Objective observation of the current politics and populace tells us that here in 21st century America, there are two ideas that take precedence above all else. Both are myths. Both are ideas apparently more important than any facts, logic, proof, evidence, or demonstrable reality.
The first is that America, no matter what it does, how many crimes are committed in its name, by its duly elected officials, is the good guy, the cowboy in the White Hat.
America lied its way into a illegal and immoral war of aggression for no reason other than the greed and lust for power of its political and economic leaders. The majority of the American populace went along for the ride. America tortures. America exploits migrant workers while condemning them and punishing them for our reliance on them. The list goes on and on.
And the whole of the list of American wrongs that are not wrong because they are our wrongs, exists for one purpose above all others, to bolster and enable the second myth. (Which of course makes them ultimately the same myth.)
The myth that the Christian God created America to serve ‘his’ purpose, and selected white Christian males to work ‘his’ will on earth. Thus can they do no wrong. Thus are their wrongs….not wrong.
This myth is so woven into the fabric of American culture and belief that it is invisible to most. It is not spoken of, except in rare slips of the tongue such as this exchange between O’Rielly and McCain from last year:
O’REILLY: But do you understand what the New York Times wants, and the far-left want? They want to break down the white, Christian, male power structure, which you’re a part, and so am I, and they want to bring in millions of foreign nationals to basically break down the structure that we have.
The most destructive consequence of this myth is America’s surety that they are entitled to this God-given American lifestyle. This is what ensures than even in the face of facts, logic, proof, evidence, and demonstrable reality that the ‘American lifestyle’ is destroying the planets atmosphere and, ultimately, the “lifestyle” of every living thing on earth, their violent denial will continue.
When it comes right down to it, that is the myth that prevents any REAL change in America. How on God’s Green Earth do we fight that?
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SHUT IT DOWN
Billo.
You twit.
is? This phony, chicken hawk machismo–which always invokes personal responsibility in others, but never invokes the same, nor personal sacrifice, for itself.
It is clear that the cowboy myth–freedom as deregulation and greed, violence as policy and ignorance and acting from the gut as wisdom–has been used as a trojan horse for current form of fascism.
Nigerian villagers blow up key Agip pipeline: industry sources
sent by RW friends… every time I receive a bullshit e I write a response containing facts. Oddly, none seem to know how to handle that. But I hope some truth will seep in along the line. As we all know, there’s none more rabid than a convert who discovers how they’ve been lied to.
The only way I can think of is by making it ever more obvious every day that there are SO FEW of us remaining that are living that MYTH that there need to be some serious changes to allow the rest of us to once again have the opportunity to live what they consider to the the God Given American Lifestyle. You know, the reality of the situation.
The message must be broadcast every day and in no uncertain terms.
How on God’s Green Earth do we do THAT?
that the past 3-4 generations (more or less) of Americans have effectively bred critical thinking out of national DNA profile?
That we have effectively genetically modified ourselves into a species whose members are dominated by a mindset controlled and led by short-sighted self-defeating fear?
* * *
Is this the earth’s way of cleansing itself? Does the earth’s ecosystem rely on the U.S. evolving into such a vast wasteland of uncritical and frightened people that we will eventually destroy ourselves? Is this what allows the earth to heal itself from the havoc we are wreaking upon it?
Have we become the disease, the bacteria, that is so successful that our unsupportably parasitic use of the host body (the earth) causes us to evolve ourselves out of existence or causes us to evolve into something with little semblance of our current behavioral disposition? Is this the earth’s ultimate manner of cleansing itself of us?
Prediction: We need to stop modifying the DNA of our national fabric because, somehow, fear is breeding critical thinking into extinction. Otherwise the earth will, paraphrasing Oliver Wendell Holmes, declare that four more generations of idiots is enough — and it will be.