, but the biggest fault is in Human Nature. People will always be greedy and want more than they need, it's in their nature. Thus, socialism would never work in the United states.

I'm just writing this paper to appeal to my instructor's ideologies; so I can get an A. lol

This will be a very difficult and controversial subject. You will have to put a lot more meat on the bone.
My observation of the US in the last 50 years (of which I lived 15 years in the US) is that the US is not really a nation in the classic sense of the word and the Americans are not really a people but rather a collection of diverse settlers that live on this land. And despite (or mabe because of) the size of the country, the society is very parochial. There is no central goverment that really cares for the people - and if it tries to, it is called socialist (which, of course, is ridiculous).
This is going to be an interesting discussion and I am sure that you will have a lot of "helpers".

Yes, this subject will require a lot of emphasis and detail.

Your observation on "Americans being a collection of diverse settlers that live on this land" reminds me of the theory of an American Empire, or imperialism.


William Jennings Bryan, Democratic Party presidential candidate in 1900, said:

“ Imperialism is the policy of an empire, and an empire is a nation composed of different races living under varying forms of government. A republic cannot be an empire, for a republic rests upon the theory that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and colonialism violate this theory (...) Our experiment in colonialism has been unfortunate. Instead of profit it has brought loss. Instead of strength it has brought weakness. Instead of glory it has brought humiliation.[7] ”

That same year, Mark Twain, a leader and founding member of the American Anti-Imperialist League, wrote:

“ I have read carefully the treaty of Paris, and I have seen that we do not intend to free, but to subjugate the people of the Philippines. We have gone there to conquer, not to redeem. It should, it seems to me, be our pleasure and duty to make those people free, and let them deal with their own domestic questions in their own way. And so I am an anti-imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land.[8]

Excerpt from: American Empire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia