Crimes of the State: Defining What is and is not being done in “Our Name”
By: Solomon Comissiong
Definitions are important…however who defines “what” and “how” is even more important. Definitions often provide much needed substance to terms that are purposefully vague at best. Terms without contextual definitions, much like historical epochs, prevent individuals from gaining a comprehensive understanding of a broad range of important political issues. This, however, is not by accident. It has often been the modus operandi for duplicitous rulers (especially those not wanting to ever relinquish power) to obfuscate and create limited definitions as a means towards programming the masses. Governmentally sanctioned “educational” centers, to mass media, play integral roles in disseminating revisionist history and warped terminologies. As masses of non-critically engaged thinkers become older this scheme becomes more effective. They, in essence, like trained dogs, have been taught how and what not to think. Unfortunately, in most cases, the use of deductive reasoning, along with discursive logic—are underutilized skills. This well oiled system of mass programming has long been a staple within the United States. It is what keeps the imperialist nation’s domestic (and global) injustices active, in perpetuity.
Crimes committed by the US government, as well as the puppeteer ruling class that finances them, are seldom known by the vast majority of the US public. Everything from US orchestrated coups, illegal wars, and welfare for the insanely wealthy—are all done with the blind complicity of much of the populous. The mentality that allows masses of Americans to continually accept and support these brazen actions, by the US government, are completely by design. This mentality has been shaped from an early age all the way through adulthood. Americans are supposed to follow this Washington manufactured script—-for if they did not they would not be “good patriotic Americans”. Even the definition of what a “patriotic American” is has been shaped by individuals that seldom have the masses (or the globe’s) best interest at heart. Most Americans have been mass indoctrinated with a flawed set of values that significantly influences their “understanding” as to what a “patriotic American” does, says, and thinks. “Patriotic Americans” don’t ask questions of their government’s decisions to militarize the globe. “Patriotic Americans” do not question their government’s decision to illegally invade other countries—for they are doing it to “protect” our freedoms. “Patriotic Americans” never question, or even cross reference, the historical information they have been mentally force-fed by their parents, schools and US media. These are all implicitly and subconsciously understood by a great many Americans. Most have no idea, if asked, where they even came to those conclusions regarding “Americanism”. And this is the beauty of the US “value system” mass indoctrination scheme. You are not supposed to have any clue when and where you arrived at these so-called patriotic values.
A lot of “progressive” Americans even fall in to the trap of saying things like “we”, “our”, and “my” when it comes to describing ill-fated decisions that the United States government has made, especially without their consent whatsoever. Peter Fowler’s brilliant piece, “I Ain’t In It”, did an excellent job in summarizing the subconscious use of pronouns like “I” and “we” when it comes to describing the US government’s reckless foreign policy. When the US government decides to invade another country via an illegal war that kills over a million innocent civilians and thousands of US military personnel—-(that are used liked pawns on a chessboard); they (US government) are not thinking of ever consulting with the American populous. When the US government, through congress and the White House, decide to divert over a trillion dollars a year in to the coffers of military industrial complex corporations—they are not asking for permission from the American people. Coincidentally those same American people, whether they like it or not, see roughly 53 percent of their tax dollars going in to an excessively bloated imperialist military.
Despite the fact than an often politically confused populous regularly votes in to office senators and congressmen/women of their “choice”, their interests are seldom represented on Capitol Hill. It is, in fact, the collective interests of the corporate elite, the individually filthy rich, and megalomaniac career politicians whose interests are represented within the increasingly gentrified city limits of Washington DC. These are the people’s opinions, interests and livelihoods that are taken in to account when “tough” geopolitical and domestic decisions are made—not “mine”, or “yours”. So why do so many Americans consistently use possessive and personal pronouns like, “we” and “our” to even gently intimate that somehow these decisions are made on our behalf or with “our” consent. They weren’t. However many Americans have allowed themselves to become imbibed within the manufactured system. Americans, on a daily basis, recite the words and phrases fed to them by politicians, media pundits, and even members of clergy. In many ways they create the definitions and therefore the so called “national agenda”.
