The US has only been around for a couple hundred years and it's power was always based on and grown via violence. Revolutionary War, expansion into the west, becoming an international power in late 19th and early 20th century etc.
I've pointed this out many times. The American cultural narrative is SO deeply tied to violence.
First the stories of having to fight their way through the wilderness against wild animals and killing Native Americans.
Then the massive hero narrative of the Revolutionary War to gain our "freedom".
The passage of the 2nd Amendment, supposedly to protect our nation from tyranny forever.
You have "Remember the Alamo!" which is the big underdog violence narrative, plus how we got Texas.
Next the idea that the Civil War was a necessary evil to "free the slaves".
Followed by the mythology of the Wild West.
After that we supposedly saved the Europe with our violence in World War I.
Then we saved the whole world by inflicting unprecedented levels of violence in World War II.
Then we fought off Communism in Korea and Vietnam and by funding violent Afghans and Contras.
Then of course we had to go into Afghanistan after 9/11 to get our revenge and fight for "Freedom!" once again.
All mixed in there you also have the French-Indian War, War of 1812, Mexico-American War, Spanish-American War, all the shyt in Cuba and Central America, and the the (first) Iraq War.
The degree to which the American narrative is steeped in violence is fukking crazy. Kids go to school and US History is one story after another of "And then we had to kill that one! Thank God we're so good at killing people!"
www.nytimes.com
