THE FRONTIER

In American history the frontier was considered the Wild West, land that inhabited by Native American and sought after by white settlers.  This sense of a frontier continues to linger in the American mind, the acquisition of "untamed' land based on either the need for space as in the Old West or a need for rare elements that created the Gold Rush in 1849.  What made the idea of a frontier attractive back in the 19th century was wealth, power, and prestige. That attraction has not changed in the 21st century, which brings me to frontierism.  

Used in this post, the frontier is an idea associated not only with exploration but also with competition and conquest.  It is the idea of a frontier being a starting line in a race to be the first in discovering or creating something new.  The idea of a frontier seems hardwired in the collective human psyche.   We humans always seems to be in a race of some kind, either literally or metaphorically.  The fascination with discovery is something most of us are attracted to, either as an active participant or as an observer.  

On the positive side, the sense of a frontier is what drives us to understand the unknown and to be innovative in that pursuit.  On the negative side,  a frontier is often the product of greed in pursuing wealth and power that treats knowledge as a commodity.   Perhaps the biggest frontier facing humanity is the frontier of understanding ourselves and our planet home;  its mysterious and kindred life forms and the role they play in keeping our planet home a habitat for life.  In other words there remains frontiers in our planet's backyards and waterways to explore and understand. 

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Space exploration is a frontier that fascinates me as I suspect it does most of us.  It seems to me, however, that the more we know about the universe the less we humans know or, should I say, understand about our place in it.  I am not against space exploration as long as it is a planetary undertaking instead of an international race to dominate access to resources found on other planets.  

The idea of a nation planting its flag on the moon or mars; as if to say, this planet belongs to specific parcels of land (nations) on the earth seems ridiculous.  It exposes an archaic sense of national tribalism that continues to wreak havoc in the world in which we live.  For example,  I speculate that if the United States, Russia, China, India, or the EU control portions of the moon such control will be considered  primarily from a military point of view with regard to national interests on earth.  

This speculation causes me to advocate for getting our collective acts together and recognizing the necessity to understand our home planet and the uniqueness of life here and now before entering and subjecting planetary exploration with the international animosity that continues to plague our existence on Earth.  One of the hopeful outcomes of any space travel involving humans; such as the Artemis II crew,  is that they invariably express a sense of humility about our planet and awe with regard to vastness of space in which this blue dust mote exists.  

Opportunity for the frontier explorer always seems to lurk in the darkness of the unknown.  We have plenty of unknowns lurking about right here in our home planet.  There is much we can learn about our universe by studying our place in it as revealed by our planet home.  For instance, we art only a blue dust mote, but a living green one.  We have yet to see a planet that has something akin to trees or even moss.  T 

We are the only planet we know of that lives and breathes with a diversity of life forms.  This is not to say there are no other planets like us, but rather to say that we should know ourselves better, appreciate the uniqueness of life's diversity that we experience everyday, and seek ways to better utilize the resources that our solar system already gives us;  that in taking and preserving all life on this planet as in dispensable to ensure life not only on our planet but potentially other for eons to come.  In that way we will be better prepared to explore the frontiers of space with a better understanding of what we are looking for and what we are looking at.

Norm

MANIFEST DESTINY

For the most part, manifest destiny is a term that has been relegated to the annals of United States history. It is generally used in relation to U.S. expansion from its original east coast colonies to the U.S west coast states during the 19th century.  Writing about American imperialism in the 19th century historian, William Earl Weeks stated, 

"The rhetoric of American empire comprises three main aspects: the assumption of the unique moral virtue of the United States, the assertion of its mission to redeem the world by the spread of republican government and more generally the 'American way of life,' and the faith in the nation's divinely ordained destiny to succeed in this mission."   

Weeks, William Earl (2002). John Quincy Adams and American Global Empire. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 183–184. ISBN 978-0-8131-9058-7. 

Weeks' three main aspects of imperialism provides an accurate description of manifest destiny.  The term manifest destiny first emerged during the1844 presidential election between James Knox Polk and Henry Clay. After Polk won the election, the term became part of the United States' lexicon of political terms.  It was a controversial subject with regard to its use in initially shaping U.S. continental policy and later in shaping its foreign policies. Not everyone during that period of time subscribed to idea of manifest destiny.  For example, Presidents like Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses Grant did not subscribe to it.  After World War I, the term was largely ignored as guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy.   

MANIFEST DESTINY IN THE TRUMP ERA 

In President Trump's inaugural address on January 20, 2025, manifest destiny reemerged when he said, "And we will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars."  Manifest destiny was recently made manifest in the launching of the Artemis II space mission to the moon on April 1, 2026.   

The Trump regime has also used manifest destiny to justify taking over Canada, Greenland, Cuba, Venezuela, and conducting a war with Iran.  Week's three aspects of U.S. imperialism have been subjected to some tweaking by President Trump.  Whereas manifest destiny in the 19th century was used to shape the nation's continental and global policies through congressional processes, manifest destiny in the Trump regime is vested in the person of the President himself who claims to have inner "moral virtue, whose personal mission is to save the world as only he can, and who will personally succeed in directing what many believe is the divine mission of the United States.  

Ideological beliefs like, Peace through Strength, American Exceptionalism, and Manifest Destiny have become doctrinaire in the mind of many U.S. citizens.  They are imbued with Christian meanings which relies on a cult like adherence that requires no factual basis.  They have become articles of a national faith in the superiority of the United States.  Christian nationalists have given it their imprimatur by equating such beliefs with doing God's will on earth.   

In the current Trump era, manifest destiny has taken on an apocalyptic urgency for some who believe it will hasten the second coming of Christ.  It has been reported that military leaders have been telling their troops that the war with Iran will do just that.  Manifest destiny has always contained a prophetic aspect, but associating it with the second coming of Christ strikes one as being a particularly fraught notion.  Any prophecy about the future runs the risk of it becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy on the part of its believers.  

Utilizing ancient prophesy as a purpose for engaging in a military conflict with Iran and giving a reason for troops to fight because it is part of God's plan supports the speculation of there being no strategic goal or plan regarding the conflict. President Trump and Secretary Hegseth talking about the inevitability of U.S. casualties as a reality of war and the possible necessity of obliterating the entire civilization of Iran in a glib manner serves to remind us that we are entering into a new Stone Age.

DESTINED FOR A LESSON IN HUMILITY

As I am writing this post, the White House has announced that Iran has accepted a two-week ceasefire proposal contingent on opening the Straits of Hormuz.   Due to President Trump's irresponsible threats of obliterating Iranian civilization the credibility of the United States has taken a direct hit.  Apart from Israel and perhaps a few Arab countries, few nations feel they can trust the United States.   Even the President's staunch allies in the United States are appalled by his rhetoric.  

This twelfth hour acceptance between Iran and the United States and Israel creates a question as to which regime has blinked, Iran, Israel, or The United States?  Given that Iran offered a proposal that was accepted by the United States and Israel, it would seem that the United Stated States blinked as the clock neared the 21st century equivalent of a nuclear D-Day. 

Frankly, one wonders how much of this dangerous drama the world can take.  Iran has quickly claimed victory in the agreed upon ceasefire.  Time will tell if it holds for the entire two weeks.  What is emerging as the manifest destiny for the United States is perhaps a long overdue moment of humility and accountability for the damage done through its adherence to the aforementioned articles of faith.

 

Norm