John Quincy ADAMS on U.S. foreign policy:
"[America] goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She will commend the general cause by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of her example. She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom."
-- John Quincy Adams, Speech before the House of Representatives, July 4, 1821; quoted in William Bonner and Pierre Lemieux (Editors), The Idea of America (Les Belles Lettres, 2003), p. 237.
3 comments:
Great Comment. If only America's citizens would take the same attitude when it came to travel. ;)
You think you're so funny... Too bad the quote has nothing to do with travel.
Why do the Sudanese have a desire to learn English? My guess is so that they can come to America, or at least "Americanize" Sudan. Now why would they want to do this when they've never even visited America? Well, unlike Sudanese culture, which has essentially been an endless stream of "interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition", American culture has been the "champion and vindicator" or "freedom and independence".
It's amazing that never-educated, flea-biten Africans are willing to recognize that some cultures are better than others and attempt to learn whatever they can about them for their own, actual, long term benefit but college-educated, intelligent Americans refuse to do either and instead spend their time galavanting around the world.
Post a Comment