Sam Jones

Period 1-Honors lit.

May 16, 2011

US failing, succeeding, evolving essay

Success and Failure Intertwined

“The more things change, the more they stay the same” (Alphonse Karr). The United

States is, and has been, constantly changing and evolving, succeeding and failing. It is going

through the same process countless civilizations have gone through during the history of the

world. By studying the rise and fall of other civilizations we can understand how the United

States is failing, succeeding and evolving over time.

The nomadic Mongols grew from a small group of loose tribes to the rulers of the largest

land empire in the history of the world in just over a century and a half. This massive change was

caused by their leaders, most notably Genghis Khan, who was able to create and manage this

vast empire. The skilled Mongolian army also played an important role in the civilization’s rise,

as they allowed expansion by conquering others. As they took over other lands, they included the

captured area’s culture with their own. They are known for their brutal ways, occasionally killing

every living thing, including plants, in the city they wished to control. Other empires soon feared

them greatly, which, coupled with the immense size of the Mongols’ territory, brought about the

fall of the Mongol civilization.

As the Mongols expanded, they became a common enemy for the people near their

borders. Empires who had been fighting against one another for hundreds of years banded

together and attacked the Mongols. While the Mongols had the advantage in skill, it greatly

lacked the numbers of soldiers in opposing armies. The empire was too vast to defend, and the

other rulers soon took over the majority of the territory, ending the Mongolian empire.

The United States is far from the super power it was less than a century ago. We have had

combat troops on foreign soil for more than a decade, fighting a war on an act that will never be

stopped, because “terrorism, like viruses, is everywhere” (Jean Baudrillard). Not only are

American soldiers losing their lives daily, but it hurts the world’s opinion of Americans in

general. Despite the very long period of fighting, the conflict shows no signs of ending soon. At

home, too, America is faced with failures with the economy and financial market which recently

resulted in many losing their homes and savings. The percentage of job loss has increased, and

national debt is over $14.3 trillion. Additionally, the United States is behind more than a score of

countries in math and science, as well as other areas of education. The nation is also 19th in

graduation rates from high school, with one student dropping out every 26 seconds (“By the

Numbers: High School Dropout Rate”). These dropouts affect the rest of the country, because if

the graduation rate increased by just 1%, the US would save $1.4 billion in health care costs, as

graduates often have better jobs with health insurance. Despite these failures, the United States is

not without successes.

Even though our economy is failing and we are behind on education, the United States

has maintained a working democracy for almost a century and a half. Our government today is

still a “government of the people, by the people (and) for the people” (Abraham Lincoln). We

were able to create this democracy from a group of colonies and grow to become the third largest

country in the world, much like the Mongols. Additionally, we went from a military mostly

comprised of farmers and few professional soldiers to the most powerful professional military in

the world. Yet we use this power to help other nations and defend our interests, but not to

conquer the weak. However, our successes aren’t limited to those that affect American citizens

and foreign countries only, but immigrants as well. We have, and continue to, followed the laws

of capitalism for many years; someone can enter this country with the clothes on their back and

the will to work, and can become a millionaire. We have also kept our desire for freedom

throughout our history, which resulted in its own successes; our independence from England, for

example. Even with successes such as these, a civilization will decline if it does not move

forward. The United States is preventing this by succeeding not only by repeating what has been

proven successful, but also by changing and evolving with, or ahead of, the rest of the world.

The United States has had to change many of its ways in an effort to reduce global

warming and preserve the environment. This includes modifying everything from cars and

energy sources to ammunition. For example, food is being used as experimental fuel, and lead-

less, more efficient bullets are in production. Electricity is also being considered as an alternate

source of power for vehicles, instead of biofuel or environmentally-harmful regular fuel. New

uses for recycled trash are emerging, which allows new products to be made without harvesting

new resources. The United States is evolving not only environmentally, but in technological

advancements as well. Before 1959, the moon was an unattainable goal, but “all civilizations

must become either space faring or extinct” (Carl Sagan). The United States was able to design a

craft capable of reaching an unexplored world, and successfully carry out a mission to landed

men there. Additions and improvements were made, and now even a civilian can travel into

space, with enough money. Perhaps the most obvious evolution, though, is the inclusion of

foreign people and cultures, such as Hispanics. While this has made the population far more

diverse, it has caused the unique identity of the United States to fade. These are just a few

examples of improvements and changes that would not be possible if the United States

could not evolve.

Any civilization must grow from its foundations. It will rise and show success, but will

ultimately fail if it does not move forward. This has remained true for centuries, as it continues to

be today. The challenge is to meet the needs and goals of its people without expanding too far

physically or culturally so it loses its identity or is unable to maintain its society.