The American Mystique and The Power Syndrome
Are men destined to wield their power and influence over all others?
The American mystique and the power syndrome can be traced back to the 4th and 5th century B C. During those eras, there were two prominent historians writing about history using two methods of historical thought — Allegorical and Analysis. Both historians give the reader exacting evidence of what happens to human civilizations when men begin to weld power unceasingly — human civilizations decline.
These two schools of thought will be explain in detail in this article.
The allegorical method was first formulated by Herodotus. Allegory is a story with a hidden meaning; it is the basis of historiography or the writing of history. Herodotus emphasized the results of power when power is left in the hands of men.
The analytical method or analysis was first formulated by Thucydides. Thucydides analyzed the effects of power on human civilizations when power is left in the hands of men.
Herodotus wrote accounts of those ancient kingdoms — how they rose to power and their subsequent decline. Both historians give vital documentation of the events and issues of those ancients times that caused those ancient civilizations to decline.
Even though both historians were writing at different eras, during their respective emergence, they both agreed about the dreadful effects of power on human civilizations.
Thucydides wrote an extensive volume series on the Peloponnesian War analyzing what happens to empires when men ruled unceasingly — human civilizations decline.
Herodotus wrote accounts of those ancient kingdoms — how they rose to power and their subsequent decline. Both historians give vital documentation of the events and issues of those times that caused those human civilizations to decline, agreeing with one another even though they both were writing in different eras.
It wasn’t until the 14th century when human civilizations saw a rise in a new kind of power — fascism. A fascist dictator was in power in Italy during that era — Machiavelli. Machiavelli wrote a timeless book called, ‘The Will To Power.” The way that Machiavelli and other despots wielded power caused Italy to decline. It wasn’t until the 20th century when Italy became a social democracy.
Fast forward to the early 1940’s and the Yalta Conference. During that era, three countries were represented at Yalta: America, Canada and Russia. The meeting was held in the dead of winter in Russia’s arctic region. The big three world leaders met during that time to hatch out the groundwork for the United Nations. Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted to set matters right as it pertained to America’s position on the western front, and also, because of The League of Nations, President Woodrow Wilson’s birthchild. America was still fuming over the rejection of the League of Nations. Yet, some of the platforms of President Wilson’s League of Nations were adopted by the framers of the United Nations.
Historically, America has always been a breadbasket for the nations of the world. That is, America has granted those seeking political asylum anonymity for security and safety reasons for this country as well as the aspirants for American citizenship. This is where the power syndrome comes into play: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin wanted to discuss Adolf Hitler because Hitler had seemed to disappear from off the face of the earth, nobody knew where he was. World War II was just about over; American soldiers were fighting that last decisive battle of the war: The Battle of Ardennes Forest or better known as the Battle of the bulge.