文｜中华时报社长 曾晓辉  

2026年7月4日

历史从来是最公正的审判官，盛世典礼照见治世初心，隆重纪念折射国家底色。二百五十年前，《美国独立宣言》字字铮铮，以自由平等为旗、以制衡公义为纲，终结王权专断，开启近代立国范式。时至今日，美国迎来建国二百五十周年历史节点，这场举世瞩目的国家盛典，本该凝聚全民共识、抚平社会分歧、传承立国精神，却彻底沦为政客个人造势的独角戏。法国《世界报》社论一针见血：这一庄严的公共国家纪念，已然蜕变为特朗普的个人庆典，赤裸裸暴露了当下美国社会难以弥合的深层撕裂、制度悖论，更与海外战火、跨国丧礼形成极具讽刺的全球对照。

美国总统川普3日在南达科他州拉什摩尔山出席美国建国250周年庆祝活动。（路透社）

英国史学家阿克顿有句亘古警言：「权力趋于腐化，绝对的权力带来绝对的腐化。」美国开国元勋华盛顿亦在告别演说中谆谆告诫国民：「党派私欲是共和体制最大的隐患，执政者一旦挟公权谋私利，必将破坏国家团结、动摇立国根基。」百年箴言，照见今日美国内政与外交的双重困局。为掌控历史话语权、塑造个人执政光环，特朗普于2025年私自组建独立的二百五十周年庆典筹备委员会，与2016年两党共组的官方权威机构分庭抗礼，执意筛选、「净化」美国历史叙事，只颂功绩、回避缺憾。

真正的大国胸怀，从非执着于粉饰太平、美化历史。哲人曾言：「一个民族的伟大，不在于拥有辉煌的过往，而在于拥有直面缺憾、自我革新的勇气。」刻意割裂公共记忆、篡改全民历史，将国家记忆沦为个人政治工具，不仅无法凝聚民心，更会持续放大社会对立，让美国建国以来积淀的包容、制衡、共治精神逐渐消解。

纵观整场周年庆典，私域绑定公器、私欲取代公义的悖象随处可见。特朗普将个人八十岁寿辰与国家纪念活动强行捆绑，在白宫南草坪搭建专业格斗赛场，举办由其亲信把控、牟利丰厚的商业综合格斗赛事，让国家公共场域沦为个人商业与政治造势的舞台；即便深陷对伊朗军事打击的国际舆论困境，他仍执意于7月4日独立日发表长篇个人演讲，执意借立国盛典吹嘘「让美国再次伟大」的执政标榜。美国思想家爱默生曾说：「国家的尊严，藏在万民的公意之中，而非一人的荣耀之上。」当国家盛典不再属于全体国民，而是服务于政客的个人野心与政治选情，《独立宣言》所倡导的公义、平等、全民共治，便沦为空洞的口号与伪饰的标签。

这份虚伪的执政标榜，在大洋彼岸的中东土地上来最锋利的戳破。回溯2024年总统竞选期间，特朗普多次向选民郑重承诺，若入主白宫将拒绝发动海外战争、避免美国卷入无休止的域外冲突，自诩为「阻止战争的领导人」。可仅仅上任数月，他便在2月28日联合以色列发动跨境军事袭击，造成伊朗最高领袖哈梅内伊遇刺身亡，耗资近290亿美元的军事行动彻底撕碎竞选诺言，事后他甚至公开改口，否认曾作出不开战的承诺，前后矛盾的言行让美国民众与国际社会大失所望。

讽刺至极的是，当华盛顿铺张铺陈二百五十周年独立欢庆、出动曾参与空袭伊朗的战机飞越白宫上空炫耀武力之时，伊朗同步启动为期整整一周、横跨两国五城的跨国国葬，与美国喜庆盛典形成悲喜对峙的强烈反差。按照伊朗官方公布的完整日程，悼念活动自7月4日正式启幕，灵柩先后途经伊朗德黑兰、库姆、马什哈德三座核心圣城，随后跨境抵达伊拉克纳杰夫、卡尔巴拉两座全球什叶派精神圣地，全程连绵七日，官方预计将有数百万乃至上千万民众自发走上街头参与送葬，三十余国政要、近百国宗教代表专程赴伊吊唁，规模为近代罕见。

