by Walter Onubogu

Created on: May 30, 2010   Last Updated: May 31, 2010

Certainly, yes many foreigners see the United States as a "corrupt" and "decadent" consumerist empire, because its domestic and foreign polices are geared towards promoting growth at all costs possible, by that I mean growth of economic and political  power.

One ought to realize that in the US a consumerist culture grew in tandem with greater - rapid urbanization and industrialization since early 19th century. Bounds and leaps were made by US policy makers, inventors, capitalists to ensure that America fulfills its manifest destiny.  

However, historically speaking Americans  (unlike what most foreigners believe) never could agree on what the pursuit of " manifest destiny" really meant and struggles over it emerged, with various influential factions competing for determining  its course.

For Agrarian populists it mean really creating a regulated level economic playing field with government supporting trade unions, small farmers and small banks against Big corporations, big banks etc., while for urban based capitalists " Big Business" it meant operating with the least possible interference of the federal government.

Not to mention even regional differences  between the mainly urbanized Northeast, the  conservative bible Belt of the Deep South, the Mid West, and Western Frontier.

Capitalism also exists in Europe and for some odd reason nobody associates that with unrestrained "greedy" capitalist market economics, this only features in people's minds when it comes to US. Why is that, you probably ask?  

Let me explain. Europeans, given their own historical experiences of mayhem and destruction amid 2 world wars, in contrast to Americans fundamentally believe that  via tax and spend policies, that the central or federal government has a significant role to play in promoting the collective good of society (i.e restraining & controlling capitalism, implementing generous social and welfare state) and redistributing wealth.  

Whereas the majority of Americans really still do believe that economic liberty and an almost "biblically inspired" commitment to work, individualism and self- reliance are ultimately key to achieving manifest destiny.

To Americans Europeans must really seem like spend thrift peace loving lazy Socialists who love stifling capitalism for the fun of it, while in the eyes of Europeans Americans appear to be incredibly arrogant, idealistic, addicted to imperial expansion and world hegemony,

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