Both Left & Right Wing
Let me begin with a quote that is attributed to the Tuskegee Airman, Colonel William H. Holloman, III, “America’s not perfect, but I’ll hold her hand until she gets better.” How humbling and poignant this quote is, considering the fact the Red Tail Squadron were treated so horrifically by many both inside and outside of the armed forces. I love my country, warts, ills, and all. I will delve into some of America’s greatest ills a bit later. I believe we are one of the finest countries in the world. If you think our present form of government is not worth preserving, then use your critical thinking skills to offer solutions to the problems you care to address.
What most do not want to realize is that Americans have always been divided, starting with the revolutionists and the loyalists. Even Benjamin Franklin and his son, William, were on opposite sides concerning their political loyalties. Today the American people can observe/participate in division of ideas more readily because of social media. Political rhetoric has become very acrimonious. Sitting behind a screen and keyboard has made many vicious in their attacks on those that oppose their viewpoint. Many of the issues we battle over today are not new. They have been with us since before our inception as a nation.
I think our first mistake is thinking that our government, any government, is a friend of the people it governs. The words used to define “govern” are “control,” “influence,” and “regulate.” Nowhere, in these terms, does the idea of “friend” exist. Even if the government is not a “friend” of the people it governs, it should be the protector of its citizenry. Many, in America, think that our government is utilitarian, whose actions provide for the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
The word Oligarchy has been bandied about lately. An oligarchy is a form of government in which power rests with a small number of people. Usually, the members have power through one of the following attributes: fame, wealth, or education. So, let me ask you this: when has any political campaign been inexpensive? How many lower-income people do you know hold office, whether locally, statewide, or countrywide? How many high school dropouts govern? How many of “common folk” run this country? We would like to think that our votes put into office those who can execute our wishes for governing our country. Sadly, many times those we elect stray from the campaign promises that they made in order to win the election. Usually, we must wait until the next election to replace those who “betray” the public’s trust.
Book VII of The Republic, which contains the “Allegory of the Cave,” conveys many ideas that, if put into practice would cure many ills we face as a nation. I agree with Plato’s idea that philosophers would make the best leaders, as they would do their job well, but want to move onto their deeper desire for enlightenment and truth. Career politicians are seen as self-serving and often become corrupt. Research many politicians’ salaries and then research their net worth. How are so many millionaires?
Our form of government is not a new idea. Study Aristotle’s "Politics" and see if it is the basis of our representative form of government, from local, to county, to state, to country (Aristotle). We have a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy. It is not one person, one vote. It is a representative form of government. Democrat, Republican, two different chutes, but both leading to the same slaughterhouse if we think and act like sheep.
Our government has always been run by those with money and power. Read the last sentence of the Declaration of Independence, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor” (National Archives). The signers of that document were businessmen, lawyers, landowners, etc. The revolutionary war was fought over money, first and foremost. The Boston Tea Party, “No taxation without representation,” etc. are just a couple of reasons for the uprising.
All wars are economically based, indeed moral issues are intertwined in the conflicts we engage in, but it has always been about money. Strip away the morality of our actions, and you will discover the economic reasons for going to war. One informative article is “An Economic Theory of War” by Nuno P. Monteiro and Alexandre Debs.
George Washington knew, very early on, who the men were that made up the government. When he was told he would be paid a salary for leading the troops in the Revolutionary War, he turned down a salary, but wanted the expenses incurred during the war to be paid. He kept detailed records. It took congress another eight years after the war ended to pay off the debts he acquired fighting the British. Please enlighten yourself with his journal that he so meticulously kept, “Gen. George Washington's account with the United States: from 1775 to 1783.”
According to the Soldiers Project the United States of America has “…roughly 750 US foreign military bases; they are spread across 80 nations” (Bledsoe). Let us admit that we are a world power. The USA has not always acted in the best interests of some but supposedly acted in the best interests of America. The strength of our military has afforded the USA to become one of the dominating countries in the world, and yet, we have mistreated our military.
The government has always treated our veterans poorly. General George Washington’s veterans wanted to sign a petition to mutiny because of not being paid. Washington’s famous Newburgh Address in 1783 quelled the potential uprising (Newburgh Address: George Washington to Officers of the Army, March 15, 1783).
And what about “The Bonus Army,” the veterans of World War I. The veterans marched on Washington DC in 1932 demanding their bonus that congress promised them. And who was called to quell the uprising? Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower and George Patton had their troops push the veterans out of DC (Kingseed).
The American government has at times, been anything but protective of its people. During Prohibition it was the government that poisoned alcohol in an ill-conceived belief that if the people became ill, or died, then drinking would stop in America (History Facts). Another incident that brought shame on America was the internment of Japanese, German, and Italian citizens during WWII (Tremoglie). Let us not forget what was done in the “Tuskegee Experiment,” which was from 1932 to 1972 involving syphilis being left untreated on purpose to see the long-tern effects of the disease (CDC). And the LSD experiments performed on US servicemen (Szalavitz). What other experiments have been perpetrated upon the American people that we do not know about?
What our government has done on occasion did not bring glory to herself. For example, what about the shipload of Jewish people attempting to escape Nazi Germany being turned away when they tried to come to America (Blakemore)? Approximately 900 people were denied entry, many of whom were later exterminated in concentration camps. We have not always been “the shining city on the hill,” but we have scaled to the summit and are capable of being that city.
Did you ever stop to wonder why entertainers and athletes make millions for being good at pretending or playing a game, while the teachers of the next generation are not so well paid? Why?
What do you give children to keep them calm? A pacifier, in all its forms, including social media if not used as a tool but as a pacifier. Could it be that we are being entertained and made into an audience for puppet masters? Think once more about the “Allegory of the Cave.” The shadows and echoes that we experience within our personal caves are what keeps us fighting with each other concerning who is correct about what the shadows are revealing and what the echoes are saying. We are ignorantly eager to reap the “praises,” “honors,” and “prizes” for being the best at being wrong.
Instead of berating each other on platforms, take a stand on one with knowledge of the facts as your spear, your conviction to act as your shield. Be a warrior with the breastplate of understanding and the helmet of intelligence. Do not be the sheep. Be the eagle that needs both its left and right wing to soar.
In Poetic Peace,
Dr. Tammy Nuzzo-Morgan
Works Cited
Aristotle. Politics. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1998. Print.
Blakemore, Erin. "A Ship of Jewish Refugees Was Refused US Landing in 1939. This Was Their Fate." 4 6 2019. History. Electronic. 10 7 2025.
Bledsoe, Everett. "How Many US Military Bases Are There in the World?" 24 1 2025. THE SOLDIERS PROJECT. Electronic. 10 7 2025.
CDC. "The Untreated Syphilis Study at Tuskegee Timeline." 4 9 2024. CDC. Electronic. 10 7 2025.
History Facts. "The U.S. government poisoned alcohol during Prohibition." n.d. History Facts. Electronic. 10 7 2025.
Kingseed, Wyatt. "The ‘Bonus Army’ Storm Into Washington." 2025. HISTORYNET. Electronic. 9 7 2025.
National Archives. Declaration of Independence: A Transcription. n.d. Electronic. 9 7 2025.
"Newburgh Address: George Washington to Officers of the Army, March 15, 1783." 2025. George Washington's Mount Vernon. Electronic. 9 7 2025.
Szalavitz, Maia. "The Legacy of the CIA’s Secret LSD Experiments on America." 23 3 2012. Time. Electronic. 10 7 2025.
Tremoglie, Christopher. "80 years later, most unaware of Italian and German internment camps in the US." 18 2 2022. Washington Examiner. Electronic. 10 7 2025.