梅内伊的遗体告别仪式在德黑兰大清真寺举行，各界人士和外国政要出席。（路透社）

这场横跨两国的盛大丧礼从非单纯的宗教悼念，更是德黑兰政权面向全球释放的清晰外交信息：纵使遭遇美国联合以色列的致命军事打击，伊朗政权依旧稳固存续，全国民众将永远铭记遇刺领袖为国家韧性与抵抗精神的永恒象征，向所有敌人昭示不屈的底线与团结的力量。一边是美国借立国纪念大肆宣扬军事霸权、吹嘘单边武力行动；一边是数百万民众以肃穆国葬回应域外军事暗杀，同一天、两种截然不同的国家仪式，道尽特朗普外交失信、单边动武酿下的地区裂痕，也让其「和平执政」的口号显得苍白可笑。

舆论界将特朗普喻为政坛「破坏球」，恰是对其执政风格最精准的定义。自2015年涉足政坛以来，其施政向来横冲直撞、颠覆规则，不断冲击美国百年构建的政治制衡体系、社会秩序与国际信誉。皮尤研究中心权威调查数据佐证现实：近年来美国全球形象持续崩塌，国际社会不再将其视为自由民主的灯塔，更不再认可其所谓的世界秩序维护者身份。极具讽刺的是，今日特朗普高调颂扬《独立宣言》反对王权独裁、抵制权力滥用的精神，美国最高法院却在此刻不断扩张总统行政特权，突破宪法设定的行政、立法、司法三权制衡底线；与此同时，执政集团借权敛财、积聚巨额私富的黑幕接连曝光，对权力与财富无止境的贪欲，早已背离开国先贤建国立业的初心，足以让华盛顿、杰斐逊等元勋为之愕然。

公共治理的荒谬，更在细节中展露无遗。面对席卷全球的气候变化危机，全球各国皆积极应对、共谋减排，唯特朗普政府消极抵赖，持续打压气候科研、封锁公共讨论，无视全人类与本国民众的生存权益。今年7月4日，美国首都华盛顿遭遇极端高温酷暑，炽热的天气直观戳破其否认气候变化的荒谬谎言。与此同时，特朗普执意借立国纪念之名大兴土木、打造政绩工程，耗巨资改造首都核心区：超预算兴建白宫超级宴会厅、投入1310万美元翻新的林肯纪念堂倒影池刚竣工便出现设施损毁、藻类泛滥等质量问题，更执意推进美式凯旋门、二百五十座雕像英雄花园等争议地标项目。诸多耗资庞大的公共工程深陷资金争议、司法诉讼与舆论质疑，所谓的国家建设，终究只是政客想要青史留名的个人算计。

最为深刻的矛盾，在于其施政理念与《独立宣言》立国精神的彻底背离，构成历史性的黑色反讽。二百五十年前，北美先贤奋起反抗，痛斥英王剥削移民、垄断贸易、无税妄征的独裁行径，以平等自由为立国根本；而今，特朗普政府的诸多政策，尽数颠覆立国初心。其推出的限制落地公民权行政令，被美国最高法院以5:4裁定违宪，违背「人人生而平等」的核心信条；其以极端保守的移民政策为政治基石，动用军事化执法力量大规模驱逐移民，与当年反抗排外专制的立国精神背道而驰；其强推的单边关税壁垒、贸易保护政策，随意割裂全球经贸往来、肆意加征税费，最终同样被司法体系判定违宪。昔日先贤反抗的专制弊端，竟成为今日美国执政者的施政常态，历史的讽刺，莫过于此。

