American Hegemony

The United States government, in its attempt to instill cultural hegemony in the Middle East, has been responsible for thousand of lives and has abused the potential for any real democracy. It has used military strength to conquer and imperialize nations of its choice and justified its actions with the right to spread American values around the world.

            The United States continues to find itself mired in a deadly civil war in Iraq, with American soldiers sustaining heavy casualties, America’s population divided, and the country at odds with many people and governments around the world. People everywhere – Americans and millions in other nations – remain angry and confused.  Many critics maintain that America is stoking the fires of revolution and destruction, rather than extinguishing them; destroying freedom in the name of freedom; waging war in the name of peace. Still it appears that the U.S. is reaping the rewards of a foreign policy driven by the thirst for power and economic self-interest, ineptly masked by high-sounding rationales that crumple in the face of reality.

            The advance of American cultural hegemony restricts the freedom of other nations, a freedom it claims to represent. A Washington supported group called “Future for Iraq” composed a project entitled “Preserving Iraq’s Cultural heritage,” with the task of bringing democracy to Iraq.  One recommendation made by the “Future for Iraq” in the interest of protecting freedom of speech is contained in a report titled “Free Media” which “proposed that all Iraqi journalists be taken out of the country for a month-long reeducation process:  “Those who ‘get it’ go back as a reporter; others would be retired or reassigned.”