An essay on the American contribution and the democratic idea

The essay argues that American character is fundamentally idealistic and traces the tension between professed democratic ideals and episodes of expansionist policy, evaluating past foreign interventions and the Cuban case as marking an ethical transition. It examines post-war economic and social shifts that accelerated governmental intervention in industry, including national control, collective purchasing, and regulation of wages and trade. It assesses proposals for democratic control of industry and property, weighs objections about bureaucratic power, and concludes that international cooperation and prioritizing need over price are likely to reshape trade, tariffs, and social organization during reconstruction.