私权独大、公器失位的后果，便是社会彻底撕裂、民心逐渐离散。当党派私利凌驾国家公义，当个人野心取代全民福祉，美国社会的两极对立日趋激烈，年轻一代的国家认同感与归属感持续崩塌。皮尤民调显示，美国青年普遍对国家未来持悲观态度，预测未来政治对立只会愈发严重、社会环境愈发动荡；福克斯新闻民调更直指核心，三十岁以下年轻选民中，高达三成民众直言不愿留居本国，对这场包装宏大、本质私化的国家盛典彻底冷漠、毫无认同。一代人的集体失望，正是一个国家精神撕裂、初心失守的最真实写照。

爱默生曾感慨：「一个国家的伟大，不在宏伟的建筑与盛大的典礼，而在于万民同心、公道昭彰。」立国二百五十周年，是回望初心、弥合分歧、团结民心的历史契机，而非政客个人造神、捞取政治资本的舞台。当国家纪念脱离公共属性、公共资源沦为私人工具、立国精神被肆意曲解践踏，竞选承诺轻易撕毁、单边战火撕裂地区和平，再盛大的典礼、再华丽的工程，都无法掩盖制度的裂痕、社会的对立、民心的离散与全球层面的道义亏损。

岁月流转，初心为重；立国之本，在公不在私。二百五十年沧桑变迁，《独立宣言》的平等、制衡、共治精神，从不是用来标榜门面的政治标语，而是支撑国家长治久安的根本基石。今日华盛顿的炙热高温，恰似美国社会积聚已久的对立躁动；同步于世的跨国国葬，则照见单边霸权带来的深远对抗。若美国执政者始终执迷于个人政治算计，漠视历史、违背初心、背弃竞选诺言、撕裂民心、滥用武力，执意将国家公器沦为私权玩物，那么所谓的「美国伟大」，终将只是一场虚幻短暂的政治幻梦。

Private Power Overriding Public Good, Grand Ceremony Tearing National Soul

By Zeng Xiaohui, President of China Times

July 4, 2026

History is the fairest judge. Grand national ceremonies reflect the original aspiration of governance, and solemn commemorations reveal the fundamental essence of a nation. Two hundred and fifty years ago, the United States Declaration of Independence was written with resolute convictions, upholding freedom and equality, advocating checks and balances and justice, ending monarchical autocracy, and pioneering a modern model of nation-building. Today, as the United States marks its 250th founding anniversary, this globally anticipated national ceremony should have united public consensus, healed social divisions, and inherited the founding spirit. Instead, it has completely degenerated into a one-man political show staged by politicians. As pointed out in a stern editorial by France’s Le Monde, this solemn public national commemoration has turned into a personal celebration for Donald Trump, laying bare the irreconcilable deep-seated rifts and institutional paradoxes in contemporary American society, alongside a stark ironic global contrast with overseas warfare and cross-border state funerals.

British historian Lord Acton left an eternal warning: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." George Washington, the founding father of the United States, also cautioned his nation in his Farewell Address: "Factional selfishness is the greatest hidden danger to the republican system. Once rulers wield public power for private gain, they will destroy national unity and shake the foundation of the country." Centennial maxims perfectly mirror America’s dual predicament in domestic governance and foreign affairs today. To dominate historical discourse and polish his personal governing aura, Trump privately established an independent 250th Anniversary Celebration Preparatory Committee in 2025, rivaling the official authoritative bipartisan committee founded in 2016. He insists on screening and purifying American historical narratives, glorifying only achievements while ignoring national flaws.

The mind of a great nation never lies in whitewashing peace and beautifying history. As a philosopher once said: "The greatness of a nation lies not in its glorious past, but in its courage to face deficiencies and pursue self-renewal." Deliberately splitting public memory, distorting national history, and reducing collective memory to a tool for personal politics can never unite the people. On the contrary, it continuously amplifies social confrontation and erodes the inclusive, balanced and co-governance spirit accumulated throughout America’s founding history.

