The Overseas Image of American Democracy

Abstract

At times, Americans show too much sensitivity to their image abroad, giving the impression that their primary concern is how they appear to others. Nevertheless, their con cern for world opinion is in keeping with the American tradi tion. The United States image is a mixture of saint and sinner. Have-nots are bitter against the haves. They regard Ameri cans as antirevolutionary and look to Moscow and Peking for support. Other foreigners simply dislike Americans in general. Some are concerned lest Americans are creating a twentieth- century empire through spheres of influence. Many foreigners, however, are genuinely appreciative of American assistance, and all who cherish freedom look to us as defenders of national and individual liberty. Democracy can be compared to a stool of three legs—liberty, equality, and fraternity. To produce stability, the three legs must be of approximately equal length. Liberty alone means the right of the strong and the clever to overpower the weak and the less clever. Equality alone pro duces the equality of the prison. Social strife results from the contest between libertarians and equalitarians. The saving factor is fraternity—a sense of the oneness of humanity. If the United States succeeds in producing a society based on liberty, equality, and fraternity, its image will shine in every corner of the world.