Essay: American and Western triumphalism or a realistic appraisal of world affairs?

"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle." - Sun Tzu

Many Western military offers and business leaders appreciate the insights of the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu.

Stephen Kotkin is an American historian, academic, and author. In a recent video of his he talks about the importance of intellectual humility, an understanding of history and world cultures and how the world and international affairs are constantly changing.

Unfortunately, many people succumb to state propaganda both domestic and foreign. Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky cover some of how this occurs in their award-winning 1998 book Manufacturing Consent.

I cover some of the folly of Westerners falling for anti-American/Western propaganda in my essays at:

• Why a Westerner falling for Russian propaganda is like a man who is seduced by a corrupt 300 pound woman

• The so-called multipolar world is often mere Chinese propaganda and public relations

• Why did so many self-declared international relations experts miserably fail concerning their multipolar fantasy?

The importance of historical knowledge, knowledge of world cultures and not having a myopic view

Stephen Kotkin said in an interview that "Big countries are so big that they can become self-absorbed". Certainly, Americans have succumbed to this temptation and has paid the price via pointless and costly wars such as the Iraq War ( 2003 to 2011) and the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). And while some legitimate criticisms are made concerning the 1958 book The Ugly American, it does mention some of the failures of the U.S. diplomatic corps.

At the same time, America has also been a benefit to the world in many ways throughout its history and offer the below resources as evidence of this matter:

Pew Research surveys: Views of the U.S. are much more positive than views of China, and increasingly so:

According to Pew Research, on balance, views of the U.S. are much more positive than views of China, and increasingly so (See: Comparing Views of the U.S. and China in 24 Countries, November 6, 2023).

2018 Pew Research survey: Most countries saw the United States as the world’s leading economic power rather than China. Most countries preferred the United States as the world’s leading economic power rather than China as well

• 2018 Pew Research survey: Most countries saw the United States as the world’s leading economic power rather than China. Most countries preferred the United States as the world’s leading economic power rather than China as well

• More countries see U.S. as top global economy over China in post-COVID reversal, Axios, June 27, 2023

A realistic appraisal of the United States, China and Russia

Previously, I wrote the essay at: Essay: Attention all hyper Sinophiles/Russophiles. The USA being better than China and Russia is an incredibly low bar for Americans to jump over! which offers many resources on the multitude of current economic and social problems of the authoritarian and corrupt regimes of China and Russia while also mentioning some of their strengths.

In addition, I offer some forecasts relative to the United States, China and Russia. The forecasts were supported by facts and evidence.

And for the sake of fairmindedness, I give some of the weaknesses of the United States and Europe.

The three core essays can be read at:

• The United States will be the leading power in the world for the foreseeable future
• Skepticism about China remaining a global power
• Why I am not bullish on Russia's future

With that being said, with all their current problems, both China and Russia are longstanding cultures with many cultural achievements in their respective histories.

The United States will likely be the strongest country for the foreseeable future and this is due to the strengths of the USA and partly due to the weaknesses of China and Russia.

Please see: The United States will be the leading power in the world for the foreseeable future

The West and the East have their strengths and weaknesses

Singapore and Japan, which are Eastern countries with Western influence, are nice places to live with the rule of law and high economic development.

India and the Philippines are countries in the East that are seeing a lot of positive economic growth (See: Global GDP Forecast for 2024). And both India and the Philippines are Eastern countries with Western influence (India was a Western colony and the the Phillipines was under American rule for a time). And some of the best people I have met are Indians and Filipinos. Indian immigrants to the United States have the highest incomes in the United States plus their family life is healthy.

The truth is that both the West and East offer cultural wisdom and achievements. A wise person takes the best of the West and East and discards their weaknesses. Indian immigrants to the United States are an example of a group taking the best that the East and West offer.

Many Western military offers and business leaders appreciate the insights of the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu (c. 400 B.C.) was the author of The Art of War, a classic Chinese treatise on military strategy. Sun Tzu's strategies and tactics utilize the "Eastern tradition of strategy that emphasizes outwitting an opponent through speed, stealth, flexibility, and a minimum of effort."