As long as Americans allow themselves to be influenced by false “prophets”, snake oil salesmen-like politicians, and a solely profit driven media; they will, one by one, be led to mental slaughter like the “sheep” so many of them have become. Most of those politicians and media pundits want no part of action in any war, yet they are more than willing to send thousands upon thousands of young men and women to fight in wars of aggression. They beat their war drums loud and hard saying things like, “we need to defend our liberties” and “we need to deliver democracy” to places like Iraq. Those baseless phrases are nothing but lies— plain and simply. The only things the war mongering politicians are delivering are their interests—mineral, capital, and imperialist. The Department of Defense could/should be more accurately renamed the Department of Aggression & Imperialism. In fact at one time it was named the Department of War. War—one of the things the US plutocratic government does quite well…
A little bit of critical thought would induce more Americans to ask questions, research on their own and deconstruct the coded rhetoric that they are bombarded with day in and day out. For instance, when the State Department publicly announces that they have the support of the “international community”,how many Americans even question that misleading phrase? The author would venture to say ‘not too many’. Usually for the US government the “international community” consists of: Israel, France, Great Britain, and themselves. The misleading “international community” term works like a charm on the well-trained American masses, however it is usually far from representative of the majority of the global community. The majority of the global community wants the US out of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The masses of the international community do not support the US’s war instigating efforts against Iran. As a matter of fact, much of the global community would like to see the likes of the US and Israel dismantling their nuclear weapons arsenal instead of trying to force war on Iran for developing nuclear power for energy purposes. Even if Tehran was developing nuclear power for “defense” purposes the global community understands the derivation of Iran’s feeling as though they need to detour increasingly aggressive nations like the US and Israel. It is hard to tell someone not to pick up a gun when you have 10,000 pointed at them. Gunboat diplomacy is, presently, the only kind of diplomacy that Washington practices. It is almost assuming watching everyone from US State Department officials to US politicians jumping from one corporate media outlet to the next crying bloody foul in regards to the latest Wikileaks cables that were curiously and selectively released. What is sad is that most Americans cant see through their BS. Meanwhile the US continues to commit premeditated terror, via so called collateral damage, on scores of innocent civilians throughout Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. This mass terror and murder in the names of US citizens, freedom and democracy, has been going on for generations. Whether it was Grenada, Panama, or Somali; the US government has been using its military might to impose itself on vast populations—-all the while taking countless lives. Where is the US public outcry for these people dying by the tens of thousands? In the same way there were white slave owners masquerading around as “Christians” we have US government officials masquerading themselves around as “liberators” or “peacemakers”. Quite simply those pairings are incompatible.
Until the American Hoi Polloi decide that they want their nation to be seen as peacemakers instead of war-makers, the crimes committed in their names, and with their tax dollars, will continue. However, before that much needed stance can even conceivably be taken, Americans must reclaim their minds by way of good old fashioned critical thought. Allowing a militarized and corporate influenced government to prevent masses from having free quality health-care and livable wages are, by my Definitions, crimes in and of themselves. Trillions of dollars going in to a bottomless military industrial complex, while more than 40,000 people a year die due to a lack of health-care would be considered a crime against humanity within any sane society—-American society makes little sense to sane individuals. We must assiduously work towards reclaiming our minds, one by one. We must redefine this society based on more humane precepts, one community at a time. And we must rewrite history, not from the standpoint of slave maters, the corporate elite, or iron fisted military men—-but from the point of view peacemakers, revolutionaries, and internationalists. We, as residents within the stolen borders of America, must do this…the global community depends on it.
Solomon Comissiong (www.solomoncomissiong.com) is an educator, community activist, author, and Founder of the Your World News Media Collective (www.yourworldnews.org). Mr. Comissiong is also a founding member of the Pan-African collective for Advocacy & Action. Solomon is the author of A Hip Hop Activist Speaks Out on Social Issues. Solomon is also the writer and producer of the documentary, Hip Hop, White Supremacy & Capitalism: Why Corporations Infiltrated RAP Music. He can be reached at: solo@yourworldnews.org
