The Koreas Divided and the Future? Part Three

Part Three: Korea Divided

            The Korean War failed to unify the peninsula to the satisfaction of either the Western powers, Communist powers or the Koreans. North Korea and South Korea evolved in radically different ways. North Korea became a repressive, Stalinist dictatorship. South Korea eventually became a politically progressive, capitalist state. Elements of ancient Confucian attitudes remain strong in both countries, albeit in wildly different forms. Neither nation’s journey was easy or is complete. The dream of unification remains elusive. This situation is best addressed with examinations of the culture and politics of the two Koreas.

North Korea:

            The North Korean regime wants to survive. North Korea wants recognition by, not war with the United States. To do so they practice a sophisticated form of brinksmanship. While the leadership and diplomatic corps may be very knowledgeable about the West; the people live in a 1950”s time-warp with very little awareness of the outside world. North Korea is the only country in history with a hereditary-Communist line of succession. This fact in itself is problematic because of the talents or personalities of the leaders vary and because the ideological underpinnings of the state are essentially dysfunctional. The current, “Dear Leader”, Kim Jong Il is reputed to be in poor health. The matter of who takes power next is unclear to Western observers although some made an educated guess that it may be his third son, Kim Jong Woong. However; the relatively unknown and untested third (but probably the least eccentric and tough) son, Kim Jong Un was promoted to power with much fanfare. A power struggle could ensue with unknown consequences. This combination of a volatile, cunning leadership when mixed with an ignorant (in terms of understanding the outside world), desperate populace is most dangerous.

South Koreans say that, “We are the pretty people; they (the North Koreans) are the tough people.” This is somewhat true. High fashion and glamour are important parts of South Korean life. North Koreans must be tough to survive in their own isolated country with its Siberian winters. North Korea is one of the rare nations on earth that has actually lost population in some recent years due to famine. The North Koreans have made this attitude towards hardship part of their official “myth”. The Korean word for this concept is “chuch’e” or “self reliance. The leadership is cloaked in Confucian glory while the people are urged to endure. A few brief vignettes now follow to illustrate my points.

The founder of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kim Il Sung is deified in a “Godless Communist” country as the “Great Leader”. The reverence towards the top North Korean leaders is a carefully managed cult that reaches all the way back to the Korean creation myths for substance. He (Kim) began his rise to power as a guerrilla leader during the Japanese occupation of China and Korea. Once he took power he quickly established a powerful, centralized and militaristic state. The generals and bureaucrats supported these moves for their share of power and to keep living. During the long Cold War from 1946 to 1989 North Korea was a client state of the great Communist powers. The Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China propped up the regime. Trade with other Communist nations was flowed freely. Things became shaky, to say the least after the Berlin Wall fell and Communist governments in Europe began to topple. Matters got worse when the Soviet Union fell to be replaced by the Russian Confederation. North Korea became more isolated from the world and the spigot of aid was cut off. The centralized Soviet style economy was usually in a tail-spin. Their only reliable ally became China yet China appears to be losing patience (maybe) with North Korea shenanigans as well. Russian and Chinese trade with South Korea has increased dramatically. The North Koreans resorted to provocative measures in order to ensure a flow of cash. Among these are the sale of nuclear and missile technology to Islamic nations including Pakistan, the manufacture of recreational designer drugs for the black-market and the counterfeiting of pretty good looking US $100.00 bills. North Korea routinely sends spies to the famed electronic markets in Tokyo. The purpose is to purchase the latest devices and silicon chips and convert these items into military technologies.

The West and well meaning Non-Governmental Organizations around the world now face a constant dilemma or moral problem. No one liked the regime and no one wanted the people to starve. The North Korean government knows this. So, much of North Korean diplomacy, no matter how bizarre or threatening it may seem to the outside observer is an attempt to gain attention in order to keep the aid flowing. This is why acts by the North Koreans that make little sense to us make a great deal of sense internally to the regime. The well known propensity of the North Koreans to break off negotiations with other parties is a perfect example of this. Diplomatic talks will break down because North Korea wants to deal only with the Americans or because they unexpectedly hike their demands for food-aid or fuel oil. The situation is akin to that of a child acting out in order to gain any, even negative attention. Nevertheless, as contradictory as it seems, the North Koreans cling to their ideal of self reliance because it makes sense in terms of internal propaganda and they actually are very tough minded people. This all adds up to an almost impossible diplomatic headache. Maybe not; it is hopeful to recall that the North Koreans fell all over themselves to entertain US Secretary of State Madeline Albright when President Bill Clinton sent her to North Korea.

Kim Il Sung was followed by one of his sons, Kim Jong Il. “The Dear Leader” is a very different type of beast than his father. Kim Jong Il does not have a military background. He is more interested in the arts, especially film. In his early days in power he was known as a notorious “party animal”. His antics included heavy drinking, smoking far too many cigarettes, kidnapping a Japanese actress and others for his film productions and sending his personal chef around the world to procure delicacies. He is liable to order all the women at a party to strip and dance naked under a mirror ball. While it may be “fun to be the king”, Kim should never be underestimated. He has cleaned up his behavior due to possible strokes and cancer. The country remains under tight control. He is worshipped as a semi-divine hero and he retains the strategic sense of his father.

In addition to the dreaded million man army he fields; Kim has a great deal of artillery, one of the largest and most active submarine fleets in the world, missiles of increasing range and low yield atomic weapons. Lest we panic at the thought; all of this is balanced by the very talented, well equipped South Korean army of 750,000 to 800,000 troops and 35,000 in US ground forces plus the US Seventh Fleet (which is also assigned to patrol the international waters between China and Taiwan). The North Koreans did respond well to periods of rapprochement under Presidents Carter and Clinton. The greatest recent problem had to do with nuclear weapons and the US administration of President George W. Bush. The conservative argument on this matter is valid. The North Koreans were being sneaky and breaking some articles of nuclear-reactor agreements with the US. However, it is clear that the North Korean nuclear program accelerated after the famed 2003 “Axis of Evil” State of the Union speech. The North Koreans observed the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and obviously felt they needed to play the atomic card. They are aware that the United States has multiple, intractable problems in the Middle East. The “Six Party Talks” between South Korea, North Korea, the United States, Russia, China and Japan are on and off depending on the most recent crisis. As of this writing, North Korea is quiet. They regime is probably watching American financial and international dilemmas while maneuvering for position in the on and off Six Party Talks. Expect surprises.

South Korea:

Dwight D. Eisenhower won the 1952 presidential election in part because he promised to end the Korean War. Adlai Stevenson and the Democrats were generally forced into a defense posture during the 1950”s as fear of a global Communist triumph enflamed the American mind. The dual losses of China and Korea led the Democrats to take an unfortunate stand in Vietnam because it was politically impossible to be soft on Communism and win US elections. The war did end in 1953 with an armistice or basically a cease fire. South Korea was wrecked. There were famines, insurrections, hordes of refugees and very complicated prisoner of war exchanges to deal with. The United States began to pour billions of dollars of aid into the South while paying little attention as to how South Korea was governed. Prior to 1980 the country was dominated by rightist-militarist governments. The second great force in South Korean life became the six “chaebols” or gigantic corporations. South Korea industrialized rapidly in terms of steel-making, ship-building, chemicals and textiles. The combination of American money, the Confucian work-ethic and corporate power led to what is known as, “The Miracle on the Han”, named for the river that runs through Seoul.

The major figure in South Korean politics became President Park Chung Hee. Park was educated in Japan and served in both the Japanese and South Korean militaries. He came to America’s attention as the leader of a military coup in 1961. He won the presidency three times and in 1974 he declared martial-law while throwing out the South Korean Constitution. The United States was attempting to extricate itself from Vietnam at this time. The Watergate scandal and the fall of Richard Nixon further distracted Washington as Park’s rule became harsher. (It is worth noting that the United States almost went to war during the term of President Gerald Ford when North Korean soldiers killed two American officers who were trimming a tree on the DMZ. A similar situation was to arise when President Bill Clinton discovered that the North Korean nuclear program was expanding in regardless of the festivities in DPRK when Secretary of State Madeline visited.). The Americans were attempting to clear their line of sight. The officers were beaten to death with steel pipes and axes. Park was able to totally dominate South Korean life but not without opposition. He survived an assassination attempt that killed his wife (the South Korean First Lady). He repeatedly jailed the leader of the liberal opposition, Kim Dae Jung. He unleashed a savage secret police service and used torture. Relations with Japan were pushed to the breaking point because while the assassination attempt appeared to be a North Korean plot, the assassins staged their attack from Japan. Park began a South Korean nuclear program with assistance from France. South Korea has many nuclear power plants today; so, the assumption must be made that if South Korea wanted the atomic bomb, they could build it quickly.

Park was assassinated in 1979 by the head of his own intelligence agency, the KCIA. For all of his toughness; he is remembered fondly by many South Koreans. He was a polite, demure almost shy man; a very different type than the larger than life Communist leader Kim Il Sung. Park was good in funding projects that pleased his people. He is credited in many quarters with creating and building the South Korean university system; an act especially endearing to the Confucian/Koreans who revere education. During this period President Jimmy Carter played a crucial role. Carter is a moral man who is not comfortable with the hard pragmatism of “realpolitik”. The president spent a great deal of his time on a plan to withdraw American troops from the DMZ and Korea. Carter encountered resistance from the South Koreans and from within his own administration. These efforts, ironically, led to the political weakening of President Park and perhaps, to his assassination.

Matters got worse for both Carter and the Koreans. In 1980 there was a massive student-democracy uprising in the far southern city of Kwangju. Various labor unions, student and democracy groups were protesting across the country. The National Assembly in Seoul was closed and sealed by force. By this time President Carter had enormous problems due to the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Under the terms of the “Joint Forces Agreement” the Americans have nominal control of South Korean forces (a situation that current ROK governments constantly push to change). The US had little option when the South Korean government cracked down. Heavily armed, elite divisions of ROK troops, supported by armor attacked the city. The residents of Kwangju fought back. The soldiers rampaged with the bayonet, assault rifles, and machine-guns. The protestors were run over, literally squashed with tanks. It was a horrific massacre.

