’’There is a near consensus in the global intellectual community that 9/11 and and its after math have drawn a firm line under USA’s globally marketed image of humane and benevolent democracy that pride itself for being a beacon of the hope to the rest of the world.’’
’’Concomitant to this AMERICA’S response to the greatest calamity on its soil has exposed to the world its ugly and disfigured face, which few could have expected acceptably including india.’’
’’To a scholar traveller and researcher like ANATOL LIEVEN this is not the firdt time that america have convulsed by spams of agressive nationalism.The anti GERMAN histeria of firdt world war , and the anti JAPANEASE fever of second world war and McCARTHYISM, that plagued it at the commencement of cold war are some of the past instances when ameria literally went mad.’’
LIEVEN sets his store by thesis by america ’s own image of itself as a ’’missianic nation’’designated by the god to spread good and fight evil throughout the world , tracing the roots of EURPEAON settlement in the new world LIEVEN argues that settlers who flocked to its shores from 16th and 17th centuries believed as matter of faith that wanted to establish a ’’new israel’’ in america , inhabited by protestants in a ’’damnable catholic sea’’.
’’The myth of america’s devinely orgained and good guided destiny shaped its policies in the 19yh and 20th centuries as a purveyor of , ’’America ’s self righteousness took a frim grip over its leadership and over the average American, too.America could not be wrong in any conflict and could back a loser .’’
along with the fostering faith in america’s invincibility , the messianic vision also un restrained and underpinned the a false sense of impregnability of fortress america, there was no way the thesis argued , that america could be touched or harmed , by an evil force because its shores could not be invaded.
’’the fact that despite an eye-ball to eye-ball confirmatioan ’’evil’’and ’’soviet’’during the cold war have been long years , no harm can come to america’s land , further instilled faith in america’s capacity to ward of evil and to keep all harm at arm’s lenght.’’
LIEVEN contended that in the past the kind voilent natiomalism that currently consuming america was checkmated and roled back by the innate strenght of america’s civil strenght its civil nationalism and the core values of america’s democracybut these forces of moderation have been steadily weakened by the relentless greed of US capitilism and corporate culture.
FLASHBACK:
LIEVEN ARGUES THAT , american dream anchored in one’s capacity to rise .