Dear Uncle Sam,

It seems like just yesterday you rid yourself of the British and began your journey with only thirteen states. Now look at you. Two hundred and fifty years may have passed in the blink of an eye, but your legacy has become one of envy and fascination compared to history’s mightiest empires.

One distinction you appear to hold dear is that you consider yourself the “righteous” empire. One that looks after its citizens and one that is a self-proclaimed merciful and kind empire.

“In God we trust,” you say. Perhaps God will decide the fate of an empire that built itself upon four hundred years of slavery and nearly a century of global dominance. Yet, regardless of the chatter, you are undeniably powerful. And yes, in my eyes, Donald Trump has made you greater.

From afar, to mere mortals like us, the shining city on the hill still appears dazzling. You have decisively outlasted those who have challenged you. Not Joseph Stalin, not Mao Zedong, not even the Ayatollahs could foresee your demise. While fireworks cover your soaring skies, the last remains of “evil”, the Ayatollah’s corpse, are being paraded through the crumbling streets of Tehran.

Even Ancient Athens trembled when it heard that Hannibal was marching with his army. But you, dear benevolent empire, never flinched at the rise of fascism, communism, or what you call radical Islamic terrorism.

Much respect.

When assessing your triumph, one cannot help but wonder how you have become so dominant.

An obvious answer might be your ideals. Freedom of speech is a perfect example. From the Senate floor to thousands of television shows, it is astonishing to see how effectively you have encouraged your citizens to speak openly.

You are brash, unapologetic, and loud. You speak from the heart, no matter how strange, inaccurate, or controversial the words might be.

Meanwhile, Europe still struggles to escape the shadows of its feudal past, and much of the Global South remains bound by rigid traditions, religious dogmatism, and cultural dogmatism. Yet you, as Friedrich Nietzsche put it, have managed to “kill God (the self-imposed dogmatic beliefs)” when, in 1776, you fought King George III and seized your independence from the oldest monarchy in Europe.

However, your legacy was never built without contradiction.

Slavery stands as one such example, and the war you fought over it, the American Civil War, stands as another. But you did fight, and you did overcome it. No success story exists without its turmoil.

You remind us of a moment in history when modernity was being forged and much of the Western world began redefining itself.

In the speeches of President Donald Trump and his supporters, you are often portrayed as the last bastion of Western civilisation, the final defender of Christendom.

Therein lies one of your heaviest contradictions.

Many liberals within your society attempt to deny or distance themselves from your “whiteness”. Perhaps they fear its bloodiest chapters and try to cleanse themselves of it through progressive ideals. The reality remains that many still believe Western values survive primarily, and maybe only, through you.

Your neighbours in Canada and across Europe may hesitate to proclaim such origins openly. You, however, seem increasingly comfortable embracing your “whiteness”.

“In God we trust,” you say again. Not just any god, but increasingly, for many, a distinctly Christian one.

This raises a troubling question for the rest of us mere mortals. With all your power and legacy, must you behave so harshly?

Perhaps you would call this a naive question. But from afar, it often appears that America, with the most powerful military in history, still fears an invisible enemy.

Why must everyone resemble you? Why must everyone be white or Christian? Why cannot others remain different?

After World War II, it appeared that Washington, D.C., was no longer content with merely being a shining city upon a distant hill.

Like Ancient Rome in its imperial age, America expanded its reach across the globe.

Rome exported not only its armies but also its language, culture, and influence. America has done something much more superior.

Rome did not reach its 250th, 500th, or 1000th anniversary as a unified empire. Some historians argue that Rome endured for four centuries, but the later Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire were neither entirely Roman nor truly holy.

So are you truly at your strongest now? Has the American empire reached its peak? And is there any higher pedestal left to reach?

If those questions feel pessimistic, perhaps the answer is that America has already reached its peak, and the only direction left is downward.

Perhaps President Donald Trump, one of your most polarising leaders, resembles Nero in disguise.

Nero loved Rome, but he loved himself more. And that love ultimately burned Rome to the ground. Trump, to be fair, claims he loves you deeply, but does he love himself less?

Your ageing rivals still see you as the shining city on the hill. But too many lights can blind even the divine.

Your actions in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and now Iran have weakened you, no doubt. As you attempt to reassert influence with little tangible gain, the image of America as an empire increasingly keeps taking a hit.

Reputation may not concern a fast-paced power such as yourself, but the damage caused by such indifference cannot be denied.

The barbarians breached the gates of Rome more than once, and each time its citizens fought back out of love for their motherland.

Eventually, even loyal citizens began to revolt. When Rome failed to integrate those it called outsiders, the empire slowly faded.

My dear America, the present for you appears to be challenging. Outsiders (non-whites) have already begun marching within your borders. The protests for Palestinians on university campuses, the demonstrations in your streets demanding equality, and the presence of figures like Ilhan Omar in your Congress are signs of this transformation.

Perhaps, Uncle Sam, the time has come to show a bit more of your humane persona.

Kindness is not weakness. Character is built upon it. If the empire wishes to endure another 250 years, it should change. In what direction, that I am unable to convey.

The truth is that you are no longer the shining city upon the hill, nor the underdog, nor the world’s saviour.

It saddens me to see that after exporting democracy, freedom, and your rap music to the world so successfully over the years, you are now slowly poisoning it.