Times evoke
It’s the 4ᵗʰ of July — happy birthday, US of A! There is perhaps no country more contradictory than the US, shaped together by pride, prejudice and possibility. America’s very origins stand in the teasing tides of hope — it welcomed migrants, many finding economic opportunity and social dignity on its shores. However, even as the world’s tired and poor breathed free, America kept a cruelly captured class of African-American slaves, unpaid and unrecognised, enriching its factories and plantations. America shows a moral ark, evolving from the bitter pathos of ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ to the triumph of its 44ᵗʰ President Barack Obama . The intervening era saw America search its soul — and find it. America’s heart has shown itself in other ways too. Consider its energising women’s liberation movement and its environmental campaigns which looked deep into the smog, asking if unending growth was worth it.
As it evolved, America’s people became that unusual site where heady philosophy and grounding science can meet — US ironies continued as the world’s largest historical emitter also became a champion of scientific organisations, illuminating, via data-based precision, exactly how humans are wrecking our planet. Perhaps one feature stood steadfast in American life — its belief in capitalism. The market, with its broad equality and careful rules, bore the test of time — while a weary Soviet Union finally crumpled, America celebrated its freedom with open markets that encouraged investment and innovation. Democracy and dollars intertwined — but, in a trademark US twist, that too became a chokehold. The market grew into a gargantuan ‘military-industrial complex’ which decides when the world’s most heavily-armed superpower leaps into war — citizens seeking peace are increasingly marginalised before a battle-thirsty behemoth, marching to the soundless swish of cryptocurrency. American media also plays a seminal role in the republic’s life — while some parts twist public favour towards tyrants, others remain a voice of courage and conscience, highlighting the infractions producing a Disunited States.
All these ironies hold lessons for others — as that American icon ‘Spiderman’ put it pithily, with great power comes great responsibility. In our times, this means tackling climate change, democratic erosions and war with honesty. India is both a modern economic power and an ancient democracy. As TE’s global experts point out, us observing the US can only help the world. Join Times Evoke in wishing the USA happy birthday — for all its nightmarish contradictions, between Broadway and bombs, it’s still the only country with a ‘dream’ named after it. Catch the latest world news and top headlines. Download the TOI App.