Déjà Vu

    Ever since grade school, I have been taught that to, read history is to learn the lessons of our ancestors in the hopes of avoiding their mistakes. However, I see many of our leaders whether presidents or Congress seem to repeat the same failures of previous Administrations. The Two wars in the Middle East are a good example of this. The United States has two Armies on foreign soil in the hopes of spreading democracy while a raging insurgency is bent on getting the Americans off its soil. Most people would think this falls under the Vietnam War era, but I think it is more reminiscent of the U.S. occupation in the Philippines at the start of the 20^th century. After defeating the Spanish Empire in the Spanish American war, the U.S. had gain several territories such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the island chain of the Philippines. At first, The U.S. government was content letting the Philippines declare its independence. Afterwards, it shifted its focus from one of friendly democratic nation to one where the crusade of reforming the country on American terms and to protect American national and security interests. Therefore, the occupation, which was ultimately successful, cost much treasure and many American’s lives in order to subdue the insurgency to reform the Nation of the Philippines and to protect American interests. Another more relevant example is the forgotten panics of 1903, 1893,and 1873. Before the Great Depression, which forced the federal government to become more active to regulate the markets from such panics, the “Panics” or economic crisis that almost, happened on regular bases in the 19^thcentury. At the time, laissez-faire capitalism was universally popular, and government regulation on the markets was little or nothing at all. Because of the lack of restraints on market forces, the economy suffered a rather painful depression, which in today’s world would be considered a crisis that made many people poor. It was not until the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed which forced government to install economic protections in order to prevent another depression in the future. The President and the Congress in the 1930s recognized that this could not continue if the country is to be prosperous in the future. The current leadership seems to forget the mistakes and the lessons of their predecessors. The current struggle of trying to impose an American Style democratic state is at best implausible. As for the economy, the current leaders are advocating again getting rid of new laws that will protect the nation from the repeat of the Great Recession. I think a history lesson or two might help our leaders to become more astute on history in making decisions for this country. Maybe after this lesson on history, we may stop the costly and obscene mistakes of the past from destroying our future.
　
Vocabulary Words
Astute
adjective having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one's advantage:an astute businessman
Reminiscent
adjective
tending to remind one of something:the sights were reminiscent of my childhood suggesting something by resemblance: