Why America Should Apologize

Why America Should Apologize
by Connor Boyack

In an interview last week about his new book, No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, Mitt Romney was asked what he meant when saying that America need not apologize. He responded as follows:

While we've made some mistakes, we have a record of promoting freedom, peace, and prosperity throughout the world. There is a view in Washington that America will be eclipsed by other nations. I think that would have grave consequences for freedom and world peace.

True to form, he did not actually answer the question. He first made a highly superficial concession that we’ve made some mistakes. (Which? How often? How damaging?) He then goes on to blabber about a "view" that other nations might "eclipse" America, something he feels would have "grave consequences." How this is in any way connected to the original question is anyone’s best guess.

Mitt Romney, unsurprisingly, is wrong. He’s not the only one spouting this hollow rhetoric, however. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) said recently during his CPAC speech that we should "never, ever, ever" apologize for America. Former Governor Sarah Palin said last fall that we "should never apologize for our country." George H.W. Bush said, as President, that "I’ll never apologize for the United States. Ever. I don’t care what the facts are."

These shallow and ignorant statements are an affront to any sense of justice, morality, and civic virtue. If, as Romney suggests, America has "made some mistakes," it might just follow that, depending on their severity and damage, we should apologize and/or make reparations. To see where this might apply, and in stark contrast to the superficiality of Romney and his like-minded cohorts, let’s dig a bit deeper and consider a few examples, in no particular order:

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