America is considered one of the most powerful nations in the world. This is because of its richness in terms of the economy and political stability. With this in mind, the country uses every opportunity to reach out to other nations in the name of helping them improve their economic and political situations. This is one of the tactics used by the country to boost its standing in the international world as the most reliable nation. Apart from the humanitarian aid and support, it gives to other nations, the country benefits by having access to raw materials and other resources at a lower or even no cost at all. Some of the manipulative tactics used by the country to gain access to such resources in the name of assistance has made them be resisted by many nations. Apart from a few countries and communities that still consider America as friends, most leaders will do all they can to ensure they avoid any deeper relations with the country.
United States, in the past years, has always taken advantage of the ignorance of many nations to rob them of their resources and cultural heritage. Realizing that they have the ability to assist other nations makes them employ a manipulative form of leadership that favors them, more than the people they desire to assist. Its economic and political stability makes the country believe that they have the best and therefore requiring that every nation that is in need of their support adopt what they demand. It is rather unfortunate that a few sane individuals, such as Ambassador Gilbert MacWhite who understood the meaning of diplomatic relationships, and did what was necessary, was rejected by his government. This proves that America has never had the interest of other nations at heart but rather to boost their ego in the international standing.
It appears as if Ambassador Gilbert MacWhite did not quite understand what it was required of him while representing his nation in Sarkhan. What he displayed was contrary to the real picture of the American government, which subsequently led to his dismissal. MacWhite was a generous, selfless and down to earth individual while the American government is greedy, selfish and arrogant. This is what the ambassadors are supposed to display in the various places they are deployed. Unfortunately for MacWhite, he displayed what was required as an individual as per the needs of the people rather than what the country he represented required of him. In as much as the needs of the country are paramount to an individual visiting it rather than those of the home country that sent him, the policy is different for America and its ambassadors.
It appears as if MacWhite did not understand that he was to represent the nation and not his personal character. He might have seen a need and thought it wise to display his personal character, which will ultimately reflect his country of origin. This was in fact, strange for the people of Sarkhan who were used to a different America than the one that was being displayed by MacWhite. MacWhite even made the effort to learn and make his subordinates learn the native language and adopt their culture. He was assimilated in the culture of the Sarkhan rather than influencing them with his American way and lifestyle. This implies that as MacWhite had become more of a Sarkhan rather than an American. Even though this helped him achieve a lot for the people of Sarkhan, it did not go well with his career, which he ultimately had to lose.
When it comes to political interests, one has to choose between retaining their career and doing what is right. It is quite unfortunate that an individual may not always be right while fulfilling political duties of his country. Most of the ambassadors that have been deployed to poor nations and interacted with communities usually empathise with the situation at hand and express their desire to help. When it comes to America, it is not all about the sufferings of the people but rather, how the American government can benefit from such situations. Ambassadors are more like spies rather than humanitarian aid assistants. Even though they go to such a nation wearing humanitarian aid representatives, deep within them, they are to remember that they have to spy on the land and report on the available resources and the way the country can benefit from them.
Since when foreign countries realised the games and tactics that America was playing against them, they developed a resistance towards them which has made it difficult for the country to have strong bonds. America is no longer looked at as a good Samaritan coming to deliver a nation from poor governance and unstable economy but rather a manipulative parasite. Most countries would rather make trade ties with other developing nations. This is because of the surety that it will be a symbiotic type of relationship, rather than link up with America that will give them temporary handouts in exchange of their culture and resources. Selflessness is the bad image that MacWhite was trying to rectify in his mission to Sarkhan.
Together with his subordinates, MacWhite decided to pull up his sleeves and get down to work. Unlike other ambassadors, he did not j move in an expensive car and lived in the best of the house, unleashing commands. He did not look at the resources of the people in terms of how they will benefit the nation of America, but rather how such resources can be utilised to support the interests of the people. Unlike Louis Sears, who came to take from the people, MacWhite came to give to the people. He gave them knowledge and skills that delivered them from living a mediocre kind of life. This did not go well with the government of America, which required that MacWhite used his skills and knowledge to ‘steal’ from the people rather than to give to them.
America is believed to burst with the best of skilled and educated people. This is supposed to be proved by ambassadors who are deployed to various nations. They are only to showcase how knowledgeable, rich and intelligent they are so that they are respected. With such respect, they are to make people dance to their tune and submit to what they demand. They are required to influence the natives with their culture and the way of life and not the other way round. MacWhite displayed America as a humble and selfless nation that was not interested in the resources of the people. It is clear that, with the attitude that was being displayed, America could not derive the required benefit from Sarkhan.
MacWhite could have probably survived if he proved to the government of America that the tactics were being used to benefit from people rather than to help them. After being confronted against his actions, MacWhite clearly stated what the country needed to do in order to win the trust of the people back. The tactics, which required America to be a sacrificial sheep, did not go well with top government officials. It was clear that the country was not willing to humiliate its image by getting dirty together with the people just to make a point. They were not willing to behave like the natives by living in their shanties, using their means of transport, adopting their culture, which they considered backward, and learning their seemingly difficult language. All America wanted is to get ideas that will ensure they maintain their dignity and at the same time win the trust of the people.
The strategies that were designed by MacWhite were considered impossible and inapplicable by the government. Well, MacWhite did what he believed was the right thing for the nation to do, yet this would only be made possible by him as an individual. Since it required the support of the entire nation to succeed in such a mission, the strategies were not only dismissed but also the person who dismissed them. It is clear from the case that America will always stand its ground when it comes to pursuing its selfish interests. Whatever they do to another nation, they ensure that they are the largest beneficiaries rather than the largest losers. It is only the picture they display to the people that was supposed to convince them that they will be the largest beneficiaries.
United States in the recent past has been fighting not only its economic stability but also winning trust in the international market. With other superpowers rising up such as china and India, it is clear that if the country does not mend its relationships with the other developing countries, it will have nowhere to turn to. It is a high time the country realises that the colonial days where they would use the resources of other nations without being discovered is over. With education and technology, governments have been exposed and are no longer giving in to offers that will not profit them.
Works cited
Lederer, William J., and Eugene Burdick. The Ugly American. WW Norton & Company, 1999.
Wilkinson, Rupert. "Connections with Toughness: The Novels of Eugene Burdick." Journal of American Studies 11.2 (1977): 223-239.
