The American Dream
by cleaves Sunday, Jan 16 2005, 8:18am
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
People familiar with the US would also be familiar with the myth of the “American Dream.” It means many things to many people but in order for us not to be misled or deluded by the myth, a closer examination of this ‘dream’ is warranted.
BANKSY -- America
The most striking and interesting aspect of this analysis is the word “dream” for it is precisely that – a dream! And in today’s world of harsh realities, living in a dream is not recommended if one intends to survive.
Dream weaving in the US began with the Founding Fathers; Thomas Jefferson declared in the Bill of Rights: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Here is the foundation stone of the ‘American dream;’ Jefferson penned the above while his personal slaves attended to his EVERY need! I do not wish to labour the point but a man of his obvious intelligence could not help but notice that his slaves were men and women. It follows that the reality (as opposed to the dream) is America was founded on LIES and HYPOCRISIES of the first order. But in keeping with the American ‘dream’ we shouldn’t allow reality to intervene!
The free people of the world often refer in bewilderment to American hypocrisy and double standards; it should now be extremely clear why hypocrisy and double standards are systemic in the United States!
The illegal Guantanamo Bay TORTURE centre and US military 'immunity' from war crimes charges furnish further evidence.
While Bush and his neo-cons maintain a ‘to hell with the rest of the world, we’ll do what we want’ attitude, it is the people who will ultimately pay the price. To return to Jefferson we read further in the Bill of Rights: “…that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles,..” It is clear the people of the US bear the responsibility for their government’s actions and as a result the enemies of the US will target the people, as has been the case in recent history. This is mythic dream becoming actual nightmare.
What are the factors that prevent or delay action from the people in removing a government that has taken a destructive course? A good candidate is the illusion of superiority and invincibility that the government constantly purveys to citizens and allies alike.
America postures as an invincible protector; part of its ‘performance’ is the absurd declaration of war on social problems or perceived threats. The most notable declarations of war in the past were the 'War on Drugs', and the 'War on Crime'; however, today the war on the noun “Terror” has taken precedence.
If we examine the success rate of the many ‘wars’ the US wages we see that the war on drugs is a complete failure; the war on crime has only increased the profits of organised criminals; the war on terror(ism) is being lost at an alarming rate. America has conveniently supplied the terrorists with a theatre in which to wage their war and increase their numbers. However, the dream continues regardless of the ineptitude of intelligence agencies and government assessments of information regarding planned attacks against the US and its allies. Spain, Bali and the constant bombings in Baghdad are ample proof.
The question arises, if America cannot win the war on drugs and organised crime within its own borders how can it possibly win an international war against organised terrorists? Based on the existing ‘track record,’ it is highly unlikely.
America and its allies can expect an escalation of attacks unless the ‘dream’ mentality is discarded and issues relating to exploitation, plunder, inequity, disparity, poverty etc., are addressed and resolved.
A dreamer should never be abruptly awakened as the shock could cause confusion. So we would ‘gently’ introduce the reality of the following events in today’s America. Consider the amount (in tonnes) of illegal drugs constantly pouring into the US by land, sea and air -- over which the government has virtually no control. Now consider the enemies of the US, who are also expert traffickers in these commodities, and realise that the weapons and agents they wish to utilise would be introduced through those channels. Doh!
The 2 +2 logic which follows should even be understood by George W Bush and all future presidents: while a constant supply of illegal drugs can be obtained on the streets of the USA, there is no security -- and any claim to the contrary is truly symptomatic of a dream consciousness.
Footnote:
To America’s few allies, especially Australia – how in your most fanciful imaginings do you expect America to protect you when it cannot protect itself?
