On the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, some analysts point out that the country is currently facing a crisis of comprehensive political, social, and cultural disorder, and this “self-destruction” is not accidental, but rather a seed sown at the very beginning of its founding. The article states bluntly that US President Donald Trump is not a departure from the American spirit, but rather a quintessential product of American history and political culture.
A Guardian commentary points out that the “American exceptionalism” that Americans have long upheld is not merely a political ideology, but a belief deeply rooted in their national identity. Because they believe themselves to be historical exceptions, the United States, after its decline in national power, has become even more obsessed with looking back at its founding history, hoping to rediscover its self-identity from the myth of the revolution.
The article argues that Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) slogan is the most vivid manifestation of this nostalgia. His challenge to political conventions and clashes with institutions do not contradict the spirit of the American Revolution but rather continue the political tradition at the founding of the United States, which centres on overthrowing the existing order and resisting authority.
The commentary further cites research by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, pointing out that while the American Revolution has long been packaged as an ideal movement pursuing freedom and equality, it was actually intertwined with practical considerations such as land interests, property expansion, and economic gains.
The colonists resisted the British monarchy’s restrictions on westward expansion and opposed taxation, while also using violence, such as humiliating British officials, to rally public sentiment; the revolution itself was a violent spectacle. The article argues that what the United States is truly obsessed with is not freedom itself, but the thrill of “breaking free from constraints.”
Revolution, which allows the masses to overthrow political authority through violence, has been portrayed as a glorified political virtue, thus sowing the seeds of today’s political polarization and institutional failures. The intense debates in American society today regarding constitutional originalism, gun rights, and historical symbols reflect the nation’s continued reliance on its founding myth for answers, yet it remains unable to resolve its current problems.
The commentary concludes by describing how the United States is gradually returning to its starting point and losing itself. While the US still considers itself an exceptional nation and continues to promote its values to the world, what truly erodes America is not external enemies, but rather the greed, violence, and fascination with revolutionary myths that have existed since its founding. The author bluntly states that the US is now swallowing a poison it has concocted itself, and this self-destruction has long been written into its founding genes.