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American Government: Heading Toward Disintegration and Collapse
By Charles Mercieca, Ph.D.
02/26/06 "ICH"
-- -- In several of his writings and interviews,
former U. S. President Jimmy Carter stated that he is very much
concerned at the direction the United States is moving. He said
emphatically that this is not the United States he always knew. Many
are increasingly beginning to convince themselves that the present
United States government could be viewed as the worst in the history
of the American nation. Democracy has ceased to exist for all
practical purposes and we have a situation today where the right
hand does not know what the left hand is doing.
Government Deterioration
Several scholars and organizations are becoming increasingly worried
as they see their government deteriorating from day to day. They
feel upset as they watch the American government openly spying on
the public, especially on those with peaceful reputation. Besides,
they are taken by surprise to see the great curtailing of free
speech and the increasing of censorship of the news media covering
the radio, press and television. Peaceful dissenters are being
punished and at times put in jail, even if they were religious women
and clergymen.
Moreover, to turn insult into injury, the press at times is secretly
paid to write articles that would justify governmental actions even
if they constitute blatant violations of human rights, as it has
been found even with the foreign press reporters. The waging of an
ongoing war in both Iraq and Afghanistan has now drained the
financial assets of the U.S. government to the very detriment of the
American people. As a result, millions of Americans suffer from lack
of health care benefits, while their health deteriorates even to the
point of death.
The destruction of the infrastructure of Iraq along with the
massacre of tens of thousands of innocent civilian Iraqis, amounting
to women, children, the elderly and the sick, along with pregnant
women as well, has been minimized. The lies told to the American
people on how the Iraqis have been “liberated” from the tyranny of
Saddam Hussein, need to be challenged. A national referendum in Iraq
needs to be conducted and all Iraqis from age of 15 to 95 must be
allowed to participate under proper international supervision.
This referendum should consist of one question: Do you feel you were
better off under Saddam Hussein when you still had your own homes,
enjoyed the presence of your parents, spouses and children as well
as friends? ……... Or, do you feel you are better off now under
American domination with your homes destroyed, your parents, spouses
and/or children killed or maimed, as well as with several of your
friends killed or maimed for life? The whole world would be
interested to hear directly what the Iraqis themselves have to say
without any interference or manipulation from the outside.
Belligerent and Dangerous Policies
Very often the same questions are raised over and over again: When
is the United States going to learn that in a war every one is a
loser and no one a winner? Was not the Vietnam War experience
enough? Is American diplomacy going to be always one based on guns,
bullets, military involvements and wars instead of healthy dialogues
and respect for others? It is very obvious that the United States
would not hesitate to wage a war against Iran unless it brings this
Asian nation under American political control. Why should the USA
demand Iran not to have one nuclear weapon when this American nation
has already more than 70,000 nuclear weapons and it is still
manufacturing more?
In accordance with the philosophy of this American government, the
United States can launch a pre-emptive strike against any nation on
earth even without warning. Would it not then be natural for every
country to equip itself with the most devastating weapons possible
as way of counteraction against the United States? Moreover, since
the United States manufactures and sells more weapons than all the
nations of the world combined, it means that this American nation
pollutes our air and water very badly with toxic wastes that is
causing two millions of people incur cancer every year in the USA
alone. Why is it that when the whole world wanted to take drastic
action to curb air and water pollution from our planet, the USA was
virtually the only dissenter?
It is very obvious that this capitalistic nation is concerned merely
with the financial interests of big corporations and nothing else
matters, not even the very health and life of the American people.
Its top priority is to cater to special interests. This explains why
the present U.S. government especially continues to cut
significantly the budget on health care and education as to spend
more and more money on corporate interests, generally headed by the
weapons industry, the construction companies and the oil
enterprises. In fact, every year the budget for the military and the
waging of wars keeps on going higher and higher, while the budget on
the vital needs of the people keeps on going lower and lower.
All of this explains why the American people in general and of the
whole world at large tend to feel overwhelmed and powerless. But
there is always hope. We learn from history that when good and evil
struggle against each other, initially evil tends to take the upper
hand until all of a sudden it disintegrates and collapses.
Regardless of the vicious governments nations might have had, people
always ended up getting what they viewed as positive and
constructive. Like U.S. President Eisenhower said in his farewell
address to the U.S. Congress, “all people of all countries want
peace, only their government wants war.”
Looking for a Hopeful Future
We should look with hope into a positive and constructive future
where people could live together peacefully, where education and
health care will be available for every human being, and where the
protection of the environment will become a top governmental
priority. People everywhere need to unite in generating positive and
constructive energy until peace, as well as harmony, respect and
justice will become a tangible reality for everyone. We need to
become more involved in public affairs. We must do our best to
replace every single politician by a statesman. Some historians
described a politician as one who takes interest in one group to the
exclusion of others, while they described a statesman as one who
takes interest in all people without exception.
The current belligerent American government will one day be
replaced. The question is when. It may still take quite a time until
the change is effected and by then only God knows how many people,
both American and non American alike, would have suffered
unnecessarily. The present turmoil in so many global areas is bound
to continue as long as the USA and other major powers continue to
use violence to solve some of the crucial problems the world faces.
We know that violence begets violence and more violence begets more
violence. The military, by its very nature, is structured merely for
destructive purposes, even though once in a while it might have been
used to help in some natural disasters for a very brief period.
At this stage of history, which has become characterized by so much
violence, suffering and death, the United States needs a president
that has the mind, the courage, the determination, the wisdom, the
understanding, the compassion, and the common sense of both U.S.
President Dwight Eisenhower and U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the
sooner the better. The nation and the whole world, as a matter of
fact, need a new direction where the vital needs of the people will
occupy top priority in every governmental endeavor.
Charles Mercieca, Ph.D., President International Association of
Educators for World Peace. Dedicated to United Nations Goals of
Peace Education, Environmental Protection, Human Rights &
Disarmament. Professor Emeritus, Alabama A&M University.
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