Hailee Francom

AP/IB ELA
9/24/2020

A country in which peaceful interactions between people from different parts of the globe
existing in peace and justice may exist in the future. However, America, built on the unpaid work
of other ethnicities, has a long way to go before their society is equivalent to the picture Thomas
Paine paints. America prides itself on the successful integration of different cultures and social
backgrounds, and while that may hold true in the general sense of the claim, the civilians within
the country witness discrepancies towards groups unlike the ruling caste majority. The United
States government is unlike the characterization of Thomas Paine’s America because the
economic gap between the poor is only beneficial to the rich and an underlying white supremacy
allows institutionalized racism to dirty the name of the proud country.
American independence sprouted from, most of all, taxation without representation. As
colonists were part of the British government but not represented in Parliament due to unfit
governors and representatives. Society was ultimately ruled by the ruling majority of the rich,
and the large numbers of minorities were left over-taxed and had little say in the government.
While America has come a long way, one could say that this new society is reflective of an old
problem. In the Rights of Man book by Thomas Paine, he suggests, “There, the poor are not
oppressed, and the rich are not privileged” (Paine, 1791). This quote was a goal for Americans,
and they believed this is what freedom from England would accomplish. Modern America, on
the other hand, has backtracked, where the poor get more and more poor every year. Further, the
rich get more and more rich overy year, which is often dependent on the economic problems
suffered by the poor. Republicans often advocate for an equal society, where everyone is taxed
the same, in accordance to their salary, while Democrats believe that the rich should have higher
taxations so that the poor are able to build themselves up. Economically, the rich rule America.
Following, the rich and the poor can often be separated by race in America as well. While
it is true that every race is included in every domain of the economy, the majority of the rich
Americans would fall into the white category, while the colored population are typically living in
poor conditions. These differences stem from institutionalized racism, that white people could
not possibly experience. Institutionalized racism is seen if neighborhoods and schools, as colored
communities often live in poverty. Redlining would prevent certain neighborhoods from
increasing their economic status which would encourage white families to move out, leaving the
neighborhood even less advantageous. This further affects schooling, as schools are legally
funded by community taxes, meaning a less quality neighborhood would provide a less quality
education. Paine, in his book, later argues that, “Made up, as it is, of people from different
nations, accustomed to different habits of government, speaking different languages… it would
appear that the union of such a people was impracticable” (Paine, 1791). He continues that a
government constructed by the principles of human rights would unite such a population. In
American history, this practice is much more the opposite, where the enslavement of Native
Americans and black people would build up the nation we have today. The descendants of these
foreign born would also go on serving the white man. Modern circumstances have brought a lot
of justice to those who aren’t white, but in America, colored people are set up to fail and fall
behind the white majority.
Some may argue that America is a fair country, maybe even the best to live in.
Arguments made may include the fact that there is no slavery in America anymore, all are able to
vote, and the government’s structure is built to prevent any imbalances in power. These
opponents are right in the fact that after many years, colored people, men and women alike are
able to vote. However others would encourage these opponents to look into the prison system,
which allows any prisoner to be used for labor, free of pay. In modern society, slavery is still a
problem, and many don’t even know. Also, the government is built on checks and balances,
however the office, in theory, is open to anyone. The truth is only the wealthiest Americans are
able to participate in the legislative process and any other form of political power. Therefore,
America can not yet be considered a fully equal society.
To conclude, Thomas Paine had a vision of an equal society with no need for riots
because the government was set up perfectly. Human nature will continually, throughout history,
show that a perfect government is unacquirable. There will always be a majority and minority,
but it is the government's job to regulate itself and provide solutions for those neglected and
unseen by major powers. Government, however, consists of the population as a whole in a
democratic republic society, giving the responsibility to the people as a whole. A fair
government like the America Paine characterized would allow the whole population to vote, the
whole population to participate in government, and the whole population to enjoy equal rights.
Economic gaps between the one percent and the rest of the country, along with unfair treatment
of those with colored skin have proved America to be a place in much need of internal change. In
2020, police brutality, civil separations based on politics and advocacy for change may open the
eyes of those living in a fantasy of the flawless American government.