Why is America a "Superpower"

[ladytera]

In several threads, we've wandered into the past "evils" of America, we've wandered into the current and recent political turmoil in America, and we've wandered into the concept of nationalism. We've touched on a lot of what America has done, good and bad. In all of this, I've come across a question that keeps resounding in my mind whenever there is a criticism of our rights, our policies both foreign and domestic, our government, and our economic structure.

America has the longest running form of government on the planet. There have been no modifications to the electoral system and the Representative Republic government we have in over two hundred years, with the exception of the term limits change to the Presidency. In that two hundred years, we have had one civil war, and ultimately, the United States of America won and remained. But, in the United States, each and every election has resulted in the peaceful transfer of power, even during and after the civil war, and the preservation of the country and our way of life. This is pretty significant, and has not been achieved by any other nation currently in existence.

In the more than two hundred years we have been in existence, we have fought off foreign invasion, we have abolished slavery, we have grown and prospered as a nation. Our economy is the strongest in the world. Our people are the freest in the world (although there are other countries that have many of the same freedoms). And as others have noted, we have the most influence on world events, and take the most responsibility for them. Even the poorest in our nation are better cared for than the wealthy in many nations.

So, my question to you is this: Why are all those things true of America?

Couple notes on this topic. Please notice that it is in the discussion section, rather than the debate section. There is a reason for that. This thread is intended as a learning experience for all of us about what makes this country tick, not a place to voice a litany of complaints about the US. If you want to simply complain that the US is a superpower, start a different thread in the debate section. I'll come and argue with you there. So, keep it civil, no insults for the sake of insulting, and please explain the reasons you believe what you believe so we can have an interesting and spirited conversation and not get bogged down in mud slinging.

Other than that, have fun, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

ETA: Please note, those of you from around the world, this discussion is open to you all as well. Outside perspectives are welcome, and dialog promotes understanding.

[Bubba's Dad]

Why is America a superpower?

Her people, combined with Capitalism, combined with freedom.

Americans are individuals, who come together to achieve coma goals. The first Americans, who I call Indians despite the politically incorrect nature of the term today, built cultures on the idea of individualism. The most loyal Indian warrior was still an individual, and expressed it in his dress and paint. When Europeans first came to these shores, much of the cultural aspects of the Indian lifestyle may have offended the white man, but the individualism struck a cored. By the time of the American Revolution, many frontiersman combined Indian influences with European influences to create a truly American style of dress, speech, and culture.

Lets take a look at an average frontiersman at about 1780. A simple man, with leggings and breechclout cut from English wool, a homemade shirt from Russian hemp cloth, shoes cut from American elk, and on his head a hat cut from beaver, raccoon, or maybe even a recycled English felt tri corn. At his waist he has a French trade tomahawk, a Spanish knife, and a deer skin shot bag full of homemade rifle balls cast from English lead. Under his arm he has a personalized and highly decorated set of powder horns, one with expensive English priming powder, one with standard French powder. And the whole outfit decorated with Cherokee or Mohawk or other Indian style bead work and other artwork. And in his hand he has a long rifle, slender, accurate and as individual as he is. The barrel was forged in Pennsylvania, the lock made in Belgium, the flint from England, the stock is American maple and the whole was crafted by the best artisan-gunsmiths ever to leave Prussia. In in this mans mind is the idea of freedom, and the idea of his own exceptionalism, and his individualism. The idea that yes, you can.

This individualism has survived the Revolution, has been embraced and enshrined in our Constitution, and lives on today. But it is only one factor, after all, the Samurai of old Japan were just as individualistic, yet they shunned capitalism and freedom. Capitalism, combined with freedom, creates an environment for the individual to go just as far as his or her talents will allow. In 1790, a black slave named April was born into the capitalistic anti-bellum world of the fledgling US. By 1816 April was freed by the magistrate after showing he had skills to allow him to make a living and not be a burden to the local society. By 1820, now using his adopted name William Ellison, he had a reputation for building cotton gins, and contracted regularly with white plantation owners. By 1860, Ellison owned 44 slaves himself, and owned 900 acres of land. It was not the utopian concept of equal outcome that allowed this lowly slave to elevate himself to be one of the wealthiest is South Carolina at the time, but rather his freedom, and the use of capitalism. White slave owners were perfectly willing to contract with a former slave if it was to their financial benefit. And yes, I see the irony of a former slave using slave labor as his way of participating in capitalism. Once slavery was abolished after the Civil War, (a war in which Williams family fought in-on the side of the South) the road to bettering ones self was opened to all comers, and still is today. That road, is capitalism.

Lets look again at or frontiersman. He is in reality, a self employed small business owner. He may do some trapping for hides, but his real income comes from guiding and interpreting, for he is multilingual. He also is in the trade business, and may even own small shares in shipping outfits in the “civilized” world. And, he is a member of the militia, citizens who are ready when needed to stand against any emergency, with their own firearms and at their own expense, individuals coming together for a common defense. With out fully embracing capitalism, this life style would not be possible. Other counties use capitalism, like Britain, to expand empires and elevate the state, Americans use capitalism to elevate the individual.

Freedom is the final key. The individual must be allowed the ability to use his or her talents and be awarded for it. Britain, while embracing capitalism as a means for the state to prosper, often stifled individual business freedoms. By granting privet armies and navies to business monopolies such as the East Indian Trading company and the Hudson Bay trading company, business became a component of the government, eliminating the free market. Other European countries have done the same through out history, never realizing the full opportunities a free market under the capitalistic system offers. Today, high European taxes stifle any attempt at a free market.