At the moment of his electoral defeat in 1980 Carter gained a victory that proved crucial for Korean democracy. President Carter briefed President-elect Ronald Reagan on the situation in Korea. Carter asked Reagan to continue diplomatic pressure on the South Koreans with the purpose of freeing and protecting Kim Dae Jung. Although there was no more talk of US forces withdrawing; Reagan kept his promise and the liberal leader was freed. This was the true birth of the democratic South Korea we know today. South Korea gained the world stage when it hosted the 1988 Olympic Games. This led North Korea to engage in yet another fit of bizarre, jealous behavior that included the assassinations of South Korean diplomats and the destruction of South Korean jet-liners. The Soviet Union also shot down a Korean Airlines 747 when it strayed near the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Russians had a visual sighting of the enormous sky-blue passenger jet meaning that their claims it was an enemy fighter plane of some sort were ridiculous. The Americans and South Koreans were enraged and the tenuous peace in Korea teetered towards disaster again. In spite of this and an almost endless list of other provocations there was no second Korean War. Kim Dae Jung eventually won the presidency and the Noble Peace Prize. There were some scandals during his term; however Kim came up with possibly the most promising solution for re-unification, “The Sunshine Policy”. This program has three phases.

#1: Rapprochement or cooperation in the form of increased trade, aid to the North, family visits, rail-links, air-links and contacts at the highest levels of both governments. I witnessed South Koreans crying with joy when Kim Dae Jung flew to Pyongyang to meet with Kim Jong Il. The increasing communication between the two Koreas was of enormous value in both the symbolic and real senses. This policy was progressing fairly well during the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton. Clinton was far more wary about North Korea than generally believed by conservative Americans. At one point he seriously considered attacking the North due to the DPRK”s nuclear experimentation. He was quite displeased when former President Carter appeared to exceed the parameters of his diplomatic brief on a visit to the North in 1993. Carter actually did fairly well in terms of calming tensions; but given the ongoing dilemma of what to do about North Korea, that depends on your point of view.

#2: A period of Confederation in which both governments, North and South continue to exist. The hope here is that the old guard Communists and extreme right-wingers would be allowed to fade away while moderates on both sides slowly come to understand and trust each other. Televised images of Western reporters prodding proud, aging Communist generals with questions are an unimaginable, embarrassing and dangerous fantasy. We know the horrors of war in Korea. The question is; can re-unification be accomplished without politically impossible appeasements? Perhaps; one small, glimmering, symbolic example of “The Sunshine Policy” or theory in action is the fact that the two Koreas compete together in the Olympics.

#3: Finally; re-unification, the cherished dream of Koreans on both sides of the border. This would be accomplished with constitutional constraints. Basically stated, if the Communists won an open election they would not be allowed to use their majority to overthrow democracy. There is no time-table for “The Sunshine Policy”. To risk a stereotype; this may be the type of Asian thinking that tends to frustrate Americans.

Kim Dae Jung was President of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. He was followed by another liberal Roh (pronounced “Noh”) Moo Hyun from 2003 to 2008. Both these liberal governments were rocked by various scandals. The current president is Lee Myung Bak, a conservative. One interesting international mess of the very recent past was the anti-US demonstrations in South Korea over imports of American beef. Many people here view South Korea as a dirty and over industrialized country with some justification. Yet, Koreans are very clean people and there are inexpensive bath-houses and saunas everywhere in the South at least. It should give one pause to consider that the Koreans felt American meat is both unhealthy and an import threat or balance of trade problem. The ROK uses protective tariffs to its advantage. One product that is largely blocked is American wines and unfortunate situation because Koreans do enjoy wine and the US certainly needs to raise cash via trade. While I may digress here; it is important to remember that both Koreas will act in what they perceive to be their national self interest.

President Lee and his administration are now dealing with crisis upon crisis provoked by the North Koreans. Recently a South Korean naval vessel went down under very suspicious circumstances in disputed waters (fishing rights in islands claimed by many nations in the area) meaning that it was torpedoed by the North. Then the North shelled Southern islands leading to much consternation, damage and horror. These actions led to separate, quick summit meetings between both Koreas and the Chinese. One conference with the North was especially odd because it featured an opera written by Kim Jong Il. Putting aside the ongoing gravity of this situation; these incidents do illustrate that every time an observer or writer or diplomat assumes that there might be a somewhat calm period in which some progress might be made some new, frustrating and dangerous twist occurs. Yet, as noted, this is how things are when dealing with North Korea.

“The Sunshine Policy” may be attacked as being both naïve and quixotic given the crazy circumstances of recent Korean history. Nevertheless; it offers hope. One only had to see the stony look on Kim Dae Jung’s face after his last visit before leaving office with President George W. Bush to understand the depth of this hope. Given recent events; the dream of re-unification seems to be nothing more than a dwindling fantasy. It will be difficult enough to get any of the parties to negotiate again. It is well to remember that North Korea is expert at surprising the world a form of, “jerking (the collective) chain” for its own purposes. It strains belief that the US, the ROK and other nations in the area will endlessly tolerate a nuclear armed North Korea. Cooler heads must prevail with the long view of a united, peaceful Korea in mind. This hope, this great desire in the Korean heart(s) for re-unification can and should be managed with a view towards the best interest of all nations and peoples concerned.

Korean History is now moving so quickly that it is hard to keep up with or predict the future. Kim Jong Il died recently leading to massive mourning demonstrations in the North and a heightened state of wariness everywhere else. The succession went to his third son, Kim Jong Un who was raised from relative obscurity to the height of power in the DPRK. Beyond the usual problems with North Korea (the bomb, poverty and the very unique governmental structure) the new Kim is in his late 20's and untested. There are signs that other members of the Kim family are not thrilled with this development. In addition there are the old hard-line Stalinist generals to consider. As usual, there are flickers of hope. North Korea has opened a chain of, "Pyongyang" restaurants in South-East Asia which are popular with South Korean tourists. Nevertheless; the situation is dangerous and volatile. President Obama's administration is busy sending diplomats to South Korea and other nations in the area to urge them to reduce oil imports from Iran due to worsening tensions between that nation and the West. The North needs assistance yet resists the flow of information about the outside world that would enter the country if that assistance was accepted. There could be a power struggle in the North with unknown consequences. The North does have enough experienced diplomats and pragmatic people to know that other powers, both East and West are watching carefully. Thus; the calculation becomes (for the North), how hard to provoke and push or to move towards rapprochement with South Korea and the World? As noted previously; expect surprises.

. Keith B Keller

I have drawn these thoughts on Korea from my own travels there between 1999 and 2001 and a rather constant following of events on the peninsula in the US media. I am indebted to many Koreans for their comments especially Professor Kim Yang Soon the Chairwoman of the English Department at Hanbat University in Daejon and South Korea’s former Ambassador to Egypt, Mr. Oh Yoon Kyung. I recommend the following books to those who wish to explore, “The Land of the Morning Calm” further. These titles have been of enormous help to me in arranging this piece in some meaningful form. My thanks and appreciation is due to the authors.

“The Korean War” by Max Hastings

“The Korean War: An International History” by William Stueck

“The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History” by Don Oberdorfer

“Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History” by Bruce Cumings

cc: KK

           

           

Korea: Into the Modern: Part Two

Part Two: Into the Modern: the Korean War and other events…

Korea remained isolated throughout most of the 17^th and 18^th Centuries. The Choson Dynasty looked towards China and the Manchus were Korea’s main contact in terms of trade and diplomacy. The West was aware of “The Hermit Kingdom” and was intensely curious. France and the United States attempted naval probes or expeditions during the 1860”s. Both of these were driven off by the Koreans. The US was exhausted by the Civil War and for a time, turned away. Christian missionaries entered Korea. The Koreans were animists, Buddhists and Confucians. They did not, at first take kindly to the new religion. There were multiple incidents in which missionaries were captured, killed and/or driven out of the country. In the end it was various Presbyterian-Protestant denominations that succeeded in Korea. Today, the religious demographic of Korea is roughly one third Buddhist, one third Christian, one third local animist with a general Confucian overlay. It may come as a surprise to some Westerners that these groups get along quite well with each other. They practice religious tolerance. The social fault lines today have more to do with the modern vs. the ancient, class or wealth, loyalties to local areas and internal politics.

The rise of Japan after the Mejii Restoration is crucial to Korean History. In 1895 Japan defeated the tottering Manchu Dynasty in a clash that had a great deal to do with access to Manchuria. China’s influence on Korea waned. This hastened the fall of the Manchus and in turn, led in part to the rise of the Republic of China. The Russo/Japanese War of 1904-05 proved to have enormous ramifications for Korea and the world. The Japanese soundly thrashed the Russian Czar’s Pacific and Baltic Fleets. The Baltic Fleet actually steamed around the world only to lose a second series of naval battles. The fighting on land was inconclusive yet Japan was the clear overall victor in this conflict. The West was shocked to see the unexpected, rapid rise of a “yellow” Asian power. President Theodore Roosevelt and Secretary of State William Howard Taft brought the Japanese and Russians to the negotiating table. Peace was made. Roosevelt won the Noble Peace Prize. The Russian officer corps was left humiliated and angry by this loss; a bitter future fruit as Czarist Russia stumbled towards Communist revolution. The salient point here is that; Japan was given a “free-hand” or “sphere of influence” in Korea. Japan began to put diplomatic, political and economic pressure on the Korean government. As the Choson Dynasty continued to weaken the Japanese took advantage. In essence, Japan controlled the Korean throne and those among the Korean royalty who resisted were eliminated. By 1910 Korea was a colony of Imperial Japan. This year also marked the end of the Choson Dynasty and the fall of the last Korean Empress is still remembered with deep sadness by Koreans.

