On Demand
Regaining Respect for America
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Ted Widmer talks about what the USA can do to regain the respect of the rest of the world. His new book, Ark of the Liberties, looks into America’s ambition to be the world’s guarantor of liberty, and whether we've lived up to that goal.
- About This Program »
- Staff Bios »
- Contact Us »
- Guest Hosts »
- Guest Picks »
- Latest Show »
- Tapes & Transcripts »
- Show Archive »
Features & Series
Podcast
Stay up to date.
Subscribe to the Podcast
Shop at Amazon!
Leonard Lopate Show picks
Start your Amazon shopping on WNYC.org and a portion of your total purchase goes to WNYC.
More
Comments
Refresh
AFTER THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION IN 1791.
BEING A BLACK COUNTRY...IS THAT THE REASON THAT THEY ARE PAYING FOR THAT "INSULT" TO THE WHITE RACE..I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR OPINION ON THAT PLEASE.
Can you compare the idea of "Mainfest Destiny" with "American Exceptionalism?"
Hawaii was also taken illegally
Not sure I'm remembering this right--didn't Gen. Grant lead the invasion (or at least some of the invading troops) of what was then Mexico & conclude later that it was wrong?
And as for the US preferring to expand by democratic means, I think a lot of Native Americans/American Indians would disagree. What happened to those who lived in the area sold in the Louisiana Purchase (before & after the sale)?
What was the relationship between the profitability of slavery and America's interest in acquiring Cuba?
In other words, why did America want to acquire Cuba? What made Cuba enticing, at the time? Please elaborate.
Leonard Lopate repeats the old canard that the US invaded Iraq to get its oil. I wish that the Left believed in "markets"... because if you believe in markets, you realize that we didn't need to invade Iraq to get its oil. The French at that time wanted to lift the Iraq oil embargo (do you accuse them wanting Iraq's oil?) but the U.S. would not go along with it. If we wanted Iraq's oil, wouldn't we have simply lifted the embargo?
The invasion was about regime change. You can be against regime change, that's a coherent position. You can accuse Bush of not wanting Sadam to have the the oil money...
But it's just so irritating to hear that the US did it to get the oil when it's obviously not true.
I hope the book is more accurate and more incisive than than Mr Widmer's discussion today. Our taste for expansion began before we were truly independent. Both Benedict Arnold heroic attempt to seize Canada and the clamor for Canadian expansion in the War of 1812 occurred long before the term "Manifest Destiny " had beed used.
Mr. Widmer speaks of the great contribution to liberty that the US made by entering WW1 on the Anglo-French side. If we hadn't intervened, the war would have probably ended in a negotiated settlement and it is reasonable to believe that Germany would not have collapsed and Hitler would have not come to power.
Leave a Comment
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Back to EpisodeEmail addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. WNYC reserves the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the WNYC.org Comment Guidelines before posting.