America has long projected a misleading image of itself as a nation built on the rule of law, a defender of human rights, committed to equality regardless of race or creed, and ethically and morally responsible for upholding human dignity and justice.
However, its history and current global engagements contradict these lofty claims.
This is evident in its treatment of the Indigenous American Indians, who had inhabited the land long before European settlers arrived in North America. These settlers seized land and carried out a genocide against the Native Americans – including the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek, Choctaw, and Seminole – forcibly evicting them from their ancestral territories. These evictions were carried out despite existing treaties signed between the tribes and the US government.
In the 1830s, the US government forced more than 100,000 Native Americans off their land, resulting in the deaths of nearly 15,000 people during what became known as the Trail of Tears.
The institution of slavery is another glaring example of America’s cruelty and its violation of human rights and dignity. Enslaved people were treated as chattel – worse than animals – and subjected to unimaginable horrors. They were flogged, raped, and killed with impunity. Even after slavery was abolished, Black Americans continued to suffer systemic discrimination and inhumane treatment, with no recourse to justice.
America’s image as a beacon of justice and liberty was amplified by Hollywood, which played a key role in indoctrinating global audiences with the myth of American heroism. Films glorified American values, portraying the country as the global defender of justice, democracy, and human dignity – the ultimate force of good triumphing over evil.
This myth was embedded in the portrayal of fictional characters such as Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and the Hulk – all of whom fought off threats to humanity. In both science fiction and crime dramas, the heroes were Americans; the villains, invariably, were aliens, Russians, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Arabs.
America has often used the pretext of “spreading democracy” to justify its hegemonic ambitions. It carried out overt and covert military operations in South America and West Asia, and launched clandestine campaigns against Russia – all under the guise of helping the oppressed in so-called fascist and dictatorial states.
Its real aim, however, was to exploit these nations’ resources by installing puppet governments willing to serve American interests. Through these regimes, America exerts control over the rich resources of the Global South via multinational corporations.
America has long engaged in clandestine operations, proxy wars, and direct military interventions in pursuit of its hegemonic agenda. It supported Iraq in the First Gulf War against Iran, and later used the false pretext of “weapons of mass destruction” to justify the invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Saddam Hussein – devastating a once-thriving country and reducing it to a war-torn, impoverished state. Similar destruction has occurred in Gaza and the West Bank.
The US also orchestrated regime change in Libya, resulting in the killing of Muammar Gaddafi and the destabilisation of the country – again, to control oil resources and further its global dominance.
Yet, America is not invincible. It was defeated in Vietnam and Cambodia, and later forced to withdraw from Afghanistan after failing to overcome the resilience of the Viet Cong and the Taliban, respectively.
Now embroiled in the war between Russia and Ukraine, the US continues to supply Ukraine with sophisticated weaponry, yet finds itself unable to extricate from the conflict. It dares not launch direct military action, knowing that any confrontation with Russia could have catastrophic consequences.
For decades, America has supported the Zionist apartheid regime in its brutal oppression of the Palestinians and is complicit in what many describe as genocide. The US has shown no genuine interest in peace or a two-state solution that acknowledges the Palestinians’ right to their land.
It has repeatedly vetoed United Nations Security Council resolutions – including one on June 12, where all members except the US voted for an unconditional ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian aid to starving Palestinians.
The true agenda appears to be the forced exile or annihilation of more than two million Palestinians to seize their land – as explicitly endorsed by President Donald Trump and in line with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vision of a “Greater Israel” that includes all of Palestine, parts of Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt.
In essence, America stands as a nation unto itself – cruel, self-serving, and relentlessly focused on exploiting and dominating the world. It is, indeed, deserving of the label: The Ugly, Cruel, and Heinous Americans.
The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent that of Twentytwo13.