Whether the Koreans wanted it, liked it or not; Japan pushed Korea into the modern age. The Korean language, “Hangul” was banned in schools as the rigid Japanese education system imposed. Korea was industrialized, electrified and generally modernized. It became a classic colonial relationship. Korea supplied labor and raw materials to Japan. Japan was in a very expansive and imperialistic mood. Korea became the ideal base as Japan sought to enter China. The Second World War actually started when Japan and China began hostilities over Manchurian railway rights in 1931 (the same year that fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia). Japan invaded China. China dissolved as the Nationalist government dithered. Jiang Jieshi, the recalcitrant President of the Republic of China appeared to dread a rising Communist insurgency led by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai more that he feared Japan. It did not help matters that warlords controlled vast areas of China. Neither did it help that Fascism was gaining ground in Europe during the 1930”s. Nazi Germany began to grab territory with aggressive, bullying diplomacy and military action. Europe and the United States were thus badly distracted in terms of events in Asia. A pattern began to develop that lasted throughout World War Two until 1949 when the Communists won, thus creating The People’s Republic of China. The administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to aid the Chinese and to prod Jiang to make greater efforts against the Japanese. President Jiang usually threw more energy, money and materiel against the Communists than the Japanese to the immense frustration of the Americans. Relations between Japan and the United States deteriorated. Roosevelt wanted Japan out of China. Japan held deep resentments towards the US in terms of past American racism towards Asians. The Roosevelt administration began to cut off supplies of steel and oil to Japan. Japan acted. Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was attacked on December 7^th, 1941.

The Japanese called World War Two, “The Pacific War” and “The Fifteen Year War” because, for them, it was fought in the Pacific and lasted 15 years. Their great Harvard educated Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto accurately predicted the course of World War Two in the Pacific. He knew that Japan would have about one year to rampage around Pacific Asia before the overwhelming military and economic might of the United States changed the equation. Japanese armies swept through China and South-East Asia. The French and British suffered the loss of their colonial empires in Asia. The English Pacific fleet was lost as was the great bastion of Singapore. The Philippines fell. Japanese carrier groups ventured into the Bay of Bengal and probed the Indian coast. Pearl Harbor was wrecked. Unfortunately from the Japanese point of view; the US carrier fleet, submarine pens and oil depots survived the attack. The turning point did not come until the Battle of Midway in 1942 when the Imperial Navy lost four first class aircraft carriers. What followed was three more years of horrible carnage as the Allies slogged their way towards the Japanese Home Islands. The purpose of this huge “island hopping” campaign was to gain bases for air assaults against Japan.

The Japanese propaganda term for their conquest of Asia was “The Greater East-Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere”. The rally cry was, “Asia for the Asians”. This does not sound unreasonable at first until we recall that the Japanese held racist views about other peoples in Asia. They believed themselves superior, their Emperor to be divine and they sought dominance. These attitudes were evident in Korea.  Korean industrial and agricultural production was used to supply the Japanese war effort. Korean men found themselves fighting for Japan “in foreign fields”. Korean women were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military. A special currency was printed for the “cost” of these liaisons with the Korean, “comfort women”. The term “comfort women” is one of those infamous, banal euphemisms or phrases for human evil, much like “The Joy Division”, “The New Order”, “The Dictatorship of the Proletariat”, “the Peculiar Institution”, “Death to the Infidels!”, “Ethnic Cleansing” or “Shock and Awe”. Japan has never fully apologized for this forced prostitution of Korean women and other atrocities in Asia during the war. The “deepest regrets” are expressed and payments have been made. Of course the losers in war must generally apologize; the victors almost never and there are legal/financial reasons to avoid such statements. The remembrance of these acts stand in silent eloquence for themselves; war is an immoral business.

There was little or no fighting in Korea during the Pacific War. I have often wondered what might have happened if the United States had attempted landings in Korea during the war? The Koreans may have risen and tried to throw the Japanese out themselves. The slaughterhouses of Iwo Jima and Okinawa might have been avoided. Korea is certainly near to Japan, thus making it a perfect base for the bombing of Japan. What happened later with the Communists could have been averted. Yet, a historian’s duty is to write about and try to analyze what actually happened. To do otherwise is to create science-fiction no matter how interesting it may be. Nevertheless; the Japanese assaults during the war served to remove or weaken much of European and American influence in Asia (colonies) even in recalcitrant defeat.

When atomic bombs fell on Nagasaki and Hiroshima Korea was still occupied by Japanese forces. American soldiers peacefully landed in Korea to the great joy of the Koreans. This happy period proved to all too brief due to a series of inter-acting events. Russian troops were deeply involved in Manchuria as they toppled the Japanese puppet dynasty of Manchuko. The American commanders on the scene contacted the State Department for instructions. Basically stated, the question was; “What is the plan for Korea?” As it turned out there was no plan. In a somewhat frantic scramble John Forster Dulles and other State Department officials called for maps of Korea and sought information on the country. In the meantime, Soviet forces entered the North of Korea. This led to yet another complicated and confusing period in Korean History. Because the country was “free” political parties on the right and left arose. These groups had survived under the surface during the Japanese occupation. The US tended to support the rightists and the USSR the leftists. Attempts to hold nation-wide unity elections failed. The situation devolved; the South was rapidly becoming a client of the United States while the North was backed by the Russians and the PRC. The Communists in the North began purges of people who had collaborated with Japan or those who held liberal democratic views. Matters worsened further when a leftist rebellion flared in the far south of South Korea. This revolt was brutally smashed by the southerners with some help from the US. The South accused the North of backing the uprising. Premier Stalin of the Soviet Union pulled his forces out in 1948. Nevertheless, at this point, a divided Korea was a fact. The United Nations stepped in to sponsor democratic elections in the South. In essence this was de-facto recognition of reality. Korea was partitioned along the 38^th Parallel. South Korea developed in to a rightist, pseudo-democratic military regime under President Rhee Syngman. The North became a ruthless Stalinist style dictatorship under the rule of Kim Il Sung.  Tragedy continued to lurk in the wings for Korea.

The Korean War started on June 26^th, 1950 when North Korea launched a huge invasion of the South. Some leftist American historians, including I.F. Stone believe that President Rhee may have provoked this with minor raids against the North in the hopes of gaining increased US military assistance. There is no question that the North had prepared in advance. The bulk of American forces in Asia were engaged in the occupation of Japan under General Douglas MacArthur. The Japanese made a 180 degree turn in their attitude once Emperor Hirohito had told them that the “Pacific War” was lost. Occupation duty was easy in Japan because the Japanese cooperated and absorbed American culture with enthusiasm. North Korea was in no mood to make things easy or cooperate.

MacArthur began to pour his unprepared soldiers into Korea. President Harry S. Truman took the matter to the United Nations. The ensuing series of battles proved to be the worst string of defeats for the United States since the halcyon days of the Southern Confederacy. Constantly retreating; the US and South Korean armies were driven down the length of the peninsula. As supplies and reinforcements arrived they managed to rally and create “The Busan Perimeter” around the southern seaport of Busan. The Soviet Union then made one of the greatest diplomatic mistakes in history. They chose to boycott the Security Council meeting on Korea. This allowed President Truman to get what he needed, a UN resolution for the use of force to save South Korea. The “UN” forces were the United States, South Korea and various nations from the British Commonwealth. President Jiang of The Republic of China, after losing to the Communists in 1949 was now bottled up in Taiwan. He offered to enter the war on the UN side. Truman and his advisors knowing this would be a guaranteed way to completely infuriate China wisely declined the offer. India; the leader of “The Non-Aligned Nations” actively worked throughout the war to find a way to stop the fighting. These efforts went nowhere; although they did become useful after the war in terms of prisoner exchanges.

There are some personal relationships that were crucial to the eventual outcome of the Korean War. First; it is most interesting that Kim Il Sung managed to get tacit approval and combat forces from both Russia and China. Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong were not fond of each other. Both men were adept at calculating the odds and evaluating the threat. Neither wanted a free, Western leaning and unified Korea on their borders. In the end, a chance to give the Americans a sound beating in Asia proved to be irresistible. The other crucial factor was the problematic relationship between President Truman and General MacArthur. Truman’s goals were to save South Korea and avoid nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Truman’s thinking resonated with liberal diplomat George F. Kennan’s Cold War concept of “containment” of the USSR. However, it also introduced the troubling, controversial idea of “limited war” into the lexicon. MacArthur wanted to eliminate North Korea and free all the Korean people. He was willing to push military matters and political matters to the brink to attain this. He publicly squabbled with the president, made noises about running for the presidency as a Republican, wrote letters to Congressmen that ended up in the press and aggressively prosecuted the war.

MacArthur was an aging yet brilliant commander. Later in 1950 he devised the famous landing at Inchon, a port city on the Western side of South Korea. Because Inchon has strong tides and steep beaches this move was considered impossible by military strategists. MacArthur proved the experts wrong. A naval task force led by the battleship Missouri (ironically, Truman’s home state) distracted the North Koreans with bombardments on their West coast. The landing surprised the North Koreans leaving the Americans behind or north of the forces besieging Busan. The North Korean invasion dissolved and their armies fled to the North constantly harried by the US Air Force. MacArthur and the UN forces pushed them hard to the point where a very thin slice of North Korea clung to the Chinese border along the Yalu River. At this point a severe case of hubris afflicted General MacArthur while the harsh Korean winter savaged his strung out armies. The mountainous geography of Korea split the UN forces as they fought their way up valleys. MacArthur began to receive troubling intelligence reports that he tended to dismiss. To paraphrase; the reports stated, “Sir, we are capturing Chinese troops.”, and, “Sir, we are over-running airbases that have been out-fitted for Soviet MiG fighters.” MacArthur began to talk about nuclear weapons and crossing the Yalu into China. Mao played his card and sent hundreds of thousands of PRC troops crashing into the Americans. The conflict was now a world war. The United States, the United Nations in the form of the British Commonwealth and South Korea now faced Communist China, the Red (Soviet) Air Force and North Korea.

