Name: Andria Babu
August 1, 2017
AP Lang Part I
Non-Cordial Disunion
Thomas Paine was a political activist and advocate of American independence in the 1700s. Paine expressed his thoughts of America and its government in a book Rights of Man in 1791. In the excerpt, Paine suggests that although people come from different cultures, different religions and speak different languages that they can exist without conflict in America. By building a government on the principles of society and rights of man that we can overcome all and any differences.It is thought to what extent is Paine’s characterization of America reflective of today. Paine’s characterization of America does not hold that much truth today because of the differences among religions and cultures, distinct views in political parties and unfair social economic status.
Because of religious and cultural differences, Paine’s characterization of America can be disproved. Paine is aware that the thought of people from different religions, cultures, and countries living together in unity is “impractical.” He goes on to say that the government brings the people into “cordial unison.” However, that is not the case today. According to a 2017 article by the Editorial Board in New York Times titled, “Donald Trump’s Muslim Ban is Cowardly and Dangerous” Trump tried to temporarily ban Syrian refugees and other people in seven Muslim countries from entering the United States. In this way, the government does not retire the difficulties; instead, it creates more of them. The editorial board further mentions that such an order shows that the Islamophobia and xenophobia that fueled his campaign will last throughout his presidency. The fact that citizens of America voted for him means that they also share his bigoted ideas. These different people from various nations having “different modes of worship” create different opinions and divide the country. According to Thomas Paine’s excerpt from Rights of Man, the American government is built “on the principles of society and the rights of man.” The decision Trump wanted and the support he received from citizens disprove Paine’s characterization of America. Differences among religions and cultures overtake Paine’s idealized vision of the United States government. Not only do differences among religions and cultures divide the government but differences in political parties put the country in disunion.
Paine’s idealization of America holds untrue in today’s society because of the differences in democratic and republican parties. Paine believes that the people accustomed to other ways of government are brought together by the American government. Yet, the government of the U.S is separated by two factions who cannot agree on any pressing difficulty affecting this nation. According to a 2016 article by Derek Thompson wrote in The Atlantic titled, “Why Democrats and Republicans Literally Speak Different Languages” the Democrats and Republicans have become more polarized over the past few decades in order to establish two separate political branches of people within the same form of government. The two political parties cannot agree on what the most underlying issues of the nation are. Thompson further explains that both parties are not interested in converting the other but rather discussing the issues with their own party. Paine suggests that “every difficulty retires, and all parts are brought into cordial unison.” Every difficulty does not retire because the Democratic and Republican parties cannot agree on an issue that can be solved. Different views on different issues create more of a discord than a unity. These views that these different political parties have created more of a divide in the nation. As well as political parties holding Paine’s characterization to be untrue so does the unjust social economic status of groups of people.
The unfair status of the classes disassembles Paine’s outlook of the American government. Paine entrusts that “the poor are not oppressed; the rich are not privileged… Their taxes are few because the government is just.” Paine’s statement is untrue to what happens in today’s America. A 2014 article by Gillian B. White written in The Atlantic titled, “ Inequality Between America’s Rich and Poor at a 30-Year High”confirms that the net worth of the middle class is seven times less than the upper class with $97,000 to $640,000. To say the wealthy are not privileged contradict to the fact that the gap that continues to increase. White shows that with a chart that families with increased income have seen their wealth increase by seven percent from 2010 to 2013 while other families have had about the same net worth for the past three years. The lower income classes not may be directly “oppressed” by the government but to call their government “just” is erroneous. The government ignoring the situation makes them unjust and goes against what Paine thinks the American government is.
Although it is clear that most aspects of Thomas Paine’s characterization of America are mostly untrue including “every difficulty retiring and all parts are brought into cordial unison”, “the poor not being oppressed”, “the rich not privileged” and “the government is just”, proponents may suggest some of his description of America hold true today. It is truly evident that the United States is a diverse nation with people who speak different languages, have different religions and are accustomed to different cultures. With many differences living among each other, it is only fair to say that complete union of people is unattainable. Paine is aware of this truth when he asserts: “Made up, as it is, of people from different nations, accustomed to different forms and habits of government speaking different languages and more different in their modes of their worship, it would appear that the union of such a people was impracticable.” He recognizes that it is common knowledge that with different people come different issues. However to state “there is nothing to render them wretched, there is nothing to engender riots and tumults” is why his idealistic description of the American government is wrong. In a 2017 article by Errin Haines Whack written in Fox News U.S titled, “Newark riots recall era echoed by Black Lives Matter” the city in New Jersey becomes a centre of racial rage because a black cab driver was brutally beaten by white officers.” This incident shed light on repressive treatment that is set by the government and the police. Such an incident contradicts Paine’s description of the American government that there is nothing that would cause riots. When one racial group attacks another racial group, then the results are riots and differences that cannot be overcome with the government that exists in America. Racial divisions create a disbelief that the American government is built on the rights of man which refutes Paine’s
With the sight of a new beginning Thomas Paine conveyed his optimistic outlook of what he thought the American government was in The Rights of Man. While it is clear that most of Paine’s words are not a reflection of present day U.S government, opponents may be quick to point out those pieces of his work hold some actuality in comparison. The characterization that Paine depicts is an altogether inaccurate account of the differences among cultures and religions, radical discrete views of political parties, and unfair social economic status between the wealthy and the lower classes. Although Paine acknowledges that there could be differences that cannot be overcome by different people from different places, he believes that there is nothing to fuel riots and start disorder which is clearly false. The main point of Paine’s excerpt was to place America as the nation with the government that can overcome all differences and is able to be in friendly togetherness or “cordial union” The differences that are witnessed today are able to reveal a non-cordial disunion.