Tyranny is Tyranny, Let it Come from Who it May
When talking about the American revolution, one must remember that it was always about the division of power and capital first, and freedoms for the common folk last. When it came to actually fighting the war against the British Empire, those who were the most vocal about it (the rich) were also the ones who could pay their way out of serving in the Army. Zinn (2022) quotes the slogans of riots when it turned out that the revolution was meant to be fought for the rich, by the poor: “Tyranny is tyranny, let it come from who it may!” (p. 45). This situation draws parallels with modern division between Democrats and Republicans. Both sides taut slogans of freedom, fighting against racism, making America great again, while demonizing the other side. Both sides have rich backers with their own goals and demands. Both sides are responsible for the situation the US is now in. And both parties want the poor and the destitute to fight the nascent civil war for them.
Imperialist USA Then and Now
The character of the USA is not that of a freedom-loving, independent, democratic nation, but that of a brutal conqueror. When the colonists first settled on the shores of the new continent they discovered, the natives met them cautiously, but peacefully. Had they known any better, they were ought to destroy them the moment they landed. Throughout its history, the nascent American state “conquered, butchered, and genocided the indigenous people of North America” (Dunbar-Ortiz, 2014, p. 93). They saw it as their right to impose their views, values, and control over others, through force of arms. Nowadays, since the entirety of modern US has been conquered, they bring their views outward. In the past 30 years the US has engaged in over 25 foreign conflicts, all of which it has either started or sponsored. This motion is not different from the events happening 300 years ago (Mack et al., 2018). The white man knows what is best, and the locals are paying the price for it.
References
Bouie, J., & Alberta, T. (2022). Is America headed for another civil war?The New York Times. Web.
Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2014). An indigenous peoples’ history of the United States. Beacon Press.
Mack, A., Plant, D., & Doyle, U. (Eds.). (2018). Imperialism Intervention and development. Routledge.
Zinn, H. (2022). Chapter 4: Tyranny is tyranny. Web.