The American reeled under the enormous Chinese assault, attempted to rally but were forced into ruinous retreats. They did manage to inflict tremendous amounts of casualties on the onrushing Chinese. Truman and MacArthur resumed their argument. The two leaders met at Wake Island to temporarily patch up their differences and discuss strategy. The war ground on and settled into a stalemate in the vicinity of the original line, the 38^th Parallel. The Korean people experienced endless horrors for three main reasons. First, when a particular city changed hands in the ebb and flow of war; individuals were questioned as to their loyalties by either the Communists or the rightist South Koreans. These unfortunates were put in impossible, unexplainable positions and suffered the consequences. Secondly, the United States Air Force bombed and napalmed everything that moved in the combat zones. The ruins were bombed into rubble and the rubble was bombed into dust. Third, prolonged war increases the bitterness between the clashing forces. Therefore, the Koreans were subject to atrocities and bad behavior by the troops of all sides. There is some evidence that indicates that the Americans were greatly feared by the Korean people.

President Truman sacked MacArthur and replaced him with General Matthew Ridgeway. The fighting continued in to 1953 as Ridgeway managed to improve the morale of the battered American infantry and stabilize the front while continuing to fight for debatable reasons to some observers. MacArthur returned to the US and gave his famed, “…..old soldiers never die, they just fade away”, speech to Congress. Ridgeway and the Truman administration opened up negotiations with the North Koreans. The North Koreans proved to be tough bargainers; an attribute they retain to this day. An armistice was proclaimed in 1953. Over one million Koreans were killed, 53,000 US personnel died, thousands of UN troops may be added to the toll along with tens of thousands (at least) of Chinese soldiers. The first modern Korean Civil War was over in a most inconclusive manner. I do not wish to see another, ever.

South Korea survived and actually gained a few thousand yards along the border in some areas. North Korea survived with the satisfaction of actually fighting the Americans to a draw enshrined in their collective consciousness. China and Russia failed to eliminate South Korea while the West failed to eliminate North Korea. Some historians believe that this war may have released Cold War tensions. If so; the Korean people paid the price for all of us in their blood as the world just barely avoided World War III. An armistice is a cease fire; we are still technically at war with North Korea. We know the North Koreans are tough. We know the South Koreans are our friends because they have proved this through Vietnam and Iraq II.  The North Koreans for all of their apparent craziness are most cunning. They know that the United States is aggressively distracted in Iraq and Afghanistan at this historical moment. The best hope for a positive outcome lies within the natural impulse of the Koreans to someday, finally be one united Korean nation again. This desire should be encouraged carefully and pragmatically.

The Ramifications of Korean Re-Unification: Part One

A Dream Deferred: The Ramifications of Korean Unification

The two Koreas have certainly leapt into the news cycle lately with the usual alarms, rhetoric and glimmers of hope. This article is intended to illustrate something of the confusing, poignant and explosive history of Korea in three parts. Given the international importance of events on the Korean Peninsula, it is somewhat surprising that many Americans know more about Japan and China. Yes, Korea was known as the “Hermit Kingdom” for a long time because of the tendency of that nation to avoid foreign contacts. Now is the time to gain some understanding because what happens in the two Koreas will have a great impact on the balance of power in Asia and perhaps everywhere.

It is appropriate to review recent events before plunging into the vast topic of the history of a small nation. To shed light on the present a look at ancient Korea is appropriate. As is the case with all Korean history, ancient Korean history is very complicated. The story involves the three competing Korean kingdoms of Paekche, Korguryo and Shilla. Three outside powers; Japan, China and the Mongols were very influential in the course of Korean History.

The second section will deal with Modern Korean History with a detailed description of the Korean War including the ideologies and international politics that swirled around the conflict. The most important point here is that the Korean War is not over. There is an armistice or a cease-fire; there is no true peace. This is why the situation in Korea remains dangerous.

Thirdly; the question of Korean re-unification arises. Obviously, this dream has been dealt some set-backs lately. An understanding of the bitter, intractable differences between North Korea and the West is necessary here. Some of the more bizarre incidents between the two Koreas will be examined. Further questions necessarily arise when considering potential re-unification. Is it possible? If it is possible how other powers react such as China, Japan, the Russian Confederation and the United States becomes a very sensitive question. If it is possible: how will the re-construction of North Korea be paid for? Only one thing is certain; re-unification is the dream of most Korean people. Despite the artificial division of their country they consider themselves to be one race, one blood and one people. I have witnessed Koreans crying at the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) as they looked across the closed border. They follow negotiations between North and South with intense, emotional interest.

The recent news from the Koreas is certainly beyond interesting. On August 4^th & 5^th, 2009 former President Bill Clinton traveled to North Korea and arranged the release of two journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Whether or not it was wise for two western reporters to be active in the border area between China and North Korea is an open question. The two women work for former Vice President Al Gore’s, “Current TV”. In March they were accused by the North of spying and sentenced to a hard labor camp. Clinton’s visit was considered, “private” meaning that the Obama administration kept a careful distance. We now know that North Korea insisted on dealing with a very high profile figure from the US. This is a typical strategy on their part; North Korea desires to be, “stroked”. There is a method to the seeming madness and brinksmanship of this regime because they certainly got the attention they wanted. 

This is because North Korea has been under intense international pressure lately for extremely provocative behavior. The North has conducted two tests of nuclear bombs, the second coming on May 29^th, 2009. In addition; the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been busy launching ballistic missiles. They even dared to fire missiles over Japan a country that retains an understandable nervousness about nuclear war. There is small comfort in the fact that these weapons seem to have a relatively short range because the missile program seems to be advancing. Because the North Koreans agreed to dismantle their nuclear program in 2007 President Bush removed that nation from the list of state sponsored terrorist nations 2008.

When North Korea resumed atomic and missile tests the world was outraged. United Nations sanctions followed intended to monitor the movements of DPRK merchant ships. North Korea followed this with more fiery rhetoric and threatened to throw out the armistice agreement that “ended” the Korean War. The attitude of the United States hardened. There were to be no diplomatic discussions between the US and the DPRK. Rather, the North was pressured to return to the “Six-Party” talks consisting of the US, South Korea (ROK), the DPRK, Russia, China and Japan.  President Clinton will be de-briefed regarding his observations of the situation, including the health and attitudes of Kim Jong Il, the, “Dear Leader” of the only regime on Earth that is Stalinist with a hereditary means of succession. Icy statements from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama have made it clear that there will be no linkage between the release of the two journalists and larger questions of security. This is where things stand as we look into the Korean past in an attempt to illuminate the present.

************************************************************************

It is frozen in time. It is frozen in rage and in the clash of ideologies, a monstrous relic of the Cold War. The Korean De-Militarized Zone is actually one of the most highly militarized places on Earth. It stretches across the entire width of the Korean Peninsula through mountains, rice fields and river basins. It separates an ancient and homogeneous people. This dangerous construct consists of mine fields, artillery emplacements, multiple layers of fortifications, observation posts, electronic eaves-dropping stations, concrete shelters for armored vehicles, mazes of trenches and tunnels dug bored through granite. South Korean and American soldiers suffer icy winters, tropical summers and relentless edgy boredom as they face North Korean troops month after month and year after year. This border, this situation along the 38^th Parallel will change someday. The question is; will change come through war or through peace? When Korea unifies, for it will someday, the geo-political map of the world will undergo an immense shift. A simple glance at the map will suffice to explain.

North Korea borders the People’s Republic of China and also touches the Russian Confederation near Vladivostok. South Korea is very near to Japan with three seashores; the Yellow Sea to the West, the Pacific Ocean to the South and the Sea of Japan to the East. Taken as a whole in terms of geography; the Koreas are a natural pathway to the Japanese Islands. Reversing directions to the North, the Koreas look towards an increasingly powerful China, an increasingly active Russia and a currently pro-Western Mongolia. If there was ever a case of how geography influences History; it is Korea.

Re-unification of the Korean Peninsula is the great question. North Korea is a dangerous, terrible and repressive place. The ‘Dear Leader’, Kim Jong Il is reputed to be in poor health. Should he pass away it is very unclear who will succeed him and what the attitudes of the new leader or leaders will be. Whatever we may think of North Korea in the West; we should always remember that these are very tough people.

South Korea is a vibrant and buoyant democratic nation. The country has surpassed Japan in shipbuilding on its rise to being the eleventh biggest economy in the world. South Korea is the most ‘wired’ nation in terms of broadband access, Inter-net usage and other forms of modern electronica. There are many problems in this culture. Modern values are clashing with the ancient ways of old Asia. South Korea is highly industrialized, fairly polluted and overcrowded.

Should the two Koreas manage to re-unify; a number of fruitful possibilities and potential dangers arise. I will note these in the form of brief statements or questions. A unified Korea would create a power the equivalent of France, Germany, Japan or the United Kingdom. This power would have two powerful militaries, atomic weapons, advanced technology and a large population with the Confucian work ethic. How the advent of ‘Korea’ affect the ‘great game’ of international geo-politics? The other powers in the ‘Six Party Talks’ are the United States, Japan, China and Russia. Merely considering what any of these nations might think of a unified Korea is an intriguing exercise. Is there a face saving way to usher the old guard Communists out of power in North Korea peacefully without disrupting South Korean democracy? Given the catastrophic nature of the 1950-53 Korean War all tough minded, pragmatic peaceful options need to be carefully assessed. What is a reasonable timeline for this process? By that I mean and at the risk of proffering an old cliché; is there a difference in perception in terms of time between East and West. What of the cost? The re-building of East Germany proved to be an enormous burden for West Germany. It will require fantastic amounts of money to improve the North Korean infrastructure. The nature of this new and ancient state will be of vital importance. The inherent questions are multiple and complex. The greatest question might be; how long will any Asian nation diplomatically support the ongoing US led ‘War on Terror’ if that conflict disrupts their supplies of petrol-chemicals? The heartfelt desire of the Korean people to be one nation remains a vital factor in any equation.