East/West: Authoritarian vs. individualism/democracy: Economic growth and healthy society. Influence of the West on Singapore and Japan

See: East/West: Authoritarian vs. individualism/democracy: Economic growth and healthy society. Influence of the West on Singapore and Japan

Singapore is the 4rth richest country in the world.

The world and international affairs are always changing. Empires and nations often go up and down and come and go

One of the biggest enemies of success is pride and complacency and nations are not immune to this. History is full of empires and nations that have seen peaks and valleys and many nations/empires have disappeared. So both people and nations have to be ever vigilant when it comes to complacency.

In addition, given all the treasure and blood senselessly expended in pointless modern wars, nations should be reluctant to enter into wars and make sure any unavoidable wars are entered into ethically (See: Just War Theory).

Under jus ad bellum, only legitimate authorities can wage war for the right reasons (usually this means a defensive war, or a war of defending the weak against a violent oppressor ) and only as a last resort if every other peaceful means to avert war have been used to no avail. A just war can only be waged if there is a serious evil that needs to be stopped. Further there must be a realistic chance that the evil can be stopped without starting a greater evil. If this happens the war reaches a just conclusion. A war started for just reasons and justly waged may still reach an unjust conclusion.

Saint Augustine

Just War Theory is a Christian theory of moral ethics that goes back to Saint Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.

Christianity, Western Christianity and their beneficial effects on society and on individuals

See also: Christianity and social stability

Jesus Christ and his apostles taught a gospel of love. For example, the New Testament teaches that a husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25).

Although Christianity is often thought of as a Western religion, ultimately it is an Eastern religion (See: Is Christianity a Western Religion? and Christianity is a Middle Eastern religion).

In his article The Triumph of the Gospel of Love, Monk Themistocles (Adamopoulo) wrote:

“

It is generally agreed by scholars and saints that the teaching of "love" and charity represent one of the essential dimensions of the Gospel of Jesus and the Gospel of Paul. Accordingly, from the extant words and parables of Jesus many concern themselves with the message of love. For example on the Sunday of Meat Fare, from the Gospel of Matthew, we hear Jesus identifying Himself and in solidarity with the destitute, the suffering, the rejected and the oppressed, calling for and rewarding altruistic philanthropy: "... I was hungry and you fed me, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, when I was a stranger you took me in, when naked you clothed me, when I was ill you came to my help, when in prison you visited me ... I tell you this anything you did for one of my brothers here, however humble, you did it for me." (Matt 25:35-36, 40)... Christians undertook a great deal of almsgiving to the poor not only to fellow believers but to pagans as well. So amazed was the anti-Christian pagan emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363 AD), with the sheer benevolence and excellence of Christian philanthropy that he was forced to admit in wonder their superiority over paganism in matters of charity: "These godless Galileans (ie. Christians) feed not only their own poor but ours: our poor lack our care" (Ep. Sozom. 5:16).

”

Philippians 2:1-2 declares, “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”

1 John 1:6-7 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

In December 2003, the University of Warwick reported: "Dr. Stephen Joseph, from the University of Warwick, said: "Religious people seem to have a greater purpose in life, which is why they are happier. Looking at the research evidence, it seems that those who celebrate the Christian meaning of Christmas are on the whole likely to be happier."

The ex-atheist C.S. Lewis became a Christian and wrote a book entitled Surprised by Joy.

St. Basil of Caesarea founded the first hospital. Christian hospitals subsequently spread quickly throughout both the East and the West. See: Christianity and hospitals

St. Basil of Caesarea founded the first hospital. Christian hospitals subsequently spread quickly throughout both the East and the West.

The First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. ordered the construction of a hospital for every cathedral town in the Roman Empire to care for the poor, sick, widows, and strangers. They were staffed and funded by religious orders and volunteers.

Protestantism started in Germany which is a Western country.

