The people of the United States felt it was their mission to extend the "boundaries of freedom" to others by imparting their idealism and belief in democratic institutions to those who were capable of self-government. It excluded those people who were perceived as being incapable of self-government, such as Native American people and those of non-European origin.

But there were other forces and political agendas at work as well. As the population of the original 13 Colonies grew and the U.S. economy developed, the desire and attempts to expand into new land increased. For many colonists, land represented potential income, wealth, self-sufficiency and freedom. Expansion into the western frontiers offered opportunities for self-advancement.

PBS

I know, Tom, PBS is a left-wing tool, and I know, Larry, I have no right to comment about anything the US does...

But Bush's inauguration speech just echoed too much of Manifest Destiny... I couldn't help myself.

It's the "other forces and political agendas" that underly his speech that concern me. A real move towards a more peacful, more equitable world will require true international cooperation - it will never come about unilaterally.