#1: Ancient Korea

Korea is a very old civilization. There is archeological evidence of organized human life dating as far back as 6,000 years or more. The inhabitants are of Asian ethnicity with genetic links to the Chinese and to the Mongolians. Korean History is extremely complicated for a number of reasons. As centralized civilizations appeared on the peninsula much of the historical story was dominated by the ‘Three Kingdoms’ of Shilla, Koguryo and Paekche. These kingdoms most likely evolved in a manner familiar to Western historians; they were the dominant or most effective walled city states. The kingdoms competed with each other over the centuries. This complex and at times bloody competition shifted and changed over time as the kingdoms rose or fell in terms of relative power. In addition; the Japanese, Chinese or Mongolians entered the picture at times often through war or, more softly, cultural influence. So, we see the Three Kingdoms playing each other off against the three outside powers, or allied with one of the powers in various combinations. China succeeded in taking Korea as did the Mongols. Japan tried and failed until modern times. The Mongols under Kublai Khan tried to conquer Japan twice (1274 &1281) via Korea were driven back by bad weather and the Samurai. The Koreans managed to control parts of Manchuria at times. Confucianism entered Korea in the mid to late-600’s (AD) as did Buddhism in the mid-700’s both through China. Korea was unified by the Shilla Dynasty in 668 with help from the Chinese Tang Dynasty. However, Paekche and Koguryo never fully accepted this situation and after more intricate conflicts Korea was unified under Koguryo (at this point called Koryo, the root of the word ‘Korea’) in the earlier 900’s. All of the above does not mention the internal politics of Korea. The peasant class played a major role as did the Confucian bureaucracy.

The Koryo Dynasty was considered one of the most advanced civilizations in the world in ancient times. However, it was utterly overwhelmed, crushed by the Mongols in 1231. When the Ming Dynasty in China managed to throw the Mongols out in 1316, this, in turn gave opportunity for the Koreans to rise again. Korea was unified again under the Choson Dynasty. Choson lasted until 1910 when it was absorbed by Imperial Japan in part, as an unanticipated consequence of Russo/Japanese War of 1904-05. A few notes on old Korea are appropriate here before moving on. The Koreans made use of movable metal type by 1234, around two hundred years before Guttenberg. There is some evidence of contact between ancient Korea and Arabic sea-faring traders. The Koreans were the first to use metal clad warships, The Turtle Ships’ between1592-1597 to foil Japanese invasions almost 300 years before the ‘Monitor’ and the ‘Merrimac’ battled in the American Civil War. Korean Celadon pottery is regarded as the finest in the world with its distinctive gray-green-jade coloring. Old Paekche, in particular had a definite influence on Japanese culture. This is a controversial topic because such a claim is a very quick way to annoy Japanese nationalists. An enlightened Korean King, Sejong, along with his scholars created the useful, logical and practical Korean alphabet, ‘Hangul’ in 1620. This alphabet has proved to be one of the best in terms of modern computer usage and programming. In spite of all this cultural advancement the interesting but uncomfortable fact is that at some point, the Korean mind and borders closed during the latter era Choson period; Korea became known as ‘The Hermit Kingdom’. The decline of Choson followed the classical pattern. Infighting and diminishing talent among the royalty, an expensive, costly bureaucracy, and a discontented populace were the ingredients for an eventual fall once the Japanese began to push.

As it goes with all cultures or nations Korea is not a perfect place. Korea knew slavery, rigid class systems, peasant revolts, terrible famines and due to their unfortunate geography; endless wars. Koreans generally tend to regard the Chinese more fondly than they do the Japanese. This loyalty, however ancient, constantly shifts in the minds of individuals perhaps due to the accelerating changes in the post-modern world. The weather is generally horrible except for the beautiful and brief fall. The summers are hot, wet and very humid. The winters feature months of snow and frigid winds from Siberia. Spring can be uncomfortably murky at times because pollution from China and red dust from the Gobi desert darken the skies. Korean is known as, “The Land of the Morning Calm” and it truly is a very beautiful place. The mountains look somehow alien or different to the Western eye. These jagged, forested ranges slope down to rice paddies, farms, cities and towns. Beautiful rivers, streams, brooks and underground fresh water springs abound. The larger cities look like science-fiction sets due to the creative modern architecture. When a traveler ducks down an alley he or she goes back in time. One discovers a world of small shops and tiny shack-like stalls. Everything is for sale from compact discs, copies of American baseball caps, exotic foods to mysterious herbal remedies. The entire effect grows in the observer’s mind until the subtle attractiveness of this crowded place becomes apparent.

As a society; Korea both enraptures and troubles Westerners, especially individualist Americans. This is in my view, due to the mixed blessing of Confucianism. Family bonds are eternal, somehow transcending time from the deceased honored ancestors to the youngest children. Elements of patriarchy dominate as women or anyone who is a ‘free-thinker’ struggles to rise. A basic guide-book for Korea will tell you that the Koreans are the, ‘Irish’ of Asia. This indicates a certain poignancy in regards to Korean History and in the characters of the people. They love to drink socially; they love sad ballads, they are loyal friends and the toughest of enemies, a fact that should come as no surprise given their history.

American Amelioration versus Folly

AMERICAN AMELIORATION AND THE PITFALLS OF HEGEMONIC FOLLY: AN 18^TH CENTURY REPUBLIC FACES THE MODERN WORLD

#1: The Great Conundrum and a New Purpose

            The American Revolution (1776-1783) was and remains one of the most important and far reaching events in world history. It may be incalculable to estimate how this event changed the history of the world in terms of fostering democracy and encouraging other nations or peoples to overthrow ancient, oppressive regimes. The first president of the United States, George Washington was most fond of the word, “amelioration” or “melioration” as he often used the term. However; what Washington meant or what America has come to mean is an open, debatable question. Generally; to ameliorate means to make better, to improve or to uplift. The question then becomes by whose standards and to what purpose is this noble sounding goal to be accomplished?

            In the view of many America has turned away from the idealistic, Enlightenment fueled idealism of her Founding Fathers and has become an over-stretched, hegemonic empire of sorts. The unexpected costs in blood and treasure of maintaining the first position among the nations of the Earth is proving to be an enormous burden. The massive deficit spending required to keep the American enterprise afloat is now leading to excessive partisanship and a fraying of the social fabric. Across the country and in almost all of the American states social programs are being cut or will be cut in an effort to bring the titanic budget under some measure of control.

            In the opinion of other observers, the United States has no other choice or duty but to continue to strive on many fronts. To do otherwise is to invite various disasters economically, politically and militarily. Therefore; in this sense America must go on in an attempt to lead the world no matter what the cost. The core of this divisive thought goes all the way back to the stresses faced by and the political beliefs of the Founders.

            This situation leads to another question. Is an 18^th Century republic in terms of its construct or form flexible enough to deal with myriad problems, challenges and fruitful possibilities of the post-modern 21^st Century?  This sort of dilemma is not new to history. All leading nations or empires have come to this point at some time. It is the harshest of conundrums perhaps best described by the old phrase, “We have the wolf by the ears. We cannot hang on and we cannot let go.”

In 1984 the beloved historian Barbara Tuchman published a well received book, “The March of Folly: from Troy to Vietnam”. Tuchman’s prime definition of folly (or perversity) was defined as; “….pursuit of policy contrary to the self-interest of the constituency or state involved.”  So, her historical discussion involves counter-productive policies or series of decisions made by powerful people that harm the welfare of the state they govern. These great follies, according to Tuchman must be noted or criticized in their own time. While she briefly noted the obvious point that there are many examples of folly in human history the book focused on four examples.

#A: The Trojan War is of course part myth mixed with some archeological findings that indicate something massive (or a series of events) did in fact occur. Tuchman wonders how could the Trojans after holding off the Greek siege for nine to ten years ignore warnings both divine and mortal not to accept the dubious gift of the Trojan Horse. As the story goes; the Trojans did not think the matter out and the formerly invulnerable city was sacked by the Greeks.

#B: Tuchman’s second example has to do with the actions of the Renaissance Popes. As we know they tended to be wholly corrupt, very sensual, fond of war and most importantly constantly coming up with ways to fund their lavish lifestyles. They also spent huge sums on architectural and artistic projects. This led to the sale of indulgences which were basically a means to raise money by paying a priest to pray for one’s admittance into Heaven. All of this arrogant behavior outraged many leading to what was essentially both a revolution and spiritual schism launched by the Protestants.

#C: This example dealt with the ignorance and short-sighted policies of the British government which led to the American Revolution. Early on in this crisis the American colonists were more concerned about taxation or money than independent liberty from Great Britain. However; a series of incompetent English ministries and King George III refused to recognize the basic loyalty of the Americans and kept antagonizing them with various taxes and repressive measures. The Americans finally revolted, the English found themselves fighting a war in a vast area 3,000 miles away with the added complexity of supplying their forces by sea during the era of sailing ships. The net result was that the British lost their most important colony (at least until they took India) which soon became the United States, the dominant power in North America and the world.

#D: Finally; Tuchman wrote about the American involvement in Vietnam. This is an incredibly complex story including the history of ancient Annam, the fact that northern and southern Vietnamese tend to squabble with each other (unless threatened by an outside power), poorly thought out clauses in the Treaty of Versailles regarding colonial peoples (Vietnam was a French colony then called Indo-China), the results of the Second World War, the rise of Communism and the attitudes of various American presidents towards Vietnam.

The essential American mistake was to intervene (or take over the burden from the French who were badly weakened by WW II) on the side of an elite Catholic minority in a largely Buddhist country. Ho Chi Minh and other Communists were actually open at one point to cooperating with the Americans. Yet; there was much diplomatic bungling, blindness to the realities on the ground and a partition of Vietnam all driven by Cold War fears. The United States found itself badly entangled in another countries’ civil war with an 8,000 mile supply line to manage. No matter how many troops were thrown in, no matter how advanced the technology, no matter how many tons of bombs were dropped, no matter what kind of diplomatic threats and cajoling were tried the US was simply unable to stop the uprising in the South or defeat the North. Beyond the millions of unnecessary deaths perhaps was the betrayal (Tuchman’s usage) of American idealism and the fracturing of the American polity.