The article "The Surprising Discovery About Those Colonialist, Proselytizing Missionaries" published in Christianity Today notes:

“

In his fifth year of graduate school, Woodberry created a statistical model that could test the connection between missionary work and the health of nations. He and a few research assistants spent two years coding data and refining their methods. They hoped to compute the lasting effect of missionaries, on average, worldwide... One morning, in a windowless, dusty computer lab lit by fluorescent bulbs, Woodberry ran the first big test. After he finished prepping the statistical program on his computer, he clicked "Enter" and then leaned forward to read the results. "I was shocked," says Woodberry. "It was like an atomic bomb. The impact of missions on global democracy was huge. I kept adding variables to the model—factors that people had been studying and writing about for the past 40 years—and they all got wiped out. It was amazing. I knew, then, I was on to something really important." Woodberry already had historical proof that missionaries had educated women and the poor, promoted widespread printing, led nationalist movements that empowered ordinary citizens, and fueled other key elements of democracy. Now the statistics were backing it up: Missionaries weren't just part of the picture. They were central to it... Areas where Protestant missionaries had a significant presence in the past are on average more economically developed today, with comparatively better health, lower infant mortality, lower corruption, greater literacy, higher educational attainment (especially for women), and more robust membership in nongovernmental associations. In short: Want a blossoming democracy today? The solution is simple—if you have a time machine: Send a 19th-century missionary." ...at a conference presentation in 2002, Woodberry got a break. In the room sat Charles Harper Jr., then a vice president at the John Templeton Foundation, which was actively funding research on religion and social change. (Its grant recipients have included Christianity Today.) Three years later, Woodberry received half a million dollars from the foundation's Spiritual Capital Project, hired almost 50 research assistants, and set up a huge database project at the University of Texas, where he had taken a position in the sociology department. The team spent years amassing more statistical data and doing more historical analyses, further confirming his theory. ...Woodberry's historical and statistical work has finally captured glowing attention. A summation of his 14 years of research—published in 2012 in the American Political Science Review, the discipline's top journal—has won four major awards, including the prestigious Luebbert Article Award for best article in comparative politics. Its startling title: "The Missionary Roots of Liberal Democracy." ...over a dozen studies have confirmed Woodberry's findings. The growing body of research is beginning to change the way scholars, aid workers, and economists think about democracy and development.

”

John Wesley

David Beidel wrote in his article The Bloodless Revolution: What We Need to Learn from John Wesley and the Great Awakening

“

In the 18th Century, most of Europe was on fire. Bloody civil wars and revolutions were decimating nation after nation. Unrestrained injustice, government and Church corruption, slave trade and the oppression of the poor created a powder keg for violence. Miraculously, Great Britain escaped the horrors of civil war and the brutal savagery that revolutionary anarchy engenders. Few ancient monarchies are still in place today. The mystery of the UK’s capacity to honor the old guard, while raising up a more democratic system without a revolution, is a sociological wonder. Many credit the Great Awakening, in particular the Methodist movement, launched by John Wesley, for this extraordinary and peaceful transition. Methodism unleashed an army of “little Christ’s” all over Europe. They cared for the poor, took in unwanted and abused children, fought unjust laws and labor conditions, visited prisoners, and battled against slavery; They joined hands with the Apostles and “turned the world upside down.” Eventually compassion became fashionable... America is in desperate need of a Christ-infused revolution of compassion. We are a land of churches, who are well positioned to hear and answer the cries of our struggling communities. If a critical mass of congregations committed themselves to radically sharing the Gospel and passionately serving under-resourced/at-risk communities, we will see peace powerfully rise in these times of trouble. This will also enable, as in the days of John Wesley, wise reformation to take place because the true Christian Church is theologically hardwired to bring about peaceful, meaningful change that benefits all. I have written much about this in my book, Samaria, The Great Omission, and treasure every opportunity to strategize with churches who have a heart to minister in this way. Let us stand in the gap as cultural/community peacemakers and healers in this season of sorrow and division. May our magnificent obsession be Jesus, the everlasting, ever loving, rescuer of the oppressed and Father of all.

”

The Harvard University historian Niall Ferguson declared: "Through a mixture of hard work and thrift the Protestant societies of the North and West Atlantic achieved the most rapid economic growth in history."

The Harvard University historian Niall Ferguson declared: "Through a mixture of hard work and thrift the Protestant societies of the North and West Atlantic achieved the most rapid economic growth in history."

Does Russia have more national narcissism than the USA? How exceptional do Russians think their nation is?

Please read the essays below:

• We Made History: Citizens of 35 Countries Overestimate Their Role in World History

• Does Russia have more national narcissism than the USA? How exceptional do Russians think their nation is?

