The American Dream
On April 4, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered a speech at Riverside Church in New York City in which he termed America “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.” He was assassinated one year later, to the day, in Memphis, Tennessee. With or without the words of Dr. King – or the knowledge of his sacrifice – America is known the world over as an imperialistic force of greed and destruction. This is undeniable. And yet we seek to cover our failings with the rhetoric of “Democracy” and humanitarian aid which represents mere fractions of the dollars we spend on weapons of mass destruction. It would seem that American foreign policy is one of deception and violence. Whatever good we do is quickly undone by blatant atrocities.
Our children’s children cannot afford the consequences of our actions. And sadly, an answer or an alternative course of action is not easy to see. In fact, no course of action has been charted. There is no clear solution. Those who suggest “Change” are labeled untrustworthy, untested, and unfit to lead. This leads us to the painful fact that our votes will be courted this November by promises to bring troops home – and simultaneously protect America. The coming election, having been reduced to nonsensical debates (between elites only) over whether or not to bring troops home and how to “fix” the American economy, cannot yield something new. This talk – and these actions – cannot bring about change. We will reap what we have sown.
Nationalism which hides its violence behind tax dollars is devastatingly expensive. The costs are not merely monetary. The numbers, sadly enough, can never account for lives – future losses – and complete dedication to the defeat of all that America stands for. And even though it would be convenient to claim ignorance, each of us is keenly aware of the facts. And yet we choose to live in a cloud of denial: The cozy haze of consumption. The American Dream.
The alarm bells are ringing. Somewhere over the course of our history, Democracy was replaced by Capitalism. Under no circumstances, whatsoever, could any thinking American call our nation a Democracy. The same holds true for the Republic that once operated in Washington. The Federal Government no longer serves consumers in a capitalist system. It consumes them.