From the Fringes: USA@250

From the Fringes: USA@250

By Jerome Aning  | July 17, 2026

When we were kids, my siblings and cousins would often daydream about working in or migrating to the United States someday, believing it will bring prosperity to our families. This wishful thinking was reinforced by relatives and neighbors working or living in the US who, when on vacation here in the Philippines, would give us dollar bills, chocolates and other “Made in USA” toys and knickknacks. Not a few of these balikbayans, however, would emphasize to us that succeeding in the US entails a lot of hard work and sacrifice, and that the so-called American Dream, with all its ideals of freedom, equality and the pursuit of happiness, can be achieved only if one is strong in mind, heart, body and spirit.

Nowadays, many Filipinos are hesitant to go to the US as a migrant, or even as a tourist, not only due to the controversial immigration policies of the administration of President Donald Trump but also the high cost of living there. Whether or not this will have negative impact on the American Dream, only time will tell. Throughout the 250 years of its existence, the American Dream has its vicissitudes and we will discuss them through the three contrasting descriptions of what the US is or should be.

As a background, the US marked last July 4 the 250^th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which was signed in Philadelphia by delegates from the 13 colonies in North America that had rebelled against Great Britain.  Events related to the semiquincentennial celebration were held across the US, as well as in American embassies, companies and communities around the world.

Trump’s proclamation summed up what happened on that day in 1776:  “Fifty-six men—representing legions of freedom-loving Patriots sprawled across 13 Colonies—pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to sign a legendary charter of freedom and declare America’s promise that all men are created equal and have the sovereign right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.  On that sweltering summer day in the heart of Pennsylvania, these noble Patriots not only raised up a new nation, but immortalized in our Declaration of Independence a series of sacred truths that transcend time and place—creating the single greatest force for virtue, peace, prosperity, and greatness on the face of the Earth.”

The American Revolutionary War would not end until 1783 when Great Britain recognized the independence of the colonies in the Treaty of Paris.  The US as the federal presidential republic that we know today would not be set up until 1789, when the US Constitution—the world’s oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force—took effect.  The US debuted as a world power when it emerged victorious in the Spanish-American War of 1898.

As I viewed on the internet portions of Trump’s July 4 speech at the National Mall in Washington DC, I I was struck by his description of the US as an “Empire of Liberty” as he explained the westward expansion of the country to the Great Plains and the Rockies, and the construction of the Panama Canal. Trump was alluding to the expansionist idea of Manifest Destiny, fueled by American exceptionalism, or the belief that the US is a unique nation with a distinct mission and moral superiority compared to other countries. I briefly imagined the Statue of Liberty wearing a crown and seated on a throne. While the declaration stated that all men are created equal and have the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, history tells us of the sad fate of the millions of Native Americans who were dispossessed of their ancient lands and were nearly exterminated.  Then there are the millions of enslaved Black Americans who would not be emancipated until 1863.

The US emerged from the Cold War to become the sole global superpower following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. There were no more bad guys to compete with for world domination and there was speculation as to how long the US would, willingly, remain the policeman of the planet in the absence of a formidable enemy. I found myself, as a young adult, cheering for the Americans when they again led a worldwide offensive, at least fictitiously, against vicious alien invaders in the 1997 blockbuster movie Independence Day.

In his book, “The Reluctant Sheriff: The United States After the Cold War”, published the same year, diplomat and international relations expert Richard Haas predicted that while the US is enjoying a position of primacy, its ability to have its way, with some exceptions, will diminish sooner or later due to what he described as the “eroding of US advantage.” He wrote: “This erosion will result from two fundamentals: on the one hand, the unavoidable emergence of competing centers of political, economic, and military power; on the other, the avoidable but all the same likely weakening of American will and ability to be an effective world power.”  For Haas, the US could not possibly solve all the world’s problems so he advocated that the US instead adopt “a foreign policy based on the notion of regulation,” This is the precursor of the “rules-based” international order and multilateralism that the US and its allies now assiduously promote. Such foreign policy is also backed by the maintenance of a strong military that, for the US, serves as deterrence to future foes, a stand consistent with the Latin adage, “Si vis pacem, para bellum” (If you want peace, prepare for war).

However, from leading the “war on terror” all the way to the ongoing showdown with Iran, we have seen US leadership in the international system increasingly being disrupted by the resurgence of Russia, the rise of China, and the uncoordinated acts by other powers both old and emerging. But the again, not a few think that it’s better to live and thrive in multipolar world where unilateral actions and abuses of power are discouraged, and no single country can dominate global affairs.

From notions of the US as an “Empire of Liberty” and a “Reluctant Sheriff”, we finally come to the claim that the US is a “Christian nation.”  According to the Pew Research Center, and the World Almanac and Book of Facts, Christians in the US comprise 62 percent and 71 percent, respectively, of the country’s 341 million population in 2025. But is the US truly a Christian nation? A video of Pastor Loran Livingston of the Central Church based in Charlotte, North Carolina became viral and provoked a national debate in the US when he told listeners in a sermon last June 28 that they don’t live in a Christian nation at all. Despite “godly people” founding and building the US, Livingston said the Native American genocide and black slavery, as well as widespread poverty and immoral acts, are not the characteristics of a Christian country. Livingston’s condemnation of the deeds of the supposedly Christians leading the US government and the society was countered by some commentators who said that upholding the virtues and values of Christianity in the US has always been a work in progress, and that believers occasionally stray from or betray their religion so they needed to be brought back to the fold.

The US is what its people and leaders make, or try to make, of it, with the American Dream serving as their beacon. Despite challenges to its global predominance, the US’ political, economic and sociocultural influence, whether in national governments around the world or in a person’s very own home and way of life, is here to stay for the next 250 years.  At least until the next superpower comes along.

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Comments are welcome on my page <https://www.facebook.com/fromthefringesph/>.

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