 obstacles and take control of the Philippines, the United States created its own rationale to disguise its greedy intentions. The United States wanted to appear as righteous and just to its people so they launched a propaganda campaign led by its President: William McKinley. To its people, the United States wanted to appear as a savior of the Philippines. They delivered the message that the Filipino people were ignorant and primitive, incapable of self-government. Despite being advised that the Filipino people were highly intelligent and more than capable of self-government, President McKinley abruptly dismissed those reports; "his eyes were already fixed on the prize". Another distorted propaganda message the United States delivered was that the Filipino people were uncivilized barbarians in need of Christianizationyet most of the Filipino people were Catholic. How selfish and greedy for the United States to distort another countrys identity and integrity for its own gain!
In the Philippines, thousands and thousands of miles away, the United States did not have to worry about appeasing any citizens or twisting its rationalization to fit a selfish motive. In the Philippines, the United States was an invading army. The United States denied Filipino troops entrance into their capital of Manila once the Spanish were defeated. Instead, Filipino troops, who fought relentlessly for their independence, watched in disbelief and frustration as the United States Army marched into Manila and raised the American flag. Demands for answers from the Filipino leaders were dismissed. A Filipino representative who traveled to the United States to discuss what was happening with his country was met with closed doors; President McKinley refused to meet with him. In Paris, where the treaty was being developed and signed to end the Spanish-American War, no representatives from the Philippines were allowed. Not one single Filipino was allowed to participate in talks that determined the outcome of his/her country. At this time it was clear to many Filipinos what was happening: Their country was becoming another colonythis time under the United States. Anger and outrage swelled within many of the Filipino people, especially those who fought and watched their fellow soldiers die in order to attain independence. The swell of anger and outrage could no longer be contained and it exploded into deadly violenceknown as the Philippine Insurrection. When it was all over, over 4,000 American troops, 10,000 Filipino troops, and 200,000 Filipino civilians were dead. The much superior United States Army had crushed the military resistance of the much weaker Filipino Army. The Philippines was now property of the United States.
The Philippine Insurrection, as it is presently known, is the most inaccurate and most distorted name given to any event in history. The term insurrection would suggest that the Filipino people were rebelling against authority, against the establishment. The United States in all its arrogance had the audacity to give this event its name and forever etch the history books. The United States, by calling this event an insurrection, felt as if it was the established authority. In reality, the United States stole a country from a people for its own wealth and greed. They disregarded the values that governed their own country in order to increase its status as a world power.
Throughout the history of the twentieth century, the United States has accused other people and other nations for crimes against humanity and yet they still refer to what they did in the Philippines as an Insurrection. How hypocritical of the United States to have done this! The United States deceived, robbed and murdered the people of the Philippines and they will never be held accountable.
The United States is also a hypocrite when it comes to its relationship with Saudi Arabia. The United States is a country where freedom and justice is its foundation, a country that stresses freedom and democracy in its foreign policy, yet Saudi Arabia treats its women with very little respect. Women in Saudi Arabia have very little rights and have little or no freedoms. If this were any other country, we would see the American President on television condemning that country. We may even see U.N. peacekeepers intervening if this were any other country. In reality, the United States seems to turn a blind eye to Saudi Arabia and its treatment of women for one reason: Oil. The United States and Saudi Arabia have a relationshipa relationship founded on greed and money. The United States in its relationship with Saudi Arabia is another example of an endeavor driven by greed and power and an example of why the United States is a hypocrite to its foreign policy of freedom and democracy.
How can the United States pretend to have a foreign policy of freedom and democracy when it doesnt uphold those standards in its own country? How can other countries take the United States seriously in their foreign policy when they see those values failing to be upheld in the United States? Recently, the United States has undergone a tumultuous time in its economyin large part due to corporate abuse with profits and accounting fraud. It sickens me to watch these executives sit back in their expensive suits and point the fingers and shrug their shoulders as if they had no idea what has happened, yet at the same time there is a man who has lost his job and life savings due to the greed of others. Sure, there are all these congressional hearings, speeches by our president that swear to bring the responsible people to justice; but in reality, nothing will ever be done. All the hearings and speeches will conclude that they have no concrete evidence to proceed with any type prosecution. The irony is that it is these corporations, laden with scandal and deceit, are the ones that put leaders in the United States Government in their positions. It was the millions and millions of dollars from these corporations that enabled many of these leaders to be in office. The trail of scandal may lead very far and deep into the leadership of the United Statesso far that the country may not be able to handle such a scandal, thus leading to further problems. It is much easier to deliver emotional speeches and highly publicized hearings to create a sense that the United States cares and is defending freedom and democracy. I have a strong feeling that years from now corporate scandal will continue to flourish, yet no one will ever be held accountable.
Another recent event that took place was Steve Fossets successful completion of
having traveled around the world in a hot air balloon after several failed attempts. To
someone hearing this news for the first time, the reaction may draw a sense of
astonishment and praise. What really took place was another example of United States
hypocrisy. Steve Fosset spent millions and millions of dollars in his quest to become the
first person to fly around the world. The media covered his journey as if it were one of
the most important events in United States history. Although there may be some merit to
the magnitude of such an accomplishment, how can society embrace such an act and how can
the media stress its significance when there are people in the United States who
dont have a place to call home, children who dont have adequate food? Is the
United States a better place because an American billionaire fulfilled a boyhood dream?
Did his accomplishment change anyones life besides his and maybe a few of his
supporters? The answer is no. Steve Fosset could have better served his country by
spending a tiny amount of his fortune on building some homes for homeless people or buying
a years supply of groceries for a needy family. If Steve Fosset embarked on these
philanthropic acts would he be the same hero as portrayed by the media today? The sad
truth is that we probably would not even know that Steve Fosset exists. The sad truth is
that the United States is a society where one man can spend millions of dollars on a
magnificent yet insignificant event and another man must eat
from garbage
in order to quell his hunger. Is this truly freedom and democracy?
The United States is a country that has laws, a constitution and a Bill of Rights which preach freedom, democracy and justiceall of which are words written on paper. The United States is a country that is fueled by the need to be the most powerful and wealthiest nation in the world and is selective when applying its standards of freedom and democracy.Washington State has a rich built environment that includes buildings, structures, districts and objects that date back to the 1850s. These historic resources have been recorded since the early 1900's and provide a valuable, physical reminder of our past.
The historic era is considered to begin at the time of first European contact with Native Americans. For present day Washington State, this contact usually dates to the 1790's. Historic properties are continuously being identified and documented. On average, hundreds of inventory forms arrive at DAHP each month for review and inclusion into the State's Inventory of Cultural Resources. To date over 300,000 historic sites have been recorded. Approximately 1,800 of these sites have been recognized for their exceptional significance and have been added either to the State or National Registers of Historic Places.
The Inventory encompasses a wide range of historic property types such as rural structures, industrial complexes, recreational properties, transportation infrastructure, commercial and domestic properties.
Discussion of the state's historic built environment would not be complete without acknowledging a growing public interest in historic properties constructed from the post WWII era. Such properties include those associated with America's roadside culture including motels, drive-in restaurants, gas stations and automobile dealerships. However, interest in the recent past goes beyond popular culture to include modernist skyscrapers, shopping centers, churches and suburban housing tracts.
In 2003 DAHP took the lead by launching the state's first attempt to spark the discussion and appreciation of the built environment that best represents the last 50 years. The "Nifty From the Last 50 Initiative" launched at the State Historic Preservation Officers Award Ceremony, involves a grass roots approach to identify and document such sites for future reference in state and local databases.The FaceApp Terms of Use, like most apps’ Terms, are