George Washington's Farewell Address - Essay Example

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization which was formed by Western Democracies in the wake of the Cold War continues to function and expand even today, despite the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Furthermore, an often repeated tenet of the Bush Doctrine is “You are either with us or against us” in the aftermath of the September 11 terror strikes. These posturings and proclamations are quite the opposite of what Washington wanted his country to stand for. Similarly, Washington's emphasis on the role of religious faith in the realm of politics has been hijacked by the extreme right-wing and has resulted in greater polarization within American society. There is no hint in the farewell address that fundamental Christianity in the form of evangelical and televangelical propaganda is what he was hoping for.

Washington intended that his successors to the Presidency and other public offices would peruse religion for moral guidance during times of distress. But nowhere in the address does he refer explicitly to Christianity, an extreme variant of which has now become an integral part of the American right-wing politics. This situation would have deeply bothered Washington, for in the same address he states the importance of maintaining the integrity of the Constitution, which clearly divorces the Church from the affairs of the State.