America’s Manifest Destiny: How History Haunts U.S. Conservation Leadership

America has seen a destructive politicization of its scientific concerns dealing with critical issues such as energy and the environment. This has represented a desire by some powerful special interests to restrict technological evolution so that it only perpetuated their dominating position. Aggressive lobbying obstructed fair competition and restricted any government support to their selfish benefit. Their power to actually control this situation has undermined its democracy and represents a growing national dysfunction that is dangerously affecting America’s role in the world. The fundamental roots of this dilemma are traced to a relentless perpetuation of Manifest Destiny, the philosophy which was the driving force in colonial America. This exploitive psychological addiction has proven to be impossible to control. It is producing a pervasive national hypocrisy that defiles any hope of being a rational democracy. Study of our human population growth, resource depletion, consumptive lifestyles and leadership demands illustrates today’s desperate need for a dynamic new renaissance in global altruism.