America Must Join the International Community Essay -- Politics Politi

For the past century, Americans have viewed the United States as standing as a symbol of strength, freedom, and prosperity. Recently, however, this symbol of higher society has been directly attacked by those who strongly disagree with the values projected by the United States. This is one of the first times that the stance of America has even been questioned. The answer to this is scattered in many places and divided into two different categories-- where the people of America stand as citizens of a country under attack, and were America as a nation stands in global respects. The people of America have been taught and expect to have the right to trust their government. The Constitution and governing institutions are set to serve the people and their rights. However, in past situations of war, American citizens have been deceived and blatantly lied to. In 1964, President Lyndon B Johnson officially declared war on Vietnam. The action that directly influenced this declaration is known as the Tonkin Gulf Incident. A US destroyer was attacked and sunk in the international waters of the Tonkin Gulf. President Johnson conveniently left out information to Congress and American citizens and called this attack unprovoked and used it as an excuse to launch full-scale mobilization. He eagerly exploited symbolism and patriotism while deceiving the American public as well as Congress. The government continued to hide details of how devastating the progress and causalities were throughout the duration of the war. Most Americans today still wonder what went on during Op eration Desert Storm during the late 1980's and are mostly let in the dark about incidents in Kosovo. It is hard to leave your immediate future in the hands of a government t... ... back us militarily, and now it is America's turn to recognize these nations as economic and cultural equals. The United States has always been the first nation to assist others when times of need. Never before have these favors been asked for reciprocation. This constant requirement to help others in need has also helped Americans to build egos and look upon the country as indestructible. Having to ask other nations for support is a humbling experience for the United States and will be an important agent in assisting the incorporation of America into the global network. As devastating as these past events have been to the confidence of the American people, perhaps the catastrophe can be used in a positive way. This attack was an indirect call on Americans to open their eyes and look toward the rest of the globe and open their arms to the international community.