God bless America

No day goes by without hearing news from the United States. This was true even before the current president, Donald Trump, took office. This just shows how important the US is to the world, because it is the world's leading country. The number one country.

This year, the United States celebrated its 250th anniversary. I read a biography of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers, which gave me a deep insight into the times and events that led to US independence.

From the outset, the United States was destined to become a great nation, as evidenced by the decisions made by the Founding Fathers. For example, they needed French support in the war for independence against Britain, but they also did not want to be indebted to the French forever and be unable to make their own decisions as a sovereign country.

I must also mention that the US built on Britain's success. At that time, Britain was the world's leading nation, and this played a role in shaping the new nation. The US was able to learn from the United Kingdom's successes and failures.

One thing I admire about the US is the concept of capitalism, where everyone has the opportunity to live the American dream. This was something that the US wanted to be different from the UK, where one's destiny was determined by one's family background. I think this system has made the world a better place and helped democracy to thrive.

Looking back through history, one could argue that the world wars made the US the dominant global player it is today. The US has also shaped the world’s culture through its entertainment, which could also be considered a major export. Personally, I became interested in basketball and hip-hop dance this year, which could also be considered exports of US culture. I have also just realised that most of the books I read are American, which shows just how much this country has influenced me. 

US stories haven't always been great. For example, you can't ignore the history of slavery in the country, or the events that followed, like the civil rights movements. We also can't ignore modern-day law enforcement discrimination. This just goes to show that there's no nation that's all good. And don't forget the unnecessary wars the US has led, and how the CIA played a part in making some African countries unstable after they gained independence during the Cold War. Having said that, this doesn't change the fact that the US is a great country and has always been full of great people.

The US is changing and it is just my hope that it changes for the better at the end. 

Thanks for stopping by

JaySays