<p>Yep, it's another "Grade My Essay" thread. :p</p>
<p>Taken from the Blue Book, practice test 5.</p>
<p><strong><em>Can success be disastrous?</em></strong></p>
<pre><code>Many people in todays goal driven society set out a vague life objective- to be successful However, most do not consider the consequences of the life they believe that they desire. Although it sounds good on paper, success, in practice, can bring just as many problems as a lack of success. This can be seen in the naivety of Cuban revolutionaries in the early 1900s, the American acquisition of the Philippines, and the rise of the nuclear bomb.
In the late 1800s, the United States of America began to look to the rest of the world for land to add to its territory, bound by its continental boundaries. This philosophy, known as imperialism, led them to look to the seas at vulnerable island nations to take over. The result was the Spanish-American War, a conflict marked by its brevity, lack of casualties, and American success. According to American John Hay, it was a splendid little war.
Yet this was not the true story. The American success led to a slew of new problems. The largest of these was the Philippines, an archipelago which had been under Spanish rule for 3 centuries before the Americans liberated them. The acquisition of the Philippines divided America- should it be annexed, and its citizens be assimilated into the United States? Or should it become its own independent nation? Much to the dismay of the Filipinos, and the Americans, the Philippines were annexed. This led to riots in the Philippines, loss of American lives, and disunion in both nations. Emilio Aguinaldo, a Filipino leader who fought with the Americans against the Spanish opposition, now fought against them, calling them tyrants. Overall, the success of the Spanish American War led to economic loss, political disunion, and a bad international reputation for America.
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<p>Another nation during this time period learned the consequences of success- Cuba. Cuban Revolutionaries who opposed the tyrannical rule of the Spanish burned Cuban plantations in a bid to attract American attention. America responded; the Cubans call was an impetus for the Spanish-American War and their armies helped ensure its success. However, Cubans soon learned that American rule was not any better than Spanish rule. Under the Platt Amendment, Cubans were subject to American military presence looming in their lives, as well as the American right to interfere in their domestic affairs. These bad relations have stayed constant to this very day; events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis of the 1960s have kept it alive.</p>
<p>Perhaps the gravest example is nuclear warfare. When the United States unveiled the technology in the early 1940s, through the devastating bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it ensured an end to World War II and was a catalyst for the pride and indulgence of postwar Americans. However, the long-term effects have been tragic. Nuclear nations- the USA, Russia, North Korea- provide a looming threat to the destruction of our way of life through nuclear war. Nuclear reactor meltdowns, such as Chernobyl and ***ushima, provide their own dangers.</p>
<p>In short, success can, indeed, be disastrous. It is childish and naïve to think that large-scale success cannot have harmful long-term effects, and history has proven this many times over.</p>
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<p>I already gave it my own grade and had someone else look it over, but would love the opinion of someone more experienced with them. :)</p>