Throughout the anniversary celebrations, paradoxes of private interests overriding public welfare can be seen everywhere. Trump tied his 80th birthday closely to national commemorative events, building a professional arena on the South Lawn of the White House to host profitable commercial MMA competitions controlled by his close associates, turning national public spaces into a stage for personal commercial and political promotion. Even trapped in international public opinion dilemmas caused by military strikes on Iran, he insisted on delivering a lengthy personal speech on Independence Day, boasting his political slogan of "Make America Great Again" against the backdrop of the national founding ceremony. American thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson stated: "The dignity of a nation resides in the public will of all people, not the glory of one individual." When a national celebration no longer belongs to all citizens but serves a politician’s personal ambition and electoral interests, the justice, equality and universal governance advocated by the Declaration of Independence are reduced to empty slogans and false labels.

This hollow governing rhetoric is sharply debunked in the Middle East across the ocean. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly pledged to voters that if he took office, he would refuse to launch overseas wars and spare the United States from endless foreign conflicts, styling himself a "leader who stops wars". Yet mere months after assuming power, he launched a cross-border military raid alongside Israel on February 28, resulting in the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The military operation costing nearly 29 billion US dollars completely shattered his campaign promises. Afterwards, he even publicly retracted his words, denying he had ever vowed to avoid war. This blatant contradiction disappointed the American public and the international community alike.

The irony reaches its peak: while Washington stages lavish 250th Independence Day festivities, dispatching warplanes that participated in the Iran airstrikes to fly over the White House to flaunt military might, Iran simultaneously launches a week-long cross-border state funeral spanning two countries and five cities, forming a stark emotional counterpoint of joy and mourning with America’s celebratory gala. According to Iran’s official full schedule, mourning activities officially kick off on July 4. The leader’s bier will travel through three core holy cities in Iran: Tehran, Qom and Mashhad, before crossing the border to reach Najaf and Karbala, the two global spiritual shrines of Shia Islam in Iraq. The seven-day procession is expected to draw millions upon millions of spontaneous mourners to the streets; more than thirty countries have sent senior officials, and religious representatives from nearly one hundred nations have traveled to Iran to pay their respects, on a scale rarely seen in modern history.

This grand cross-border funeral is far more than a religious tribute; it delivers a clear diplomatic message from Tehran to the entire world: despite a fatal military strike jointly carried out by the United States and Israel, Iran’s regime remains firmly intact. Its people will forever remember the slain leader as an eternal symbol of national resilience and resistance, sending a signal of unyielding unity to all adversaries. On one side, the United States leverages its founding commemoration to aggressively showcase military hegemony and boast about unilateral armed operations; on the other, millions of mourners respond to the cross-border political assassination with a solemn state funeral. Two entirely distinct national ceremonies unfold on the same day, laying bare the regional rifts sown by Trump’s broken foreign policy pledges and unilateral military adventurism, rendering his slogan of "peaceful governance" utterly hollow.

Public opinion aptly describes Trump as a political "wrecking ball", a precise definition of his governing style. Since entering politics in 2015, his policies have been reckless and rule-breaking, constantly impacting America’s century-old political checks-and-balances system, social order and international reputation. Authoritative surveys by the Pew Research Center confirm the reality: America’s global image has continued to collapse in recent years. The international community no longer regards it as a beacon of liberal democracy, nor recognizes its self-proclaimed identity as a guardian of world order. Ironically, while Trump highly praises the Declaration of Independence’s spirit of opposing monarchical dictatorship and power abuse, the U.S. Supreme Court has continuously expanded presidential administrative privileges, breaking the constitutional bottom line of checks and balances among the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Meanwhile, scandals of the ruling group amassing huge private wealth through power have been exposed one after another. Their insatiable greed for power and wealth has deviated completely from the original aspirations of the founding fathers, astonishing visionaries such as Washington and Jefferson.

