Pandemics of racism, Exceptionalism and arrogance compromise an “axis of weevils” that undermine liberal order as America’s main thrust, domestically and internationally.
2020/ 6/15
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On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, rejected a bus driver’s order to relinquish her seat in the “colored section” to a white passenger and then was arrested for civil disobedience. Yet under the pressure of Civil Right Movement, she was released from prison nd became a symbol of black community resistance. But on May 25, 2020, George Floyd – an African-American citizen – was brutally killed during a police arrest in Minneapolis and inspired massive and colossal protest across the United States of America. Will Floyd’s death result in an unprejudiced situation for Black community, as did Park’s arrest? The honest answer is perhaps no. American society would probably continue becoming more divided and discriminated.
The US is now in a fragile situation economically, politically and socially and is looking for the culprits. The White Community believes that when they had paved way to American civilization, the Black and other new immigrants jumped on the civilization bandwagon.
Indeed, despite all the legal struggles of black people, American white community remains racist. Valerie Wilson, director of the program on race, ethnicity and the economy at the Economic Policy Institute, believes that “racial inequality has become so normalized in American society”.
As a result of discriminatory behaviors and policies, major economic indicators prevail in favor of the White, CNN reported. These include
- Wealth: White families have substantially more wealth than black families. The median net worth of white households (171000$) is about 10 times the median net worth of black households. (17600$)
- Income: White families typically have higher incomes than black families and the median income for black households (41000$) is a little less than 60% of that of white households (71000$).
- Unemployment: The unemployment rate for black (16.7%) Americans exceeds that of whites (14.2%)
- Poverty: A larger share of black population lives in poverty. The poverty rate for black (20.8%) Americans is more than double that of whites (8.1%).
- Health Care: A larger share of black (9.7%) Americans lack of health insurance compared to whites (5.4%).
An important fact facing the American black community is the lack of recognition. In fact, the black people have always been known as the American low-class workforce and will never be officially recognized as first-class citizens. As a result of this approach, the American black community has been denied access to higher education, health care, appropriate employment, and high government positions.
Today we see that political officials practically ignore the black people and only show interest in the white community. This will further strengthen the racist approach. This vision appeals to both liberals and conservatives in the United States. Since Trump become the president of the United States, black people find themselves more isolated and reluctant. Under these circumstances, black lives don’t matter and many black people are being deprived of their rights. As a result of the systematic racism in the educational system and social structures, blacks realize their distinction from the white and always try to maintain this distance. In fact, racist behavior has become an epidemic in US political and social life and is growing stronger day by day.
Another issue that is not unrelated to the spirit of racism, is the issue of American exceptionalism. Although more exceptionalism has been used to distinguish the United States from the outside world, today it can be found within the American political and social life as well. White society feels superior to blacks. This vision allows them to disregard Black rights. The White don’t consider the Lincoln Declaration for the Freedom of Slaves in 1863 as an obligation or requisite for everyone’s equality before the law.
So, the bigger picture is that a combination of racist behavior, US domestic and foreign exceptionalism, and the arrogance endemic in the behavior of American white society, is undermining the foundations of American liberal order.
A series of US devastating interventions has increased unrest and instability in the Middle East and North Africa. If we do not mention the history of US crimes in Japan and Vietnam a few decades ago, recent events or developments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, etc., indicate that the US malign interventions have deprived people and states of the opportunity to live a normal life. In other words, the US has pressed its knee on the neck of other states for almost 70 years and has not allowed them to breathe.
The oppressive and unilateral US sanctions against Iran, are a clear example of destructive US intervention. During the outbreak of the coronavirus in Iran, many people died as a result of lack of access to medicine and health services that did not enter Iran due to sanctions. Under these circumstances, the US not only refused to lift the sanctions but also opposed Iran’s request for a loan from the International Monetary Fund in the first place, and intensified sanctions in the next step.
These aggressive domestic and foreign policies show that the US cannot claim global leadership and defend human values. Washington is now itself the main obstacle to freedom and equality of human beings. In fact, there are significant similarities between US domestic and foreign behavior. Just as the United States does not respect the rights of blacks, it does not respect the rights of other nations. Therefore, we cannot expect a change in US foreign behavior until the US domestic structure becomes fairer and more impartial. As much as the black community of the United States achieves its rightful demands through peaceful resistance, so can the governments and nations of the world realize their rights by rejecting the excessive demands of the United States.
