I once told an intellectual that most of the modern things we all use in our daily lives, which have been invented for the last 150 years are mostly American inventions and American ingenuity, be it a motor car, an Airplane, a TV, Movies, a Ball Point Pen, Razor Blade, Synthetic Clothes, Ice, the Computer or an Internet. So on and so forth.

All of these were invented and popularized in America. When I asked him to name me a few things that we use in our daily life, which have been invented by any other country of the world within last 150 years. Surprisingly he was not able to name even a single item. Does it not speak volumes in itself what America has contributed to the human society ?

Most of the things that we are using in our every day life have been invented, improved and popularized by America. To name a few here is a list of some of the American inventions.

Inventions                         People who invented

Aeroplane                             Right Brothers

Automobile                           Henry Ford

Telephone                            Grahm Bell

Computers                           Charles Babbage

Internet                                  American Military

Plastics                                 Alexander Parkes

Synthetic yarn & clothes      Du Pont

Atomic power                       Fermy

Ball point pen                        Parker

Razor Blade                         Gillette

Modern assembly plants     Henry Ford

Cinema                                 Thomas A. Edison

Tape Recorder                     Thomas A. Edison

Immigration

Some people consider America, as a bastion of xenophobia and bigotry but the truth is that today the US takes in more immigrants than at any point in its history. Be it the America’s first multimillionaire -John Jacob Astor or the inventor of telephone - Alexander Grahm Bell or the Hollywood pioneer -Louis B. Mayer or the inventor of video game - Ralph Baer, all are among the immigrants to America. People all over the world always entertain the idea of immigrating to America as compared to any other place across the globe.

Technology

America has been the vanguard in bringing technology reforms all over the world and has helped tremendously in making the lives of billions of people around the world easy and comfortable. It has have given the world motion pictures, the telephone, the television, the computer, the Internet, the airplane, the VCR, and a host of other machines and devices that have vastly improved the quality of human life.

Enlightened Power

America despite being the sole superpower has never misused its supremacy. It is the most powerful country, but has always fought against imperialism. In fact, it has used its military strength to liberate Nazi Germany, South Korea, Afghanistan and Hussein’s Iraq and countless other countries. America also sought to prevent many other countries from increasing their all angled control over their innocent population and others.

Creating Wealth

America has served as the hub for the world economy. America is a country with capitalistic approach where everyone gets an equal opportunity of earning and creating wealth. Not only the natives but also the foreigners get to work for better jobs. The world economy rests on America’s 12 trillion dollar pillar.

Generosity

Great wealth does not always lead to great generosity. But, Americans have always been on the forefront when it comes to providing support and aid in the face of disaster or calamity. In the year 2000, Americans gave more than $ 200 billion in charity, which was much more than the total amount donated by the rest of the world put together. Since World War II, the U.S. Government has given billions of dollars in foreign aid, which may be taken as the highest amount in the world just given away as charity. America has always proved to be a friend in need.

Medicine

The entire world looks up to America when it comes to making any break through in the field of medicine. Americans helped cure polio and tuberculosis, developed vaccines for hepatitis B and yellow fever, pioneered modern chemotherapy, and produced the CAT-scan, MRI, and a host of other modern medical devices.

Human Achievement

Americans have always pioneered human endeavours to unleash new inventions and discoveries. Be it the first transatlantic flight, the first man on the moon, breaking the speed of sound and building the Panama Canal; all serve as a testimony to American courage and ingenuity.

The Automobile

One of the biggest contributions, which America has given to the world, is the invention of cars. Today’s blooming automobile industry owes its success to Henry Ford’s initiative that made it possible for an average person to experience the wonder and comfort of a car. It is because of this great American that hundreds of companies exist and offer an ever-growing number and variety of automobiles in the world.

Entertainment

Majority of the movies the world watches, the television shows they tune into, and the music they listen to, are produced in the United States. It is an undeniable fact that whole world loves to watch American TV and cinema.

Defending and Helping Freedom Bloom

America has always believed in the concept of Non-Offensive Defense (NOD). Despite being the sole superpower in the world it always believed in the principle – ‘live and let live’. America has never craved for establishing its authority over other countries of the world. On the contrary, it has helped several countries to get rid of the cruel dictatorship. It has appealed to all the nations across the globe to live in peace and harmony. That is the reason, why America was in the forefront to establish ‘United Nations Organization’ and the ‘World Bank’.

The most important thing a man needs is freedom and America has been the only country whose sacrifices have helped to fight out imperialistic invasion in World War I, World War II and Korean War. In addition, America defeated many other dictators and mass killers. It is hard to imagine what the world would have been like, had America not come to the rescue of Britain, France and Russia during World War II from the tyranny of Adolph Hitler. Notwithstanding the gas chambers used by Hitler in Germany and in other countries.

It was the historic Atlantic Charter declaration on 14th Aug. 1941 by Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, which promised to restore democracy in all the countries liberated by America, its allied forces and countries under their direct rule.

