Ilejay, Argent
May 10, 2008
Forward to the Past
As a person who rarely learns from his pasts, I never really thought that learning history was super important. I thought it was interesting and full of interesting facts but I just never really thought about the use of history until this year. This year I thought about what the role of history was and that role is to learn from our mistakes as humans, learn why people are the way they are and why certain countries have certain political and religious perspectives. History gives us the answer as blatant as the sun shining down on the earth. This new perception of history has caused me to think about America’s goals and my role as an American citizen living in America.
Thinking of my impact towards history is quite meager at the moment. I do not see myself as altering the course of history at all during my life time. I feel as if I am just a worker bee working his 9 to 5 daily existence until he perishes like the other workers. His contributions help the hive cluster function yet is not thanked for it as his job is taken fore granted . I guess this is similar to the truckers out there who deliver the goods and supplies to markets for us to buy. No one gives thanks to the truckers who truck on through hundreds of miles from all over the country to deliver. I mean when was the last time someone you know said, “Thank you Mr. Trucker! Thank you for all your hard work to give us the food we buy to have something to eat on our dinner plates.” The people today have always grown up with the idea that when you walk into a store food is ready. And I guess this links to their mind with the connection of food and stores. If that person is hungry then they would think of going to a store. But this is just speculation. I think this way because it is how I have grown up. Before I knew that those giant cars that my dad would overtake carried anything I just connected that food was magically made in stores. Then I learned that I was wrong and shipments from all over the places require the assistance of land (trucks), sea (tankers, cargo ships) and air (shipment plannes).
Our past is what helps shape our present and the present in turn affects our future. Learning about our past is important because it affects today’s world, which in turn causes this chain reaction that affects the future. Should people not learn about history than many would not know the why in our present. Take the Cuban embargo that is currently happening. People would know that there is an embargo. But that leaves the question of why. With history we can show people the what, when, where, why and how about the embargo. The rationale of the Domino Theory (theory that if one country adopted Communism, then surrounding countries would absorb Communism as well) and the failed assassination attempts on Fidel Castro and how this affected our relations with Russia. History has the answers to the question of why things are the way they are today.
The Civil War and the Communism scare in America has changed my view on the American persona. I used to believe that America was a mother with open arms accepting children from all over the world to stay at her house, which America does. But after learning about how Lincoln freed the slaves only because slavery was the dividing issue between the Union and the Confederates, left me to believe that America is out for protecting itself. Further into the future during the rise of Communism further revealed the truth about America. The truth that America is out for herself and tries to bully people into doing what she wants. The Vietnamese War, The Korean War, The Cold War, The 638 assassination attempts on Fidel Castro and many others are all American duels due to America’s prejudice on Communism. America had no business in another country’s politics and just wanted to bully other countries into a democracy. Whether this is wrong or right, it is clear that America has been bullying other countries and after learning about the Domino Theory, it is clear as to why America has a deep seated hatred for Communist Countries and Fidel Castro.
Learning about the slippery slope of known as The Domino Theory has shown me how much I really know about my own country, which is not much. I never would have guessed that this theory is what drove America to sniff its nose into other countries business. I just knew that countries were fighting due to Communism and that America did not like Communism. Thus automatically making Communism bad in my mind. Not knowing this left me to ponder about what I still do not know about America. Although I did not research, I feel out of the loop. I feel like those privates in the military who go out and die because they are told to by their superiors and could not disobey orders. I assume I feel this way because our society is set up this way. Laws tell us we can not do this or that, schools in a way teach obedience and doing what I have been told is really all I know in this society.
Figuring out that our society is based upon obedience and punishment I began to wonder why are laws based upon punishment instead of reward. The philosopher Hobbes once stated, “During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that conditions called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against every man.” and I assume that Hobbes said this because humanity is cut throat. We live our lives by dog eat dog. Should there be no laws to keep humans in check, we would assault and harm each other daily. Regulations are what keep our society functioning. And as an adult of this society my job is to keep it functioning by working my 9 to 5.
My existence as a normal citizen will be similar to my parents and the many others out there who lived normal lives. I will probably cause no change in the fabric of history and disintegrate to push up daisies. But I know that although I singularly have no power to cause change, being part of a majority of people can cause change. And it is by obtaining knowledge of certain propositions and voting for candidates whom I deem the most worthy to run city, state or country will I change the course of history. And it is in this sense of living a normal existence in a democracy that I have the power to cause change. Having this power comes with great responsibility. This power in tandem with others, can cause change that can be beneficial or harmful to society. But my vote is all the power I have and whether the person I voted for wins or loses, harms or strengthens the community, it is out of my hands.
As an average American, life is not so bad. Gas prices are an annoyance but at least I live somewhere where I can have a car and drive someplace relatively safe. I have the power to have a say, despite how meaningless my say is by itself. Life is not so hard in America compared to the countless of other countries who have it worse off. Despite America’s dark dealings, I have come to accept it as we can not change the past. But it is through the past can we change the future. Knowing that America creates concerns and uses these concerns to invade other countries such as Korea, Vietnam and even today in Iraq, I realize that I can help change the future through voting. Voting is my say. The average American way to bring about change be it for benefit or disaster, the average American has power in this sense. Yet, this power is rooted in history itself. Why does one group vote a certain way in certain states? The answer can be brought about in history. And it is through realizing this power to dig up the bones that I have been more inclined to research more about the American way of invasion and why grudges are present in our society today. The effect of history on the present is incalculable. Life as we know it is directly attune to the past. The prejudices we have today are prime examples of our past history and it is understanding our history are we able to learn from it and prevent those mistakes and understand why people are the way they are. History is our link to understanding the troubles of today and how they will affect our tomorrow.
