Do Americans Have The "Stones"? The Unfortunate Truth.

If current events are a guide, next year's Presidential Election is likely to revolve around two main issues:

Foreign Policy - the escalating situations in Iraq, Syria and Ukraine, caused by heavy handed mismanagement by the US War Machine, have highlighted the failure of the Government to maintain control over their expanding empire. The surveillance of both the enemies and allies of the US, required to maintain a dominant position in world affairs and ensure US safety is now both infringing on the people's privacy and draining the economy.

The Economy - the ever widening gap between the rich and poor and the slow disappearance of an American Middle Class is becoming a very clear reality to many and the cost of maintaining the largest force in the world is becoming prohibitive. Money spent on the US War Machine in their quest for global control and the extensive spying and surveillance apparatus is now biting into welfare and pension payments. Something had to give and War and Surveillance takes priority when there are limited funds.

But consider the alternatives. Would Americans vote for someone who supported halting the US march to global supremacy? Although many US citizens are up in arms about the corporations and politicians complicit criminal behavior and sponsorship of wars across the globe, would they want a leader who turned their back on policing the globe to instill the American way of life on all peoples? Would they want someone who was prepared for the US to only have the second or third largest economy? Would they vote for someone who would let Russia or China have a larger Defence Force than the US with more and better weapons? Would they vote for someone who wanted to wind back Capitalism or who supported a version of Socialism? Would they want a President who let the Middle East develop into a united power?

In 2008, with the impact of the Global Financial Crisis in full swing, Chris Hedges wrote:

"The corporate forces that are looting the Treasury and have plunged us into a depression will not be contained by the two main political parties. The Democratic and Republican parties have become little more than squalid clubs of privilege and wealth, whores to money and corporate interests, hostage to a massive arms industry, and so adept at deception and self-delusion they no longer know truth from lies. We will either find our way out of this mess by embracing an uncompromising democratic socialism—one that will insist on massive government relief and work programs, the nationalization of electricity and gas companies, a universal, not-for-profit government health care program, the outlawing of hedge funds, a radical reduction of our bloated military budget and an end to imperial wars—or we will continue to be fleeced and impoverished by our (morally) bankrupt elite and shackled and chained by our surveillance state.".

I recently posted an article titled Why Is Socialism A Dirty Word? where I described how Socialism is perceived versus what it could be compared to the current version of manipulated Capitalism in place now. Unfortunately, the comments were extremely negative and based solely on the title of the article. It was clear that none of the people who wrote comments had actually read the article and if anyone had read it and agreed with it, they didn't dare leave a comment at all. Socialism is a much dirtier word than I first thought. The mind manipulation of the media and the education system has done its job. Capitalism, regardless of its devastating results, is seen as the only answer. The US is seen as purveyors of truth and light. Might is seen as right and the world needs to be made in its own image.

Many Americans harbor great pride in the fact that their country is the world's authority on what is right and what is wrong and it is doubtful that the patriotism of most Americans, bred into them from birth, would stand for any President turning their back on transforming the globe in their image or stopping the great pillage of the world's resources for their own gains. Many speak out against the current Capitalism and highlight the faults in the system that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions in poverty but few dare to raise an alternative. Schools, media and Hollywood churn out stories and pictures of the American Way and the undeniable US global supremacy that now flows through their citizens' veins. To accept second best would be against their education and upbringing. Frankly, it's just un-American!

The fact that there is a growing dissent towards their Government but there is little or no action taken, shows that it is difficult for the people of the US to make any change. The people are unhappy with the wars, the economy, the privately run Federal Bank, the homeless, the poor, the mistreatment and blatant disregard for their veterans and any number of other issues but they do not seem to be able to have any impact on the situation at all. If the citizens of the US are incapable of controlling their own Government then who can? There is no one that can come and free the American people - they must do that themselves. Sadly, this seems unlikely. The reelection of Obama, after he had broken all election promises and shown a complete and blatant disregard for the people's will, highlights the in effectiveness of the American people to make any change.

There are some sane voices highlighting the issues and calling for change though. Noam Chomsky and Chris Hedges for example, provide a clear picture of what is happening before their very eyes and try to wake the people from their slumber. Michael Moore and Alan Jones place a spotlight on some of the insanity their Government is involved in and point to systemic failings of the current system. There are a growing number of voices trying to raise awareness and call for change but most of the audience seem deaf or unable to act. Revolution after all is a difficult business. Take the much anticipated Operation American Spring March that was held in Washington on 16 May this year. It was advertised extensively through Social Media and various web sites with organisers predicting over ten million to attend. Sadly only a few hundred showed up to voice their opposition to those in power. And if there was ever a chance for the US people to elect a President that saw a different solution, Ron Paul would be the current President. Alas, he did not even make it to the final two.

When it comes to Foreign Policy, the citizens of the US are conflicted. I understand the difficulty of seeing the world in all its complicated and multifaceted beauty. It is sometimes difficult to understand that people are different all over the world. Different upbringing, different culture, different education, different spiritual beliefs. The world is not all like the USA and many countries do not embrace the "American Way" but this is foreign to many Americans and most look at the world through "American Empire Glasses". Such a view would surely cause conflict of opinion between sending troops in to a country to "save them" and leaving them to sort through their own issues.

Some years ago when I was working in Australia, a US rock rapper was touring. After he finished his first concert he boldly stated that "Australia is racist". Looking out over the crowd at his concert he could not see any African Americans anywhere. His conclusion: Australia was racist. He could not understand that there weren't many African Americans in Australia. He didn't know that Australia was not part of the African slave trade of the past. He looked at everything and compared it to the USA and formed his opinion based on his own reality.

Looking at the world through American Empire glasses tends to make the picture distorted. Since World War II the US have been instilling some basic concepts into their citizens that they claim are self evident. Russia is bad, US is good. Socialism and Communism are bad, Capitalism is good. American values are good, all others are bad. Human rights in the US is good, Human rights in China, Middle East, etc are bad. With this upbringing is it possible for the majority of the citizens of the US to elect a President who doesn't hold these same beliefs? Could they have a President who doesn't believe that the American Way is the best way forward for the planet? Could they have a President who doesn't control the biggest armed force in the world? A President who is not a fully fledged supporter of Capitalism? A President who does not embrace the corporatization and Americanization of the planet?

Unfortunately I cannot see a radical change coming at the next election or any time in the near future. Perhaps the current leadership isn't performing as they hoped but the alternatives will end up being either something very similar or something totally unacceptable. Any form of Socialism is inconceivable and incomprehensible to many Americans. It is portrayed as an evil monetary system that takes everything that you have and gives it to the undeserving. "Look at what happened with Stalin" they cry. Any policy that would lead to the US not being the largest economy or biggest defence force would surely not be palatable to the American people.

No one listened to Chris Hedges in the article quoted above. Socialism is after all, a dirty word that is not allowed in mainstream media as Chris himself found out. The article, Chris Hedges - Why I Am A Socialist, appeared on December 29, 2008 and nearly six years on, we are still headed towards the future he predicted. It seems that no matter how destructive the current systems and leaders are, any alternative would be worse. Capitalism and the corporatization of governments and countries across the globe is the only acceptable game in town according to the voting US citizens

As someone once reminded us, "If we continue to do what we have always done, we will continue to get what we always got". Until Capitalism reaches its ultimate destination of a very small group of very wealthy and a very large group of destitute and desperate, major change is unlikely. And by then, change may not be possible.