#E: Although there are numerous examples of folly in History as Tuchman and probably ever historian have noted; I would argue that the United States is currently engaged in writing the fifth chapter of Tuchman’s book (she passed away in 1989). The complexity of the situation is mind boggling in its nature. The country is currently waging two and one-half wars in the Middle East (Afghanistan and Iraq & Libya) while doing little as other Arab states such as Syria crush their people. It is a well known and much debated controversy as to how much of America’s stance is a genuine desire to foster democracy as opposed to a struggle over the vast supplies of petroleum in the area. These conflicts are not going particularly well for the US and its increasingly disinterested allies. Now we see a wave of (hopefully) secular revolutions sweeping the Arab world while America warily looks on while simultaneously supporting an air-war campaign in Libya. There is much debate as of this writing as to who will actually controls these operations as there is uncertainty as to which way any of these uprisings may go. One may recall the anecdote regarding Henry Kissinger’s question to Zhou Enlai regarding the French Revolution and the answer, “It is too early to say.” There are valid questions as to whether or not a 235 year old republic can do much to change cultures that are four to six thousand years old or even if it should attempt to. Two other possible conflicts are on the horizon with Iran and with North Korea.

The US is now in a three year long recession (few in the US dare use the word, “depression”) that shows little likelihood of ending soon. Due to massive budget deficits the US borrows heavily from China a country that has its own agenda which is often not in any manner in harmony with that of America. Liberals and progressives think it unwise to lower taxes in order to continue to fund social programs thus salvaging something of the balkanized safety net. Conservatives devoutly believe that taxes should be cut in order to create jobs. The United States generates very little real wealth in terms of manufactured goods because much of our industry has been shipped abroad.  It is becoming a service industry state….a process that has been accelerating since the 1970’s. Personally; I think it is a good thing when the ambitious, lucky and talented become rich. I worry about the rest of the people. Because American politics has become so divisive there is almost no cooperation between the two main political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. Barack Obama, the current American president is a well-meaning moderate. The problem I discern (along with many others) is that he seems to have a quixotic belief that great political matters can be resolved or compromised in some reasonable, bi-partisan fashion. Given the present attitude of many in the Republican Party this goal is almost impossible. A good metaphor which my have been suggested before is; “we are watching a tennis game on the Titanic”, meaning while the political parties argue many important matters, issues and situations are getting worse. The likely collision or crash will only increase the sufferings of the people while distracting America from higher purposes.

*With all of this being said or written it is appropriate to address my purpose. I believe that there are structural flaws in the American system and the Constitution. When these, “flaws” are considered along with the basic cultural attitudes of Americans we find a nation that lacks in the suppleness, flexibility or even general interest in adapting to deal with the world as it is. So, we see a mixture of founding idealism and a nation that has done a great deal of good in the world. However; we also perceive a struggling giant whose troubles can pull the rest of humanity in less than productive directions. The, “New Purpose” I speak and write about is most admittedly difficult to achieve because the form or government of the US was designed to change slowly and due to the present financial difficulties.  Therefore; my plan is to briefly address some important eras in American History and then at the end of this article to suggest some solutions. This will be done in section #9.

#2: (The Revolution and the Founders) The United State is not a democracy; it is a Federal republic meaning that we elect representatives to do the work of governing and that our democracy is thus, not direct. There are many reasons for this primarily due to the circumstances of the American Revolution (1776-1783) and attitudes of the Founders. It is true that the Revolution released or synthesized much of the European Enlightenment giving it a liberal direction as compared to monarchial nation states. This is best exemplified by the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence in which Thomas Jefferson beautifully borrowed from John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau and other philosophers. The concept that human beings are, “created equal” (in terms of political rights at least) and that freedom comes from a Deistic state of Nature rather than the writ of kings is indeed profound and revolutionary. This revolution in human affairs continues to this day whenever peoples rise against oppressive regimes anywhere.

However; the Revolution had a strong conservative element. The American colonists were quite angry that they were being taxed by Great Britain while holding no seats in Parliament. England could not understand why the Americans objected to this relatively light tax burden especially considering the high costs of the French and Indian or Seven Years War. Therefore; the Revolution had an economic motive and was largely led by the upper classes of American colonial society. It is certainly true that the combination of liberty and capitalism turned out to be a success. America took off like a rocket with occasional major financial and political bumps in the road.

Politics in America changed forever during the period of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars (1789-1815). At first many Americans welcomed a second revolutionary republic. Yet, as time passed awareness of the horrors of revolutionary Terror and the slightly benign dictatorship of Napoleon Bonaparte fractured the American polity. In real terms the split was evident as early as the administration of the first President, George Washington. The two party system formed in response to the French Revolution, other world events, domestic squabbles between the states and basically diametrically opposed views of what America represented or should become.

Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury led the Federalists, a party that believed in a strong central government, a powerful executive, an industrialized economy, abolition of slavery and a foreign policy that tilted towards England. The leader of the Democratic/Republicans was Thomas Jefferson a shy, sly, brilliant man who had served in many posts including Ambassador to France, Secretary of State , Vice-President under John Adams and as President for two terms. The republicans preached small government or state’s rights over the Federal center, a pro-French policy, the retention of slavery in the South (with some hypocritical embarrassment), freedom for the people while hoping that the United States would become an agrarian nation. At first Hamilton appeared to be unstoppable as he successfully led the effort for the Federal government to assume the revolutionary debts of the states, the creation of the fight for the Constitution (with checks on the power of the states and people) and almost singlehandedly designed the American financial system (stock markets, links between the wealthy and the government and a centralized system of garnering revenues). He stabilized the early republic. However; Hamilton’s fiery, outspoken personality gained him many enemies and eventually the Republicans came to power with Jefferson as President in the contested Election of 1800. Hamilton did much to destroy his own party, the Federalists by attacking President John Adams. He was killed in an 1804 duel by Vice-President Aaron Burr. Hamilton had tormented the coy, talented, non-ideological Burr with various slanders for over 15 years. Jefferson became President in 1800 and proceeded to follow his republican philosophy with some notable exceptions in the area of civil liberties. The point is that the deed was done. The United States is now a two party system. While the names of the parties have switched and their ideas or goals have changed over time rather confusingly; the basic structure is in place for better or for worse.

#3: (The Indian Wars and Mexico –the West and expansion). The wars against the indigenous peoples North American really began during the early Colonial period. To vastly over-simply here the English colonists showed very little interest in inter-mingling with the Indians or understanding of their cultures. The Spanish while often quite brutal and the French were generally better at this. What is important here over the various battles, incidents and policy shifts is how these struggles impacted the American character. As noted, the Anglo-Americans began pushing the Native-Americans westwards and never really stopped until the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. Of course the Indians resisted and did win some victories such as Little Big Horn in 1876 when the Sioux wiped out Col. George A. Custer’s command. It was difficult to simultaneously defeat the various tribes and settle or conquer the West. The hardships suffered by the Americans during this era led directly to a myth or common perception that are tough, self reliant, pragmatic and that individuals must, “pull themselves up by there own bootstraps: (an impossible task if one is to try it). The danger in these attitudes (beyond that there is no more frontier beyond space exploration which is expensive and the electronic world of information) is that Americans moved away from a communal sense. That is to say that one prevalent cultural attitude is that those who struggle in life or become poor do so because they lack character.

Between 1846 and 1848 the United States went to war with Mexico on the flimsiest of pretexts. On the surface the argument was over the river border between Texas (which had revolted against Mexico in 1834 and after a period as an independent republic joined the US in 1845) and Mexico. The rivers were the Nueces which Mexico claimed as the line and the Rio Grande which the Americans wanted as the border. The real reasons were twofold. First; the US was in an expansionist mood and coveted the Southwest. Secondly; there was a great deal of pressure to gain new agricultural lands for slavery. Mexico had abolished slavery in 1829. Matters were not helped as the various political classes in Mexico refused to cooperate while corrupt, inefficient governments rose and fell with great regularity.

Mexico was quickly over-run by a small and effective US Army aided by the mobile US Navy appearing at will on both coasts. For a brief time the Mexicans retook Southern California but the struggle was an unequal one. The contest featured many American officers who would become famous (on both sides) during the Civil War. Suffice it to say that Mexico lost California, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and parts of Utah. Around the time of the peace treaty signing gold was discovered in California. The United States was greatly enlarged, enriched and confirmed the popular opinion of the day that due to, “Manifest Destiny” America was fated to rule the bulk of the North American continent. As for the Mexicans and now Mexican-Americans they were left with unpleasant memories and many of them became another under-class in the US, an immigration and political problem that plagues American politics consistently.

#4: Civil War and Gilded Age (rise of industrial complex). The British military historian John Keegan feels that The French and Indian Wars, The American Revolution, The Mexican-American War, The Civil War and The Indians Wars were all part of a titanic struggle for control of the North American continent. This is true but it is only part of the story. The Constitution (with its, “3/5 of all other persons” clause), The Northwest Ordinance, the Compromises of 1820 and 1850 were all essentially procrastinations to postpone the inevitable reckoning over slavery. This war was a massive disaster as approximately 2% (over 600,000) were killed out of a total population of 30,000,000. It remains the most fascinating of American wars and the most divisive. The main issue was slavery although preservation of the Union vs. State’s Rights were most certainly aspects of the struggle. The fascination comes from the many interesting and eccentric characters; the generals, the politicians, the African-American leaders, the women on the home front and of course, the soldiers themselves. Adding to this is that the Civil War was one of the most spectacular in terms of famous battles, brilliant strategies and unbelievable amounts of blood shed with the deepest devotion by both sides.

The true tragedy of the Civil War is that it did not end certain debates in America nor did it solve the problem of racism in this country. The recalcitrant Rebels did have a prescient point; the Federal (Hamiltonian) government did indeed get bigger and in some ways more invasive as it organized in order to defeat the Confederacy. Abraham Lincoln was a great man, a gentle and sad person who made the terrible decision to bring a,” hard” war to the South in order to make resistance impossible, one of the first modern examples of total war. Lincoln planned to offer the South policies that would lead to a, “soft” peace. His assassination was a disaster that hurt all sections of America. For all of his virtues Lincoln was focused on winning the war and ending slavery. The unintended consequence was the rise of the Republican Party under mediocre presidents that was strongly linked to the military and big business and wielding a great deal of political clout. Thus; the fears of Thomas Jefferson were realized.

