American Conformity

Power is the one thing all people of earth work to gain; some will even go to great lengths to attain that power such as committing an act of crime and violence. In the United States, power is well diffused between government, the economy, and even conformity. Conformity is actually a major player in the reason why Americans have so many limits placed upon themselves. In the passage from Training for Statesmanship, by George Kennan, Kennan’s observation relating to the common practice of conformity amongst people is the most compelling observation even though it is not entirely correct; because of its undeniable force throughout the world, the common practice of conformity holds true in the United States and also in several other countries

All lifeforms have the inner instinct to obtain power. It is something that defines who we are and what we do. Power can be the threshold of happiness and also the threshold of hell. For example, throughout history in various countries around the world, there have been numerous struggles for power. The fact of the matter is people want to be on top, they want to rule over something whether it is a plot of land or an idea in technology. In Cuba, Fidel Castro employed his military tactics to overthrow and take over the Cuban government so that he could rule the country himself as a supreme dictator would. Castro was able to obtain the power that he desired. In another, more relatable example, a school bully utilizes the same technique that Castro did. The bully and his/her posse will go around the school belittling other kids to gain power amongst their fellow peers until they have total control of the entire school. Kennan writes, “Sometimes, unfortunately it exists in irregular forces- in underworld groups, criminal gangs, or informal associations of a vigilante nature- capable of terrorizing their fellow citizens in one degree or another.” The author is correct in stating that sometimes power is given to people who abuse it or do not deserve it. However, sometimes power is correctly distributed, such as in the United States government where there are three branches that each monitor and contain the power of the other. Kennan believes that power persuades people to act and think a certain way, especially the power of