Dear Editor,
Orwell’s “1984” defined “doublethink”: “To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just as long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality”.
Americans are afraid of the toxic, intolerant labels being hung, like a red letter, around their necks. Its “1984”: no one says what they really think anymore if it opposes “popular” views. Down comes the Confederate flag for its history forgetting what has been done under America’s flag. We’ve become the politically correct, neutered, sissy society of Orwell’s nightmares.
We’re a “democracy”, but the policies of our rulers never change. Each generation the “consumer’s” disgraceful ignorance grows worse, but that’s ok because the illusion continues. America rejects moral and physical reality favoring its current ideological agenda with “principles” like the end justifies the means. Notions of right and wrong are dismissed as “cultural”. Objective reality is changed for political convenience.
In the Empire only appearances matter: the perfect symbol for America is Michael Jackson: the artificial creation of surgery and marketing, neither White nor Black, neither young, nor old, simultaneously asexual and pedophile. Jackson’s political equivalent would be Obama who has all the qualities of a car salesman: a charming, world-class liar. Bush, Clinton and Reagan were the same. These men sold crimes like the invasion of Grenada/Panama as a great triumph, bombing Serbia as a human rights success, bringing Iraq democracy, or destroying Libya/Syria/Ukraine: immorality and delusion travel together.
Government’s quiet crime is who it operates for: who gets the bacon and who pays the tab. Congress repealed part of the Dodd-Frank Act designed to stop Wall Street from gambling with other peoples’ money, as they did causing the near-meltdown of 2008. Dodd-Frank had barred banks from using your money to make risky bets taxpayers were forced to cover, reducing Wall Street’s profits, so lobbyists pushed their legislation, reopening the casino, increasing the probability you will cover their losses again.
“Conservatives” describe government as a wasteful welfare machine for the lazy poor. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities says only about 12 percent of welfare goes to individuals and families, most of who are destitute. Most “welfare” goes to corporations. Politicians do much for “free enterprise”, their source of “campaign” finance. The Supreme Court eliminated the cap on individual contributions/bribes to federal candidates. Now the big-moneyed interests who own “our government” can give ten times as much. Concentrated wealth plus widespread stupidity ended “democracy”.
We’ve been taught to ignore tyranny when it suits our needs. We only get angry when it doesn’t. A common delusion is that Americans are free-thinkers. “Consumers” mindlessly tune into their favorite “news” source and believe that they’re free people, becoming educated. Actually those people are just doing what they’re taught, conforming to “official” views.
“Consumers” are a core part of America’s corruption. You don’t go to media to be informed or hear media with an open mind, and search for truth. “Consumers” already know what they believe and TV’s/media’s task is to confirm those beliefs. There aren’t two sides to every story, a belief rooted in the left/right distraction: there are many sides you aren’t given, to most stories.
Russia-bashing becomes popular: “Russian aggression” and Putin, the new Hitler, warn of the Empire’s next war. TV deliberately diverts attention from the complexity of Ukraine’s war and those caught in it, shamelessly selling the Empire’s lies.
The Empire violates their own laws sending money to bankrupt Ukraine, in the midst of the civil war America created, but Greece, an EU/NATO member is being looted. Israel’s apartheid/genocide continues, while Canada is passing a law making criticizing Israel “hate speech”. “Democratic” countries are ruled by the 1%. “Authoritarian regimes” like Russia, Iran or Syria have their citizen’s support and the eternal hatred of the 1%.
When Russia invaded Afghanistan, they were “aggressors”. When America invaded Afghanistan, we were “liberators” when we invaded Vietnam or Iraq we were bringing “freedom and democracy”. Iran opposes America who is certainly benevolent, so Iran must be evil. We installed a brutal dictator in their country so that’s good, and they rebelled choosing independent self-determination, so that’s certainly bad. When we threaten Iran, it’s out of a generous desire to stop a grave threat to the world, and so on. This is the essence of the brainless, fanatical religion worshiping the Empire.
The national-security state/schooling has perverted the principles and consciences of Americans so they’re unable to distinguish between right and wrong when it comes to military/CIA adventures.
The “war on terror” was a brilliant propaganda idea. It created a state exception to legal order: an unquestioned alteration to constitutional democracy. In the Empire, the Patriot Act launched this new control state, which they call a “security state”, to avoid calling it a police state, where you’re always a suspect. The purpose of this “new world order” is to control you. Terrorism is the instrument for creating the disorder that America, and it’s “allies”, say they need to manage.
We’ve wasted trillions fighting wars that have only created terrorists in countries that didn’t have any. It cost fewer American lives and mentally damaged than Vietnam plus greater profit, so why not: The millions of killed and wounded civilians, to quote Madeline Albright, “where worth the price”. Americans don’t complain or look to see who profits. They hate us for our democracy and freedom, Right?
You’re sold; “Be very afraid of the “terrorists”. They threaten your freedom”. Obama says so and “consumers” believe him. Republicans act in support of “our” supreme leader. It’s a big ocean and it will take them a long time to get here so we best go kill them there. It has nothing to do with oil or power. Believe your leaders. Iran and Venezuela are threatening to invade. It is known.
“Our free democratic government” only survives from using secrecy, deception, and violence we’re told. Our Empire’s survival shouldn’t be the primary concern, but losing the principles that we advertise should be. If there’s such a thing as the “greater good”, truth and honor must be the foundation of that vision. Abandon your principles and what’s left? Lose the spiritual war, ignore your conscience, and the physical war becomes meaningless.
“Consumers” have been convinced that “liberation/freedom” is achieved by identifying with the exercise of state power. You’re told this is a democratic nation but you easily see wealthy business interests own “our” government. When a majority of citizens disagrees with those interests, they lose. American democracy isn’t.
Ignorance of the law isn’t a valid excuse but isn’t law taught in school. In the private sector, fraud is a crime; in government it’s “just politics”. If “government” doesn’t follow the constitution, what’s treason? We’re ruled by a group of psychopaths who own the banks that control the governments and media. They fund both sides of war for profit, manufacturing consent thru media propaganda. Greece and Ukraine are recent examples. It’s easy to see should you look but the majority of “consumers” are devoted to myths.
“Good evening, its six o’clock and here’s what we want you to think.” Voters haven’t anything to go on but the 1% owned “news” media’s verbatim broadcast of their politicians’ lies. Those who convince themselves of a fantasy version of history may get to repeat what really happened.
Darth Cheney spent his entire career in politics, except for a brief stint with a crony defense contractor. He’s now worth $80 million. The Hildabeast has never had a non-government job. She’s said to be worth $21 million.
Craig Dudley