Looking for the promise land

Nearly 300 years ago, a group of disenfranchised people set off for a new world in hopes of establishing lifestyles free from religious and governmental oppression. These pioneers arrived in America and established a democracy that, for all intents and purposes, held it’s own until the early 1900’s when World War I broke out.

It was at that time that our government began to intervene in world affairs. In fact, many scholars would make the case that America forsook its isolationistic ways at the behest of our Industrialist leaders who recognized the vast opportunity to expand our global economic, industrial and political influence. I might also add that by doing so America lined our own domestic pockets with economic growth and opportunity.

This trend seems to have continued and evolved through World War II, the Korean conflict, the Cold “War”, Vietnam, the Gulf “War” and now our “War” on Terror in Iraq.

Warfare has evolved from the old days of hand-to-hand combat to a new era of surgically accurate missiles, smart bombs, and unmanned drones. Likewise it seems the political and economic motivations that drive our nation’s decisions to engage in such activity have also evolved. Those industrialists and Big Business men who once influenced our politicians from behind closed doors are now the elected officials who control the purse strings of our tax dollars and establish policy that we most unwittingly have to follow.

To this end, I believe through the evolution of global conflict, something sinister has taken place… “We, the People” have lost control of our government. As a result, the American Government is beginning to look (and act) like the sort of tyrannical government our forefathers fled some 300 years ago.

Our privacy is being routinely and (arguably) illegally violated to ferret out terrorists. (So much for privacy. Huh?) But you know what IS private? Those secret CIA holding cells our government feels necessary to have for their private use of our public tax dollars.

Polls clearly indicate the popularity to extract our nation from the “war” and bring our troops home, but instead our elected officials continue to approve and allocate Billions and Billions of our tax dollars towards this “war” effort. This sounds a bit like taxation without representation, because, I suspect, if we were to put this funding to an American vote, it would NOT be passed. Instead, I ask (rhetorically), who writes these bills? Who votes on them? Who allocates the funding?

If that's not bad enough, I am repulsed by the latest push by the current administration forgo a reasonable level of civility. It is repugnant that some of our “Leaders” want a more narrow interpretation of the Geneva Convention which would enable the CIA, NSA, and our military to interrogate political and military prisoners in ways that might otherwise be deemed inhumane and torture. What gives us the right? If American's were political or militar prisoners, do you really believe we would stand by and let our capture reinterpret the Geneva Convention for their own agendas?

It makes me sad and embarrassed. And if I think about its many implications, it sickens me. I guess “kindler and gentler” is out, while evil and autocratic is in.

I suggest our government visit the days of yore and find a way change our ugly American image. We are ugly to other nations and we are twice as ugly when we take a hard look in the mirror.

Let’s become honest. While honesty may put some of our political and economic leaders out of business, it might serve as a fitting way of life for the majority of Americans.

Let’s look for ways to facilitate peace rather than ways to “make them pay”. As Gandhi once said (and I paraphrase) “If every one had to have an eye for an eye… the world would be blind.”
Let’s go back to the America that other nations and their citizens respected for our “wisdom” and generosity, rather than be economic, military and political extortionists for the sake of big business, big oil and good old fashioned cronyism.

While I do not advocate standing by idly during times of atrocity and human rights violations, I don’t think we have to be THE world police in all matters. Good leadership means building coalitions and working with others towards a common goal, not doing it our way, for our benefit irregardless of the consequences that may adversely affect others.

A good leader listens to the counsel of others. A good leader forthrightly admits mistakes. But regretfully, our current leader is the proverbial attourney who represents himself in a court of law... we keep telling him, but he won't listen; he has a fool for a lawyer. As for the rest of his administration of "yes men" and "yes women", someone better get a backbone and tell the king he has no clothes because winter is just around the corner and I'm afraid we'll all suffer the consequences for their ineptness.

Sometimes we simply have to admit we were wrong and work to amend our ways and atone for our mistakes. Somehow it seems easier for a child to do this than the grown adults who would be our elected officials.

I wonder what would happen if we reallocated some of our war driven resources into developing and facilitating the governing body of the United Nations? Is it a perfect organization… no. Could it be a better organization… yes. Will we (Americans) always agree with UN actions… no; but those actions might be far more fair, economically just and politically more correct than our current efforts and initiatives. Let’s help the UN build their resources to promote peace and a certain amount of stability, don’t you think?

Ok, maybe some of my ideas are way off base, (improving the UN would be a tough row to hoe) but at least I’m willing to admit we are failing with our current course of action. At least I am willing to entertain alternative solutions.

What we are doing today is NOT working. What we are doing today is not right. So, unless we are willing to take a hard look and change our broken system, we may need to pack our bags and look for a new promise land just as our forefathers did 300 years ago.