The absurdity of public governance is fully revealed in trivial details. Faced with the global climate change crisis, countries worldwide are actively responding and cooperating in emission reduction efforts. In contrast, the Trump administration denies climate change passively, continuously suppressing climate research and blocking public discussions, ignoring the survival rights of humanity and its own people. On July 4 this year, Washington D.C. suffered from extreme high temperatures, vividly exposing the absurd lies of its climate denial policies. At the same time, Trump insists on launching large-scale construction projects for political achievements in the name of national commemoration. He has promoted massive renovations of core capital areas, including an over-budget super banquet hall in the White House. The $13.1 million renovated Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial suffered facility damage and algae outbreaks shortly after completion. He also pushes forward controversial landmarks such as an American-style Arc de Triomphe and a national hero garden with 250 statues. These costly public projects are mired in funding disputes, judicial lawsuits and public doubts. The so-called national construction is ultimately nothing but a politician’s personal calculation for eternal fame.

The most profound contradiction lies in the complete deviation of his governing philosophy from the founding spirit of the Declaration of Independence, forming a historic dark irony. Two hundred and fifty years ago, North American pioneers rose up to resist, denouncing the British monarchy for exploiting immigrants, monopolizing trade and imposing arbitrary taxes, establishing equality and freedom as the foundation of the nation. Today, however, most policies of the Trump administration subvert the founding aspirations entirely. His executive order restricting birthright citizenship was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 vote, violating the core tenet that "all men are created equal". Taking extreme conservative immigration policies as his political cornerstone, he deploys militarized law enforcement forces to expel immigrants on a large scale, running counter to the anti-autocratic and inclusive founding spirit. His unilateral tariff barriers and trade protection policies arbitrarily sever global economic and trade connections and impose reckless taxes, and were finally judged unconstitutional by the judicial system. The autocratic drawbacks resisted by ancient pioneers have become the normal governance practices of today’s American rulers — no irony is more profound than this.

The dominance of private power and the loss of public welfare have led to thorough social division and declining public support. When partisan selfishness overrides national justice and personal ambition replaces public well-being, political polarization in America has intensified day by day, and young people’s national identity and sense of belonging have collapsed continuously. Pew polls show that American youth are generally pessimistic about the country’s future, predicting increasingly severe political confrontation and social unrest. Fox News polls further point out the core problem: up to 30% of voters under 30 explicitly refuse to stay in the United States, remaining completely indifferent and unrecognized toward this grand yet privately controlled national celebration. The collective disappointment of a generation is the truest portrayal of a nation’s spiritual division and lost founding aspiration.

Emerson once remarked: "The greatness of a nation consists not in stately buildings and splendid ceremonies, but in the unity of its people and the prevalence of justice." The 250th founding anniversary is a historical opportunity to revisit original aspirations, bridge divisions and unite the people, rather than a stage for politicians to deify themselves and accumulate political capital. When national commemoration loses its public attributes, public resources are reduced to private tools, the founding spirit is arbitrarily misinterpreted and trampled upon, campaign promises are casually broken, and unilateral wars tear regional peace apart, no grand ceremonies or magnificent projects can cover up institutional rifts, social confrontation, public alienation and moral deficits on the global stage.

Time changes, yet original aspirations endure; the foundation of nation-building lies in public justice rather than private interests. After 250 years of vicissitudes, the spirit of equality, checks and balances and co-governance in the Declaration of Independence has never been a political slogan for superficial display, but the fundamental cornerstone of long-term national stability and prosperity. The extreme heat sweeping Washington today symbolizes the accumulated confrontation and restlessness of American society; the concurrent cross-border state funeral halfway across the globe lays bare the profound antagonism spawned by unilateral hegemony. If American rulers remain obsessed with personal political calculations, ignore history, betray founding ideals, renege on campaign pledges, split public opinion and abuse military force, insisting on turning national public power into a plaything of private interests, the so-called "Greatness of America" will ultimately be nothing but a fleeting and illusory political dream.

“China Times” is committed to providing comprehensive and diverse news coverage, aiming to offer multi-perspective commentary and analysis. The articles published in this newspaper are solely the personal views of the authors and do not represent the stance of the newspaper.