![Phillip Ramirez<br />May 19th, 2011<br />Period 5 HWL <br />TT Reflective Essay<br />The Constant Cycle: The Successes, Failures, and Evolutions of the United States<br />Success, evolution, failure. This constant cycle has dominated the lives of civilizations since the beginning of time. From the Egyptians, the Romans, and the Greeks, to the Chinese, the Japanese, and the Mongols and even to the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Incas, all civilizations have experienced this cycle. Despite their differences, these civilizations have all experienced the same patterns related to success, failure, and evolution. By studying and comprehending these intricate patterns, we can predict and identify the success, the evolution, and the ultimate failure of one of the greatest civilizations known to man: the United States of America.<br />Success, evolution, and failure are all driven by events that occur in the world around us. Revolution, conquest, depression, shifting boundaries, and new advances in science and technology all turn the gears of the cycle. The Aztec Empire is a prime example of the civilization cycle. Beginning as a tribe of wandering people, the Aztecs were not expected to succeed. However, they quickly settled down and built a great city on Lake Texcoco called Tenochtitlan. This may have been the first success for the Aztec Empire, because it marked a great milestone in the fields of science and technology, as Tenochtitlan was built in the center of a lake. The Aztecs went on to overthrow their overlords and become the dominant tribe in the area. In 1431, the Aztecs formed the Triple Alliance, a pact with two other tribes in the region to consolidate their power (quot;
Aztec-History.comquot;
). This marked a significant era of evolution in the empire because it allowed the Aztecs to integrate others into their culture and to embark on great military campaigns. After years of great prosperity, Hernan Cortes landed on the Yucatan Peninsula on March 4th, 1519 (quot;
Aztec-History.comquot;
). In less than a year and a half, he would destroy the Aztec Empire through a series of conflicts and the spread of disease. Cortes’ conquest of the Aztec Empire represents its failure to defeat the forces opposed to it. The events that led to the success, failure, and evolution of the Aztec Empire represent patterns that can be seen in every civilization in the world. After analyzing these patterns we can make educated guesses about the stage of the cycle being experienced by the United States.<br />Is the United States succeeding? There are ample reasons to say it is. Despite our shortcomings, the United States continues to maintain the most powerful military force in the world. With bases all around the world, the United States military maintains an international presence in order to protect its country’s citizens, interests, and constitution from all threats foreign and domestic. Recent events, such as the killing of Osama bin Laden, have proved that the military is more than capable of doing its job. The United States military is the most elite fighting force in the world and will continue to be well into the foreseeable future. In addition to the military, the U.S has some other things going for it. The United States Constitution is a great success story. It grants its citizens a plethora of rights which no other country in the world can match. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom to demonstrate peacefully are just some of the rights granted to us by the Constitution. It also establishes a system of representative democracy that guarantees the people’s voice in the government. In fact, the United States Constitution is such an amazing success that several countries around the world base their own constitutions off of it. These successes are what makes the United States such a great country, but they also lead to the next stage of the cycle—evolution.<br />The evolution of a civilization is not marked by certain events, but is an ongoing process that doesn’t end until the civilization does. Evolution is the motor that drives all civilizations to success or failure, which in turn fuel the motor of evolution. As with any other civilization, the United States is experiencing evolution. One of the most prominent changes is the growth of the “minorities” in the United States. It is estimated that by 2050, the “minorities” will overtake the white “majority” in the U.S (Chideya). This will be the largest cultural shift in American history and it will affect every aspect of American life. Political power will be adjusted and racial boundaries will be redrawn. In correlation with this, America elected its first black president, Barack Obama, to office in 2008. Overall, America and the world will have to rethink their views on the average American person. In the process of rethinking the American person, the world will also have to rethink the way Americans spend their money. One survey concluded that U.S. consumer spending averages $65.00, about the same as one year ago (Jacobe). In stark contrast, U.S. consumer spending in pre-recession 2008 was $86.00, a difference of 25% (Jacobe). These statistics represent a great change in the mind of the American consumer; many people are now spending money frugally instead of the pre-recession spending craze. It is unclear whether these changes will bring about success or failure in the U.S. However, one fact remains brutally clear: if the U.S. stays in its current path, we are doomed to the next stage of the cycle—failure. <br />Even the very word failure is catalyst for change. No one wants to fail and they will do anything not to. Unfortunately, despite policy changes and budget cuts, the United States of America is failing. The failure of the United States cannot be attributed to only one factor; in fact, there are several factors bringing about the end. The present state of the economy is one such factor that dominates the minds of many Americans. As of April, the U.S unemployment rate is 9.0%, an additional 205,000 people have reported being unemployed, and 190,000 people have lost their jobs since the last survey (quot;
Bureau of Labor Statisticsquot;
). It is incredibly apparent that the U.S economy is in dire straits. This all can be traced back to the “Great Recession” of 2008, during which the housing bubble popped and the economy went into meltdown. The government was forced to bail out several “too big to fail” companies while many other companies simply went bankrupt. The United States government has not fared so well either. The national debt is roughly 14 trillion dollars, which can be attributed to the policies of the former administration’s eight years in office. The political spectrum is in about the same situation. The government has yet to propose an agreeable budget for the upcoming fiscal year, reflecting an inability for the government to accomplish anything. The American people’s approval of Congress is about 24%, a rise from April’s 17%, due to the death of Osama bin Laden (Mendes). Still, only 24% of the U.S population approves of Congress. The lack of the ability for both Republicans and Democrats to work together has stalled the American political process and is doing irreversible damage to the United States as a whole. Many would also argue that the United States has also overstretched its power. The U.S has involved itself in 2 ½ conflicts (the half being the Libyan Conflict) while attempting to fill the world peacekeeping role thrust upon it by the world. One country can only do so much before it becomes impossible for it to take care of itself. If the United States continues on this road to ruin, the damage will be irrevocable. <br />The United States is a great civilization but a civilization nonetheless. It has experienced trying times and times of joy, times of change and times resisting change, and times of success and times of failure. The United States is involved in the constant cycle that dominates all civilizations: success, evolution, and failure. Although it seems the U.S is failing, it may just be a time of change, leading to another time of prosperity. However, perhaps one day, the U.S will just be a chapter in a history book, or a topic students give a report on. Nevertheless, people cannot elude the fact that failure will come. It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when. If history has taught us anything it is this: no civilization, not even the great ones, last forever. <br />Citations<br />,[object Object]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/reflectivepaper-110527014816-phpapp01/85/Reflective-Paper-The-Successes-Failures-and-Evolutions-of-the-United-States-1-320.jpg)
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Reflective Paper: The Successes, Failures, and Evolutions of the United States
- 2. Jacobe, Dennis. "U.S Consumer Spending Flat in April." Gallup. Gallup, Inc., 04 May 2011. Web. 16 May 2011. <http://www.gallup.com/poll/147416/Consumer-Spending-Flat-April.aspx>.
- 3. "Labor Force Statistics From the Current Population Survey." Bureau of Labor Statistics. United States Department of Labor, April 2011. Web. 16 May 2011. <http://www.bls.gov/cps/>.
- 4. Mendes, Elizabeth. "Approval of Congress, U.S Satisfaction Rally on bin Laden's Death." Gallup. Gallup, Inc., 12 May 2011. Web. 16 May 2011. <http://www.gallup.com/poll/147506/Approval-Congress-Satisfaction-Rally-Bin-Laden-Death.aspx>.
- 5. Chideya, Farai. "A Nation of Minorities: America in 2050." BNET. CBS, 1999. Web. 17 May 2011. <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HSP/is_1_4/ai_66678568/>.