Consider this excerpt from the 2018 journal article We Made History: Citizens of 35 Countries Overestimate Their We Made History: Citizens of 35 Countries Overestimate Their Nation’s Role in World History published in the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition:

“

Russians, for example, estimated that their country was responsible for 61% of world history. U.S. students provided an estimate of 30%, quite high in some regards, but modest compared to other countries. (e.g., 39% by Malaysians). Country-level estimates varied widely, ranging from 11% (Switzerland) to 61% (Russia). The total estimate (summing for all countries) was 1156%. We argue that students’ exaggerated estimates provide evidence for national narcissism and may be caused by several mechanisms, such as the availability heuristic—when students think about world history, they mostly think about the history of their country and thus assume their country must be important. Citizens from the United States, which has arguably been the leading world power since World War II but is a relatively recent country in world history, reported a mean contribution of 30%, which places the US in the middle of the pack.

”

Map data derived from: We Made History: Citizens of 35 Countries Overestimate Their We Made History: Citizens of 35 Countries Overestimate Their Nation’s Role in World History, Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, Volume 7, Issue 4, December 2018, Pages 521-528

See also: We Made History: Citizens of 35 Countries Overestimate Their Role in World History

Academic research

• We Made History: Citizens of 35 Countries Overestimate Their We Made History: Citizens of 35 Countries Overestimate Their Nation’s Role in World History, Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, Volume 7, Issue 4, December 2018, Pages 521-528

American patriots, read these important essays and quotes. They will attempt to make you VERY proud to be an American (And a Westerner!). But resist the temptation because pride is a sin! We don't want to be like those godless, prideful homosexuals with their depraved pride parades. Pride comes before the fall so stay humble and victorious!

See also: Donald Trump achievements and Donald Trump achievements: Foreign policy and Donald Trump achievements: Religious liberty and LGBT and Donald Trump and American atheists

"America is a nation of believers, and together we are strengthened by the power of prayer." - President Donald Trump

Essays about the United States

• The United States will be the leading power in the world for the foreseeable future
• How I found my American patriotism again and began to appreciate the West more
• Attention all hyper Sinophiles/Russophiles. The USA being better than China and Russia is an incredibly low bar for Americans to jump over!
• The USA will become bigger, better and stronger than ever before! Russia and China will not! USA! USA! USA! - Humor

Essay about the West

• Why has the West been so successful?

Essays about China and Russia

• Essay:Skepticism about China remaining a global power
• Essay: Why I am not bullish on Russia's future

Hey American winners! Some very important quotes!

Made up quote alert: “It is not enough that the USA succeeds. Other major powers must fail. True winning requires reference points.” - Captain America

"Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing." - The American coach Vince Lombardi

"But I was successful at everything I ever did and then I run for president, first time - first time, not three times, not six times. I ran for President first time and lo and behold, I win." - Donald Trump

"Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war." - Donald Trump

"What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." - Donald Trump

"Most people think small, because most people are afraid of success, afraid of making decisions, afraid of winning. And that gives people like me a great advantage." - Donald Trump

“Sadly the American dream is dead, but if I get elected president I will bring it back. Bigger, better and stronger than ever before.” - Donald Trump

Listen to the song: Bigger Better Stronger - Donald Trump Remix!

Donald Trump is running for president in 2024! The excitement is raging!

Please see: The United States will be the leading power in the world for the foreseeable future

Attention hyper Russophiles/Sinophiles: The anti-Christianity Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Joseph Stalin and Xi Jinping have opposed homosexuality so this isn't a very high moral bar for China and Russia to clear

See: The anti-Christianity Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Joseph Stalin and Xi Jinping have opposed homosexuality so this isn't a very high moral bar for China and Russia to clear

Mao Zedong

The régime under militant atheist Fidel Castro "denounced homosexuality and established Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, which patrolled neighborhoods and invaded private space."

Joseph Stalin, the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953, patronised the League of Militant Atheists, whose chief aim, under the leadership of Yemelyan Yaroslavsky, was to propagate militant atheism and eradicate religion.

Xi Jinping is the current General Secretary of the Communist Party of China which requires that all their members be atheists. See: China and atheism and Atheism and communism

User:Conservative's essays

• User:Conservative's essays