What are we?
Michael Adams
1997, 1999
I have been presented a question. "What am I? An American? What?". How can I answer this? Can I really answer this? I can try.
I think it began with our cavemen ancestors. They were nomadic groups, wandering for food. This called for leaders, who could easily find food, or shelter, or anything else a people would need. They discovered this, and created the first governments, tribal systems, in which members supported themselves, their tribal leader, and their fellow tribal members.
As time passed, tribes grew. Then "civilizations" developed. These are complex societies, with all varieties of populous, as well as leaders. These civilizations initially adopted tribal ideals, but as time passed, they formed monarchies; which effectively secured a number of rulers long reigns and validity of power to their descendants.
The monarchies and tribal systems continued. Then people realized the scope of power monarchs had. The first democracies formed, and lasted for some time in Greco-Roman society. The monarchies also adapted, having guidelines set to them in the new "constitutional" monarchies. There were also emperors, who held power for themselves and conquered vast lands. And the first dictators came into power, running the democracies in times of need. And a supposedly "ruthless" people, barbarians, threatened these new societies and developed their own.
All these systems developed, and so did people's affiliation. Some liked the monarchies, some liked the democracies. And these people assumed new identities: Romans, Anglos, Saxons, Chinese, etc. And whenever a person was conquered by aliens, they would normally be forced to assimilate the ideas of their new masters, even so far as to change entirely from one group to another.
Time passes. The new monarchies expand their realms. And now churches establish domain, as the Holy Roman Empire consumed areas of Europe. These places became Spain, France, Italy, etc. And these new states had people who called themselves Spainards, Frenchmen, and Italians, and they would spread west and east, and form vast empires, with more assimilated people.
Here come us, the Americans. In a "glorious", yet bloody war, we rebelled from Britain and formed a new democracy, similar to the concepts of "constitutional" monarchy and Greco-Roman democracy. And as the past has us do, everyone stops being French, or English, and is now American. And this repeated in places round the world: as the French rebelled; as Spanish lands fell to people who would become Mexicans, Texans, and Latin Americans; and as England lost realm to Canada, Australia, India, and other holds. Over time, the people of 10 countries became members of a 100.
The world spread, the nations grow. The monarchies fade, democracy grows. Divisions become internal, as our Civil War was North vs. South; as workers revolted in Russia to create the dread Soviet in theory of revolt; and of Fascists & Nazis, who would fight in Europe and assimilate the failing monarchies. The people of these nations would adopt to the loyalty of their home, as they all tried to be emperor upon the other states.
The time is now. The world is more divided. 100 nations are now 200. It is hard to tell who is who anymore. There are many associations and many who would play the emperor like their predecessors. But now a new element is present. For while we have been marking lines on our blue world, we find ourselves in a stellar cosmos, possibly teeming with life not our own. In our own arrogance, we try to be American, or Spanish, or Russian, or Palestinian, or whatever other associations we have. We forget our common bond of humanity, and fight for philosophy, despite the possibility that there are aliens not of our planet, with ideas and concepts unthinkable to us. But we have not seen anyone else, and if leaders wish, we may continue the war for space on our own world. If you have no allegence, then you will not survive, unless humanity can move to the next level, as one people, and one nation.
We are Humans. I am Human. I am also American. But what does the latter mean? Is there really a purpose to being American, if we can be just Human, and deal with others on a grand scale as we have done here? Time will tell. Arrogance must die.
Michael Adams, American Human