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Sources of Unity1/28/2021 DOUGIE NEVIERA
Much of today’s news coverage focuses on domestic political division. The current president speaks of unity as he signs divisive executive orders. That is not how to unite the country. Some political differences may be unsolvable, so they should not be considered viable solutions for American unity. However, there are fundamental aspects of, and challenges facing, American society that can unify the country because they transcend partisan politics; if they cannot unify America, nothing can. A shared history grounds attachments. A divided America should look to its remarkable past and take from it an informed sense of patriotism. Recognition should be made that even though the country has never been perfect, it is better than any alternative––which is why immigrants traveled to America throughout the country’s history. Americans should look to the nation’s founding documents and see their country’s past as a journey to reach those ideals. A love of country should be found by studying our great former leaders such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln; their lives are pinnacles of human achievement. An appreciation for history gives meaning towards the present because it gives onlookers recognition that what is enjoyed did not come easy. Heroic military achievements have been necessary in securing the American nation. A notable success is William Tecumseh Sherman’s 1864 march to and seizure of Atlanta, which saved Lincoln’s re-election chances against an opponent who would have settled with the South. Such achievements should be celebrated. Civilizational inheritance should not be wasted, because it did not come easy. Unity can be found in that truth. On the eve of the Civil War, Secretary of State William Henry Seward advised President Lincoln to start a foreign war. Seward recognized that a common enemy can unite a people, so he sought to avoid civil war by creating a shared adversary. Today, it is undeniable that China is the greatest threat America has faced in generations. While China is a daunting challenge that America will have to confront, it can also unify the country. It is indisputable that China is evil. At home, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) utilizes draconian surveillance methods to suppress dissent as they work to erase cultures they view as a threat to their Han ethnic majority. Abroad, the Chinese finance infrastructure projects, through their Belt and Road Initiative, to gain a foothold in foreign nations––a foothold they are unlikely to give up. China has not been shy about their threats directed towards Taiwan. The CCP sends military flyovers through Taiwanese airspace as a continual reminder to Taiwan and the world of Beijing's ambitions. The Chinese military has practiced invasions of Taiwan and their threat should not be taken lightly, especially with the coming 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party. Taiwan is a free and functioning democracy whose existence should be valued. Failure to stand with Taiwan will alienate America’s Japanese, Korean, and Australian allies. Appeasement of authoritarian regimes has a long history of failure; deterrents should be created accordingly. Unity should be found in America through protecting the democratic miracles in the Far East. China unleashed and lied about a virus that has killed millions. Growing evidence suggests the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, so the only remaining question is whether or not the leak of the virus was intentional. It is unlikely that an answer will ever be found, given the CCP’s suppression of information surrounding the lab, but wrongdoing is still found in China’s response to the leak. China’s network of influence inside America is ominous. From the CCP’s infiltration into academia, to one of their spies most likely having an affair with a rising American politician, China threatens America from within. America is increasingly dependent on China for basic products. It is problematic that America is reliant on its greatest adversary for pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen and penicillin. The China threat America faces is real; however, it can be a source of unity. America must realize that there are factions of its society that are incompatible with its quest for unity. Viewing America’s past as irredeemably flawed is a nonstarter––the value of a country’s history gives meaning for its future. There must be a reason to exist. Statue toppling and revisionist histories will erode faith and exacerbate division in America. Similarly, kowtowing to China for the sake of corporate profits will create the false sense that the CCP is not our chief geostrategic rival. American thought leaders cannot callously remark that Chairman Xi “is not a dictator” if the country wishes to unify against a great challenge. Unity will not be found through a focus on hot-button political questions. Americans must search for fundamental sources of unity that transcend politics if they wish to remain strong. |