It is of historical importance to note that in the Second World War America did not fight for land or natural resources, but it fought for basic human rights and principles of democracy that America sought to spread all over the world. Consequently, America was highly successful in changing feudal war-mongering psyche of Germany and Japan and forced them to renounce nuclear weapons and their imperialist designs on their neighbours once and for all. At the same time America promised the whole world that it will help in restoring full political independence in the countries which it has liberated alongwith its allies.

When Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt met at Atlantic Ocean, Churchill agreed to all the demands of freedom for all the countries under the British rule, but he was very adamant in refusing to promise to give complete independence to India. This was the only point, which remained a stumbling block in reaching mutual agreement. But Franklin Roosevelt was also adamant and insisted that India should also be given full freedom after the war and ultimately Churchill had to give in to President Roosevelt’s demand and agreed to give complete independence to India after the war. Here is an excerpt from the famous historical Atlantic Charter :

THE ATLANTIC CHARTER
The Historical Atlantic Charter issued jointly
By Prime Minister of England

Mr. Winston Churchill
And
President of America
Mr. Franklin D. Roosevelt
On
14th August 1941
The Mid Atlantic Ocean

This Atlantic Charter was an important document as it included the declaration of the principles that served as the basic statement of allied war aims. Their difference over colonialism was apparent in later arguments about the meaning of the third article of the Charter, dealing with the right of self-determination. This article stated that the United States and Great Britain :

 

"RESPECT THE RIGHT OF ALL PEOPLES TO CHOOSE THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT UNDER WHICH THEY WILL LIVE; AND THAT THEY WISH TO SEE SOVEREIGN RIGHTS AND SELF-GOVERNMENT RESTORED TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FORCIBLY DEPRIVED OF THEM."

 

The Willkie speech of October 1942 forced Roosevelt’s hand. Talking to the press the next day, the President reaffirmed that the Atlantic Charter’s right of self-determination applied to all peoples under the colonial rule as well as to Axis conquest. It is because of America that today people are living in freedom in most parts of the world.

It is only America, which has been instrumental in creating and sustaining United Nations Organization for the last 58 years and thereby stopping wars in many different parts of the world. It was America which sent thousands of its military personnel to defend UN Security Council resolution on Korean Peninsula and other parts of world.

In 1962, it was again the interference and fear of American Forces, which helped India in getting immediate cease-fire from invading armies of China.

It was the massive American Food Aid in the name of PL 480, which saved millions of people in India in 1960’s. Even today, it is the only rescue for many in several parts of the world, especially in Africa.

It was American diplomacy and American might that stopped Stalin from conquering the rest of Europe and many other parts of the world and putting the iron curtain over them. Ultimately America became the winner in the long drawn cold war, was able to help lift the iron curtain and emerged as the only super power in the world.

Can we imagine the condition of the world, if the other party or the other super power (Stalin and Communist Soviet Union) had won the cold war and what they would have done to humanity ? If we can co-relate it with what they did to their own people during the communist rule ? More than thirty million of their own citizens, were killed by these new rulers and most inhuman concentration camps called Gulag were created in Russia, where millions of people simply perished or were killed.

Can we imagine a series of such Gulag camps spread all over the world ? What untold sufferings would it have brought to humanity for centuries to come ? And this whole genocide was done in the name of socialism and muffling any thought of independent thinking.

Similarly, Mao-Tse-Tung did the same thing with his own people in China and killed over 60 million innocent Chinese civilians during his long barbaric rule, in the name of so called cultural revolution.

It was America that was looked at as a savior of Humanity and beacon of hope and millions of people from all parts of the world came to America to escape prosecution on religions or on political grounds and come out of evils of poverty from their country. People chose to come by their own free will to settle in America in pursuit of their undeniable human rights of freedom and happiness, which are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. They forgot their own countries and they took pride in calling themselves Americans. They got themselves acclimatized to the new country and became so patriotic for America that millions of them were ready to sacrifice their lives to safeguard freedom of America all around the world. Whether it was World War I or World War II or the cold war, they were in such deep love for their new adopted country that they wanted to protect the newfound spirit of freedom with their last breath even by laying down their own lives.

It is America who has taught the world to live in harmony, even if people come from different countries belonging to different castes, creeds and religions. Today more than 98% of Americans are not its original natives. They came from over 100 different countries and created one of the most vibrant, powerful and prosperous societies in the world, and are living today with least amount of inter-racial tension and conflict. In fact, it is an ideal model for the world to follow.

In all other parts of the world, any foreigner who settles down in another country resides with a stigma of a foreigner for his whole life. While, in America just within a few years of his arrival the American society welcomes him with open arms and he soon gets assimilated in the new vibrant culture.

America has not only played a significant role in bringing the international community together for peacekeeping, but also in promoting democracy and economic justice to prevent conflicts, and in mediation to help resolve disputes peacefully, before they lead to war among the nations.

In many situations, America has offered its support as outside intervention for restoring peace. America has stood up as a neutral body to grant protection to people in other countries who appealed to the international community for help, as they were unable to defend themselves from intra-social aggression, brutality and genocide.

For all these reasons people and countries across the globe love America with a feeling of great pride and gratitude.