Fading Frontier

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

"There is no such thing as American history, only a frontier" - Don Draper

As I am an American, most of my reflections both immediately preceding and after Russia's invasion of Ukraine have been provincial in character. I have been fixated on the response of the American response to the invasion, the response of the American people, how this invasion could reshape how we perceive our country and its place in the world. Here, I will argue that, in the minds of Americans, this invasion could represent a culmination of decades of humiliation, both abroad and at home.

Young Americans no longer believe in American exceptionalism, that foundational myth that sustained imperial adventure abroad, nor do they speak the language of the American civic religion with its reverent references of heroes of old. Americans have felt ashamed, disgusted, and, at times, have even hated their country over the past few years. This follows decades of pessimism, a sense that the future will only bring a decline in living standards and opportunities. Stated different, Americans no longer believe in "the frontier" and the myths sustaining that frontier.

What do I mean by this? I am referring to the classic "frontier thesis" of American history, which has about as much merit as the Unabomber's manifesto in terms of its analysis of history, but that is critical in understanding how Americans have perceived themselves and their past. According to this thesis, America's exceptional qualities stemmed from its frontier expansion - pioneers settled in hostile nature, establishing communities in a raw environment. This made them more egalitarian, forced democratic experiment. Frederick Jackson Turner also argued that this resulted in a more violent society, one that was less cultured, but this is not of primary interest to this essay. The point here is to say that, in many ways, American esteem and sense of self has been structured around a view of America as a country searching for a frontier, whether that be in new lands to settle, new technological innovations or ways of life or new projects. On the other hand, American esteem has never been grounded in respect for traditions, history or cherished cultural traditions. Insofar as Americans have cared about these things, it has usually been as a totem of the frontier.

Americans no longer believe in the frontier. They no longer believe in progress or a better future for their families, though they may, at times, believe in their own personal prospects, they lack this vision for their country. Insofar as Americans see the frontier, they see it in the acts of charismatic individuals or particular industries but this seems to be totally decoupled from national identity. As an example, when someone defends "crypto" or "Tesla" or states their preference for Apple products, this is rarely taken to relate to the United States, there is no sense of "buy American" or American identity. The frontier is dead and, with it, our esteem and sense of purpose is dead.

Clearly, in a time of war, a time of global crisis, a time when the American government is about as distrusted as it ever has been, this poses dangers, not only to the US but, perhaps, to the world. If Americans have lost their sense of self, their frontier, they might seek to compensate for this in disastrous national experiments (see: the election of Donald Trump in 2016) or, even worse, in a kind of "post-imperial" daze, may lash out at rivals. For better or for worse, there is little that I recognize in the America I live in with the words spoken by my elders when I was a child - the confidence and sense of national purpose that animated them is largely dead.