Despite stressing the importance of freedom throughout its history, America has had a record of discriminatory action in terms of granting freedom and in what volume it has been willing to grant that freedom. Since the annexation of the Philippines America has displayed a zeal for democratic justice and inalienable rights only when it has been beneficial to either a domestic or foreign agenda. The issues of allowing the Philippines to self-govern and granting citizenship to non-Caucasian immigrants were things that did not help fulfill the agendas of American politicians and businesses, while ending discrimination and granting rights to African Americans in the midst of the Cold War was seen as necessary in order to promote a positive global
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Hoar is suggesting that America’s claim to ruling the Philippines goes against the very idea that gave birth to the United States. This idea is that the best people fit to govern a country is the people of that country. The Filipinos can govern the Philippines better then Americans just as America could rule itself better than the British could. Hoar evoked the Declaration of Independence as reason why America could not rule another country. The Declaration of Independence states that to secure the natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness governments are created that derive their power from the consent of the governed. By proclaiming this in the Declaration of Independence, America explicitly stated that a government could not rule over a people without their consent like they would do by annexing the Philippians. President Roosevelt’s own argument about annexation was that the Filipinos did not need independence at all but instead needed foreign aid to establish industry that would benefit the people of the island. Roosevelt …show more content…
Prior to debates about annexation, Emile Aguinaldo, the leader of the Filipino Revolution, made it clear during his interactions in Manila with Admiral George Dewey of the U.S Navy, that he was starting a revolution because the Admiral had assured him that America would recognize Filipino Independence. The forces under the control of Aguinaldo supported America in the Spanish American War in order to obtain the freedom to self-govern for the Philippians. This freedom was insured by America through Admiral Dewey. Admiral Dewy playing his part in America’s hypocrisy claimed he never made such promises to Aguinaldo. The Filipinos went from dissolving the political bands that held them to Spain with the intention of controlling its own safety and happiness, to living under the United States government without giving America the consent to govern. Dewey’s statements lead to Aguinaldo’s involvement in the war which helped America achieve its goal of annexing the Philippines, but carrying out Dewey’s statements went against the American agenda for the Philippines. During the event of the Spanish American War the United States left behind its foundational principle that the people must consent to allowing the government to have power, and used the hope that the Filipinos had for self-governance as a tool to acquire the Philippines as a
Hoar is suggesting that America’s claim to ruling the Philippines goes against the very idea that gave birth to the United States. This idea is that the best people fit to govern a country is the people of that country. The Filipinos can govern the Philippines better then Americans just as America could rule itself better than the British could. Hoar evoked the Declaration of Independence as reason why America could not rule another country. The Declaration of Independence states that to secure the natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness governments are created that derive their power from the consent of the governed. By proclaiming this in the Declaration of Independence, America explicitly stated that a government could not rule over a people without their consent like they would do by annexing the Philippians. President Roosevelt’s own argument about annexation was that the Filipinos did not need independence at all but instead needed foreign aid to establish industry that would benefit the people of the island. Roosevelt …show more content…
Prior to debates about annexation, Emile Aguinaldo, the leader of the Filipino Revolution, made it clear during his interactions in Manila with Admiral George Dewey of the U.S Navy, that he was starting a revolution because the Admiral had assured him that America would recognize Filipino Independence. The forces under the control of Aguinaldo supported America in the Spanish American War in order to obtain the freedom to self-govern for the Philippians. This freedom was insured by America through Admiral Dewey. Admiral Dewy playing his part in America’s hypocrisy claimed he never made such promises to Aguinaldo. The Filipinos went from dissolving the political bands that held them to Spain with the intention of controlling its own safety and happiness, to living under the United States government without giving America the consent to govern. Dewey’s statements lead to Aguinaldo’s involvement in the war which helped America achieve its goal of annexing the Philippines, but carrying out Dewey’s statements went against the American agenda for the Philippines. During the event of the Spanish American War the United States left behind its foundational principle that the people must consent to allowing the government to have power, and used the hope that the Filipinos had for self-governance as a tool to acquire the Philippines as a