Some Southern leaders did come to the realization that it would be impossible to create a new nation based on the flawed, morally bankrupt theory of human bondage. However; in part due to the harsh terms dealt the South during Reconstruction (1865-1876) white racism raised its ugly head and was not effectively dealt with (at least legally) until 100 years later during the Civil Rights era. The Civil War for all its nobility remains an open wound in the collective consciousness of Americans. Some in the South ennoble the war with a, “Lost Cause: mentality. African-Americans and other minority groups have bitter, collective memories as once enslaved or often repressed peoples in a theoretically free country. It will be very interesting to monitor the conversation in the United States as the various 150^th anniversaries of the war and Reconstruction approach (2011-2026). Finally; the permanent schism in American politics is still with us. Although the parties have essentially changed positions with the Republicans being the conservatives and the Democrats being the liberals the South continues to be a fairly solid block of conservative voters thus skewing the results of Presidential Elections to this day.  

#5: The First World War. The origins of The First World War were extremely complex although in hindsight there were many diplomatic squabbles, international incidents and lesser wars that gave ample warning of the stupendous horrors to ensue. Most of Europe was ruled by inter-linked noble houses (with Great Britain, Germany and Russia as the major European players) with the exception of a dysfunctional French Republic. A complex web of treaties both open and secret collapsed and one of the most unnecessary and bloody of all wars began. I say unnecessary as there was no clear cut evil to overcome. Yes, most of the regimes involved were inbred and arrogant yet the true evil lay in the mass slaughter. The fighting was mostly static due to improvements in technology, defensive tactics and almost wiped out an entire generation of young men. By the time that the US entered the war Germany was near collapse but still held on to small portions of France and the Low Countries.

President Woodrow Wilson was an odd, quixotic combination of conservative Democrat who held progressive ideals. He went to Versailles with the dream of ending war. However; he did not bother to consult or invite the Republicans in the US Senate nor did he expect that the leaders of England and France would not share his views. Most importantly; Wilson wanted, “self determination of peoples.” This stance meant that all countries were to give up their colonies in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. The victors refused to do so while gobbling up Germany’s colonies. Wilson also dreamt of creating a, “League of Nations”, an organization intended to preserve the peace under the concept of, “collective security.”  The Versailles Conference and Treaty raises the interesting speculation of how or why things done in one period of history lead to more problems and great, tragic disasters later. Essentially; Wilson was forced to compromise regarding overseas colonies or peoples ruled from Europe in order to gain acceptance of the League. When he took the Treaty of Versailles back to the Senate that body refused to ratify it. America was left in the embarrassing position of having proposed the League but not being a member. Wilson died a broken man. It is most unfortunate that the overly exuberant Theodore Roosevelt was physically weakened and out of power in the US. He may have been able to cut a better deal for all concerned.

Germany was forced to pay massive reparations that left the democratic, short lived Weimar Republic bankrupt and unstable. This led to the rise of radicals such as Adolf Hitler. Czarist Russia fell due to revolution and was replaced by the Soviet Union (Communist) ruled by V. Lenin and later the brutal dictator Josef Stalin. Many peoples around the world, especially in the Arab states carved out of the Ottoman Empire (Germany’s ally) and in Asia such as Vietnam were gravely angered and feeling betrayed. It would be the lot or choice of the US to deal with many of these situations at very great cost to all involved in the future. America retreated into isolationism while the pattern of big business and the stock market running amok was largely ignored (again) by a series of weak and mostly Republican administrations.

#6: Depression, World War 2 and primacy. There is a reason that economics has been called everything from, “the dismal science” to “irrational”. This is because no matter how good mathematical or computer models are it is most difficult to predict human behavior when it is combined with outside factors. In the case of the Great Depression which began in October of 1929 there are some commonly accepted explanations. The problems faced by Germany have been alluded to and Germany finally defaulted on her debts. Various nations such as Great Britain went on and off the gold standard. There was a terrible drought in the American Mid-West that destroyed crops and ruined the livelihood of many farmers. On Wall Street things were basically out of control. Trusts and holding companies bought up companies and corporations then turned around and issued stocks based on this new level of ownership rather than the original worth of the entities they swallowed up. People bought stocks in holding companies or trusts (which had no real value) with down payments around 10% of the estimated or assumed value. Nothing was produced, risks were high but for a time enormous profits (on paper) were created. When the market crashed millions of people were ruined and the world went into an economic slump. There were exceptions by the early 1930’s such as Nazi Germany which was busy re-arming. President Herbert Hoover tried to stem the tide with modest measures such as cooperation with big business, small loans and volunteerism but nothing worked because the population had lost faith in the system.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected in 1932 he launched, “The New Deal”. Some of the Roosevelt administration’s efforts were similar to Hoover’s while other more radical ideas moved the country to the political left. Without going into detail here regarding the veritable, “alphabet soup” of new agencies and programs I note that the real difference was that the American people began believing again and responded to Roosevelt’s reassuring rhetoric. Roosevelt enjoyed some victories and suffered political defeats yet the real point is that in some sectors the economy began to sputter into life. This proved to be a good thing considering what was to come next.

The Second World War actually began in 1931when Imperial Japan invaded China and Fascist Italy attacked Ethiopia. Meanwhile an energized and angry Germany used aggressive diplomacy and threats (to put it mildly) to swallow the Rhineland, Memel, Austria and Czechoslovakia. The Western powers seemed helpless to act as England sought to avoid another massive bloodletting through appeasement policies, France was in a state of perpetual political turmoil, the League of Nations could condemn but was not effective and America was absorbed with her own problems. The fairly new Soviet Union under Stalin was distrusted by all.

Things came to a head when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939. France and Great Britain guaranteed Polish autonomy and the European phase of the war was under way. It is an open question whether or not Germany would have risked all without the dubious assurances of the Molotov Pact with the USSR. France and all of Western Europe fell by 1940 with the exception of Spain (a balky ally of Germany) and neutral Portugal. Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of England and for a time that nation stood alone. Roosevelt did help the English but most of the assistance came with the caveat that Britain must pay for the aid as Roosevelt had his own domestic political problems to consider. The United States entered the war when Japan attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbor (and useful military American British and Dutch targets all over Asia) on December 7 & 8, 1941. By that time the Germans had rather foolishly invaded Russia after failing to subdue England. Beyond the details of the blood soaked campaigns, the horrors as tens of millions of people died we should consider the results. Italy was knocked out of the War fairly early. Germany surrendered in May of 1945 and Japan in August of that year.

A great moral question was raised. How could civilized nations engage in such out of control, barbaric behavior? The Germans, Japanese and Russians discovered innovative, extraordinarily horrible methods to murder millions. No one was innocent as the Allies (mostly the US and the UK) resorted to round-the-clock bombing of Axis cities with high explosives and incendiaries ending with the use of nuclear weapons by America against Japan. The moral question was and is still pondered. War as a means of settling human disputes remains with us.

In terms of results it is clear that the United States was the victor. Before it was defeated Germany devastated France then Russia and to a lesser extent, England. Before Imperial Japan went down she inflicted terrific damage on China and disrupted the Pacific colonial possessions of Western Europe. Of course, Germany and Japan were basically wrecked. Although America suffered in terms of war dead, the country was basically untouched and thriving by the end of the conflict. Now, America was the dominant power (with some innocence in spite of aggressive actions in past wars) and inherited the attendant responsibilities. Soon the United States found that in spite of not wanting territory, in spite of re-building both former allies and enemies that the burden of being the leading economic, political and military power was most problematic. This has been the case for example from the Roman to British Empires. What America really wanted was a stable world so that US hegemony would be economic rather than military. This was not to prove possible and the situation was exacerbated by the sense of or belief in, “American Exceptionalism”, the feeling that even prior to the Revolution, America was a very special place and that Americans could do anything. While the US did do a great deal including landing on the Moon the limitations imposed by History would quickly appear.

#7: Korea and the Cold War. (Limited war and unlimited military budgets). In June of 1951 North Korea attacked South Korea. This was essentially the Korean civil war because after liberation from decades of brutal Japanese occupation in 1945 the unfortunate Koreans became pawns in the new struggle, the Cold War. At the time America was in a state of anti-Communist frenzy (with some reason) as Stalin had grabbed Eastern Europe, Communist Chinese revolutionaries took control of that nation and Russia along with China somewhat later began to develop nuclear weapons. Few paid attention to liberal diplomat George F. Kennan’s prediction that the USSR was bound to eventually fail due to the death of Stalin and the fact that it was an inefficient monolith. In the aftermath of WW 2 few noticed, or could agree on what to do about Korea. North Korea became a Communist state under the influence of the PRC and USSR while South Korea became a military dictatorship within the sphere of US interests.

Another terrible war ensued with South Korea, the Americans, the UN (mostly British Commonwealth nations) versus the Chinese, North Korea and Red Air Force all rampaging up and down that unfortunate peninsula and wreaking havoc on its ancient, deeply cultured peoples. After much public arguing with General Douglas MacArthur about strategy, President Harry Truman made a decision that was to affect History in profound ways. Annoyed by MacArthur’s massive ego and tactical mistakes (although MacArthur had been quite good except for the loss of the Philippines during WW2 and a fine governor of Japan) Truman fired the general and decided on the concept of, “limited war”. This meant that Korea was to remain divided at the 38^th Parallel rather than risk a larger, nuclear war. Truman was correct here and may have saved the world from a third world conflict. However; and as usual things or History took another course. The US found itself funding enormous defense budgets in the hundreds of billions and now low trillions of dollars. The ongoing militarization of America (since Hamilton, since the Civil War and WW 2) was beginning to prove unsustainable in terms of sheer cost and definitely causing economic, political and social problems. Rightly or wrongly, the bill is now due.

