Reflection+Democracy

The Gatsby quote could be true of many aspects of being American, but it fits particularly well in the context of the American foreign policy that has developed since the turn of the century. We have always held democracy in great esteem, probably to our disadvantage since American democracy is far from perfect. Nevertheless, when Theodore Roosevelt campaigned as a police force throughout the world, it was the "spread of democracy" that justified all of our actions. The trend of his proactive foreign policies has come in and out of popularity over the last century, but when policing has been our greatest interests it has been at a great cost, and left little room for democracy. In Asia we were wrapped up in two unsuccessful wars costing thousands of American lives, billions of dollars, either dividing the foreign lands or leaving them in shambles. Democracy became secondary to displaying the power of the U.S. In Latin America we were generally successful in imposing our interests on central American countries, yet we established brutal dictatorships to reach these ends (Somoza). In Iraq today we see the same trends; the American government invading a distant country with little plan except the vague promise of democracy.