The Trophy Case: Transcendentalism

We at Pacemaker have always encouraged student writing and art, and this time we are showcasing an essay by Mariemont Junior Scott Overbey, citing the duty of America in the world and the vibrant continuation of the transcendentalist movement.

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As Americans and leaders of the free world, we are obligated to spread our way of life to the rest of the world. Due to our superior culture, our relationship to the rest of the world is the same as a teacher to a student; we are meant to cultivate the roots of democracy as they spread throughout the globe. Our government, our economy, and our society all serve as paragons of the virtues that should be held by every nation on Earth.

Primarily, our government is the basis for our standing as the greatest nation on Earth due to its productivity, willingness to compromise, and dedication to the American people’s well being. In the first half of 2013 alone, Congress put a whole fifteen bills into law (Roller). For perspective, almost 4000 bills had come to Congress in the first half of 2013, but they, as dedicated servants of state, were able to pick only the best bills for our nation. For example, one of these bills, the “Freedom to Fish Act”, addressed one of our nation's most pivotal issues when the legislations formally allowed fishing in the vicinity of dams in Kentucky. This lack of passing bills may surprise and even alarm some, but according the one of the most influential Transcendentalist authors of all time, Henry David Thoreau, “That government is best which governs least” (Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience”). Thoreau also stressed limiting actions in his essay, “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” when he exclaimed, “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail” (Thoreau, “Where I Lived”). Additionally, our government works for the American people. Between 2010 and 2016, Super PACs (i.e. political action committees) raised over 550 million dollars in order to advocate for politicians and policies (“Super PACs”). Some people say that this results in Congress pandering to money from wealthy donors and Super PACs, but where does the money come from? The American people! In this sense, the government is representing the American people indirectly as the American people continue to funnel money towards those with the buying power to influence politics. This form of trickle-up economics just shows how well political contributions represent the American people’s intentions in their own government. Our politicians are also able to compromise and change with time. For example, presidential candidate Donald Trump is currently preaching pro-life sentiments as he vies for the Republican ballot for the 2016 presidential election. However, Trump was pro-choice for much of his career, and has even been cited as stating, “I believe [abortion] is a personal decision that should be left to the women and their doctors” (“Donald Trump”). In his essay, “Self-Reliance”, Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the founders of the Transcendentalist movement, stated, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” (Emerson, “Self-Reliance”). Therefore, Trump’s, and the rest of Congress’, willingness to change their view with the American people should not be admonished as pandering to voters, but celebrated as they are inspired transcendentalists, willing to change based on new data. Overall, we as Americans are compelled to disseminate this model to the rest of the world due to our government’s great success in leading our nation.

Secondly, we as Americans should share our economic values with the rest of the world due to the strength and reliability of our economy. As a nation, we are currently in more than 19 trillion dollars of debt (“US National Debt”). The reason for this is not that our economy is weak, or that we’re being taken advantage of by foreign nations, but because we have such a strong economy that our credit is worth so much. By this logic, this extremely high debt just shows how well the American economy is doing! As a nation, we pay the highest student tuitions in the world, we pay the most for health care, and we pay the most for prescribed medication; we pay these prices because, as a nation, we can (Scheller). With this knowledge in mind, shouldn’t we help other countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, and Norway, who all pay less for health care, so that they can become like America? Why shouldn’t the rest of the world join us by paying more for the luxuries of life? These other countries have frequently criticized our practices, but in the words of Emerson, “To be great is to be misunderstood” (Emerson, “Self-Reliance”). Overall, Americans have a duty to invite the rest of the world into the utopia that is our economy.

Lastly, American society and culture itself should be diffused throughout the world, permeating from the skyscrapers of Dubai to the projects of Rio De Janeiro. We value success, hard work, and most importantly, the freedom of choice. For this reason, the United States joins the prestigious ranks of Swaziland, Lesotho, and New Guinea by not mandating paid maternity leave. While this is a small minority, Emerson continually supported nonconformity; in his essay, “Self-Reliance”, Emerson goes as far to say, “With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do” (Emerson, “Self-Reliance”). Additionally, we as Americans are willing to punish those who are a threat to our society. In our populus, 716 out of every 100,000 people are incarcerated in jail. This could a blessing for them. In his essay, “Civil Disobedience”, Thoreau insists jail frees men as he says, “if there was a wall of stone between me and my townsmen, there was a still more difficult one to climb or break through before they could get to be as free as I was” (Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience”). All in all, American culture deserves to help the rest of the world by assimilating the rest of the world into American culture.

As citizens of the United States of America, the greatest nation on earth, promoter of freedom and democracy, we must bring America to the rest of the world. As we have seen from the evidence above, American government, economics, and society is simply superior to the rest of the world which leaves us with the obligation to elevate the rest of the world as they climb towards prosperity.

Works Cited

“Donald Trump on Abortion.” On the Issues. Ed. Jesse Gordon. On the Issues, 25 Apr. 2015. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Self-Reliance.” 1841. Essays: First Series. By Emerson. N.p., 1841. N. pag. Print.

Roller, Emma. “Here Are the 15 Bills That Have Actually Become Law So Far This Year.” Weigel. Slate, 21 July 2013. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

Scheller, Alissa, and Maxwell Strachan. “15 Ways The United States Is The Best (At Being The Worst).” Infographic. Huffington Post. Huffington Post, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

“Super PACs.” Open Secrets. Ed. Sheila Krumholz. Center for Responsive Politics, 16 Feb. 2016. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

Thoreau, Henry David. On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. Boston: Aesthetic Papers, 1849. Print.

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“Where I Lived, and What I Lived For.” 1854. Walden. By Thoreau. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1854. N. pag. Print.

“U.S. National Debt.” U.S. Debt Clock. N.p., 23 Feb. 2016. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.