#8: Vietnam and doubts. As is Korea, Vietnam or ancient Annam is an old and proud culture. Historically; the only thing that seems to unify the Vietnamese is the intervention of another power. Vietnam had been a French colony for a very long time and France was loath to let go in spite of being badly weakened during the Second World War. Largely due to this attitude of the French, Vietnamese nationalism veered left towards Communism especially in the North while the South was ruled by a Catholic minority in a Buddhist land. The Vietnamese under Ho Chi Minh and his able general, Giap defeated the French in 1954. A conference at Geneva did not solve the problem and Vietnam was divided at the 17^th Parallel. Various US administrations were drawn in beginning with that of Eisenhower. There is some evidence that John F. Kennedy was considering getting out of Vietnam if he won the Election of 1964. Sadly, this did not come to pass and President Lyndon Johnson massively expanded the war effort. At the peak of the US escalation there were 585,000 US troops in the country. In spite of massive bombing campaigns the North would not bend and the insurgency in the South continued. President Richard Nixon increased the levels of bombing (adding Cambodia to the target list which led to more butchery as the Khmer Rouge took over that de-stabilized country) while Secretary of State Henry Kissinger tried to negotiate a way out.

This war shattered the comity in American politics and culture. The counter-culture rose with new music, fashions, art and drugs then proceeded to oppose the war. This was roughly the same period of the feminist movement and the Civil Rights movement. Horrified conservatives began to look askance at what they believed to be weak-willed, self absorbed liberals while the left in America pointed at the fruitless nature of the war and the many inequities in American society. Matters were worsened when Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968 (there were many other very unfortunate assassinations during this period, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and later John Lennon and culturally important, the eventually fatal wounding of Andy Warhol). This led to the defeat of Johnson’s moderate Democratic Vice-President, Hubert H. Humphrey by Republican Richard M. Nixon in the Election of 1968. Nixon; as noted above, proceeded to blast North Vietnam from the air in order to cover a withdrawal, invaded Cambodia and engaged in an unnecessary, paranoid scandal, Watergate. Both Nixon and South Vietnam fell. Millions died and billions were spent to no avail although Vietnam and the US get along well now largely due to concerns about the continuing rise of China. Beyond all this, Americans were embittered, divided and beginning to doubt themselves or if the great, original ameliorative ideal of The Founders was possible.

#9: Conflicts in the Middle East and the competition for resources. America seemed to go right along in fairly good order throughout the 1970’s, 1980’s and into the 1990’s. The Soviet Union collapsed of its own weight between 1989/90. The economy and budget surplus were good during the administration of Bill Clinton. The US and NATO did much to stop the bloody civil war(s) in the former Yugoslavia. Still, there were warning signs as much of the world festered in poverty and corruption as in Africa. Other nations or groups of nations were rising in terms of economic might and competing with the US. Through its own complacency and mismanagement the US auto industry found itself lagging far beyond that of Japan and then South Korea. The EU was rising (especially a very democratic, re-unified Germany) along with Brazil, China and India. China caused the most alarm because that nation had chosen to become capitalist while retaining one party (Communist) government. All of this may have or could be manageable in some benign fashion except for three main factors.

A: The US was and is the largest consuming nation on Earth. Roughly about 6% of the world population is using over 25% of the available resources on the planet. This makes America both the greatest polluter of the deteriorating, changing (climate) environment in History (although China will most likely soon claim that honor) and the greatest debtor nation ever seen. Most of this money used to fuel American consumption is borrowed from China, a nation that clearly follows its own self interest. This situation weakens the US in terms of dealing with China in terms of almost any international issue one can think of.

B: America is addicted to oil. Petroleum products fuel our cars (at the cost of investing in high speed rail for one example), is the basis for the production of plastics, fertilizers and many other useful things. Unfortunately, the burning of petrochemicals is now recognized as the major cause of climate change. In my view, the United States is now too deeply enmeshed in deficit spending to be consistently serious about the research and cost of seeking alternative fuel supplies. America holds very little of the world oil supply; most of the easily accessible oil is to be found in the very problematic Middle East. When President Jimmy Carter warned about excessive use of energy in 1977 most Americans scoffed.

C: The Arab nations (due to betrayals by Great Britain and France) and Persian Iran (due to US backed coups) hold some very old grudges against the West some of which I have alluded to in this piece. The dominant religion in the area, Islam has become radicalized in the hearts and minds of many Arabs. While there is some hope of and vital necessity in reaching out to the moderate middle classes in the Middle East this goal has not born much fruit so far. After the insanely effective terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington DC on September 11, 2001 the United States has gone to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. President George W. Bush was most aggressive in these endeavors. Neither Al Queda nor the Taliban has been defeated and both continue this new form of, “asymmetrical” war through proxies and Islamic political parties. War is expensive and this nation pursues it by borrowing, while refusing to raise taxes on the wealthy, neglecting to educate its people well and ignoring the plight of the poor. While no rational person including this writer can excuse or justify the zealous madness of 9/11 and other attacks against the US, American interests and allies it is clearly becoming time to think things out again. So, I finally wend my way to some possible, potential solutions while noting that to continue as we are is indeed, folly.  

 #10: The New Purpose. I will address domestic matters and the political construct of the United States first. There is little effective use in trying to fix international problems without some prior effort to bring our own house in order. It is true that the US Constitution is designed so that change comes slowly. Nevertheless; the attempt needs to be made for the good of all. The Electoral College needs to be eliminated. It was designed to be a check on the will of the people because at the time Americans worried that their revolution might spin out of control as did the French Revolution. Problems with this method of indirect voting have surfaced in the Elections of 1800 (Jefferson vs. Adams and then Jefferson vs. Burr), 1824 (Jackson vs. J.Q. Adams), 1876 (Hayes vs. Tilden) and 2000 (Bush vs. Gore). All of these contested elections have led to problems or disillusionment on the part of many Americans. The American people should have the right to elect their leader themselves.

We need to think about the 2^nd Amendment. The American people were allowed to bear arms because of a fear that the British would come back which they did in 1812. However; given that this culture has many violent aspects, I do not believe that The Founders could have dreamt of the power of modern assault weapons or the mass carnage now possible. There must be some way to preserve, this deeply felt, “right” while preserving public safety. Consider the recent shootings in Arizona. The act of one disturbed young man may drive our own elected Representatives away from the people out of concern for their own safety. In any case and permitting myself a bit of satire; should the prospect of revolution or counter-revolution arise (which I do not advocate) guns would most certainly become available.

Let us think about the 4^th Amendment in the age of computers. There is no privacy today. Every keystroke made on-line is remembered and often tracked for commercial or security purposes on some massive server, somewhere. Yes, we do need to know what pedophiles, killers, financial scammers and terrorists are up to but do we really need to monitor everyone? This is the old argument of security versus liberty. This matter needs a rational conversation leading to an appropriate, protected measure of privacy.

Another thing we need to rethink is the 12^th Amendment which forces, “tickets” for the presidency and vice-presidency. Perhaps there should be a Second Vice-President who presides over the House and acts as sort of an ombudsman for the people. This person could also act as a ceremonial head of state as US presidents are rather busy. Either this person or the Vice-President could be elected separately thus putting a slight check upon the executive within the executive. Should such a conversation come to pass it needs to be done wisely in order not to foil the will of the people or lead to a fractured executive branch.

Yet another thing we need to rethink various Supreme Court decisions that granted or allowed corporations the status and rights of persons. This situation has led to the worse corporate abuses. The current financial crisis is the perfect example. Financiers found a new source of wealth in the mortgage/housing market. Vast numbers of mortgages were bought from the original lenders. Then these mortgages were bought and sold in bundles as, “derivatives”. These derivatives were basically bets that home owners would either succeed in paying off their home loans or fail and default. So, these financial products could be used to bet either way. Again; as in the Great Depression nothing was created or built. In fact much of this, “money” was not even printed as cash, it was done by transferring enormous sums digitally thus making it a sort of inflationary, destructive form of, “faux” money. The already badly strained US economy took another hard blow and many people lost their homes. This, “shadow” market proceeded with almost no oversight or regulation until it was too late. If an individual citizen is responsible for his or her acts then corporations and their officers should be equally.

We might consider allowing for representatives at large so that the Socialist/Green left and Libertarian right have some say in Congress. This is because both the Democrats and Republicans have been around so long that they are intertwined with corporate and business interests often at great cost to our democracy. Campaign finance reform is needed because large amounts of money are needed to run for office and most of that money is held by influential corporations. I believe that in Germany the threshold is 5% of the vote for lesser parties to enter government. Such a structure would force the two main parties to cut deals or enter coalitions with the minor parties and perhaps then the will of the people might be better recognized. In essence this is a step towards a parliamentary system.

Let us bring back the draft for things including but other than the military, Peace Corps, Ameri-Corps and a teaching corps. On the surface this sounds undemocratic but it would serve some good purposes. According to, “The (1906) Moral Equivalent of War” theory of William James this would provide the opportunity for national service for the young and (these days) older people with useful skills. It is a matter of civic duty and amelioration for the common good. This would be a good way to help over-educated but unemployed citizens pay off their unreasonably large student loans. The military would gain highly educated recruits if a person chose that route and there would pacifistic alternatives for others. The greatest benefit would be that the young who serve would gain useful experience and a sense of duty combined with the discipline needed to succeed in life.

We need to understand that the United States is no longer the sole super-power. Even as the international financial system dangerously wobbles; the EU (especially Germany), Brazil, Russia, China, South Korea and India are rising. Such recognition does not imply disaster; it indicates that we need to get smarter as a nation. This means playing diplomatic chess rather than simplistic checkers. There are many other nations in the world with similar cultural values, interests and goals. The United States is not alone and can still lead. Therefore; we need to strengthen alliances, build coalitions and maintain a balance of power. Standing with like-minded nations could bring a great deal of good into the world and put a check of those nations or entities that mean to bring harm to or destruction upon any, innocent group. The same holds true for the problems of climate change, public health, population control, energy and poverty. Yes, there are endless meetings on these sorts of issues. It is time to get serious and consider the bigger picture. No matter what our personal or national concerns may be as one of many species we do share this beautiful, finite Earth. This brings me to a conclusion with a positive idea. How interesting it would be to see cooperation in the exploration of space. It would be a happy day when the news leads with a story about astronauts leaping around in pink methane snow somewhere rather than the usual droll horrors. To quote William James, “All the higher, more penetrating ideals are revolutionary.” It is possible though it will not be easy to find a new purpose, to ameliorate, face the future with confidence and renewed hope.

Keith Keller