The notion that Americans are entitled to over-consume world energy supplies is merely a novel twist on the 19th century ideal of Manifest Destiny. While 19th century political, economic, and military might was brought to bear on America’s territorial expansion, in its new form this ideal is expressed by exporting American culture and ideals to less developed countries in exchange for their natural resources. In essence, Manifest Destiny has become the neo-imperialism of the 21st century.

Our actions should be tempered by an awareness of their genocidal consequences. In the Ecuadorian Amazon, tribal leaders trade vast stretches of oil rich land for nothing more than a school house and a soccer ball. In the wake of their cruelly exploited ignorance, massive infrastructure is installed to extract the black gold trapped beneath their sacred grounds.

Once indigenous leaders realize what they have done, they resist. Now, at the behest of the oil and gas companies, the Ecuadorian military has taken the role of private security force to prevent sabotage and other forms of resistance.

American exceptionalism is rationalized in so many ways. After all, we are exporting democracy to the world. We live in an age where cheap and revolutionary goods and services are more available than ever before. Surely everybody wants to be like us.

And perhaps that is a major part of the problem. So many people actually do want to be like us. But in large part this is because people believe that the American model is their path achieving their wildest dreams.

And what are the wildest dreams of the vast majority of the world’s population? Though most people’s initial reaction might be: “To make money hand over fist”, deep down in their gut, they know it is simply to live a decent and healthy life. Where is the decency in genocide?