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But Russia sold ou t her California
colony Lo John Suuer in 184 1 for
$30.000. This was only 7 yca rs be–
fore gold was discovercd on Sutter's
property!
In 1867, only two years after the
Civil War, Russia sold Alaska to th e
Un ited States for only $7,200,000, a
little less than two cents per acre!
Tru ly, no nation in thc long his–
tory of the world has ever been so
blessed as this great land. Yet a ll too
many Arnericans neither feel nor
express much gratitude to the Great
One who shapes the destinies of all
na ti ons a nd who has given us mani–
fo ld blessings.
ls America Too Privileged?
This national ingra titude is sorne–
times obvious to others. The late
prime minis ter of Japan, Kakuei
Tanaka, seemed to sense that Amer–
icans today too often take their
blessings for granted when he said
in late 1973:
" l
often wonde r why
you [Americans] worry so much
about domestic problcms when you
have such an abundance of re–
sources. For example, look at
Amer-
The
PLAIN TRUTH July 1976
ican agricultura/ productiviry.
1
t's
easy for the U.S. to expand its out–
put whenever it chooses. We can't
do that in Japan .... When
1
com–
pare the situ a ti on here in Japan
with the situation in your country,
l
think that as a nation
you are roo
privileged."
He then added: "Yes, lthink God
has not been ve1y Jair in the distribu–
tion ofresources ... ofa/lthe
3.
7
bit–
/ion people [now over 4 bil/ionl on
rhis earth, Americans have rhe mos1
stable economy,
they have an
abun–
dance of resources
avai lablc within
their own coun try, and they have
mo re
investments abroad
than any
other country."
lf one considers the fertility of o ur
oil. the abundance of our natural
re ources and the temperate climate
with which we have been favored by
Heaven, then, without doubt. we
havc bcen blessed above a ll ot her
natio ns. lf one takes into account
ou r unparalle led s tandard of li ving,
th en he will have to acknowledge
that we have been great ly blessed. lf
one looks at the precious rights and
frcedoms guaranteed by our Consti-
TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION:
Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Ear–
hart glamorize aviation; America's
"arsenal of democracy" preserves
freedom in World War 11; Americans
plant the first human footsteps on the
moon, Apollo XI, July 1969.
Phoros Culver P1ctures. lnc. (lnset, Reproduced
by
per·
mJSSIOn o/ Huntmglon Library, San Marmo, Ca - D1ck
Whltllngton CollectJOn). Wlde World, NASA
tution a nd government, then he will
have to conclude that we have bcen
highly favored.
Will we give thanks to the Great
Being who gave us all of these bless–
ings, or will wc say: "My power and
the might of mine hand hat h gotten
me this wea lth"? Are our people
willing to ascribe these manifold
blessings to our Crea tor?
America needs to be mindful of
the true
source
of all of her many
unpreccdented blessings: "But thou
shalt remember the Lord thy God:
for it is he rhar giveth thee power
ro ge1 wea/rh
... "
(Deu
t.
8: 18).
How was America won? lt was
won by the American people. not by
their wisdom and might, but on ly
because the great God willed it!
O
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