February
21, 2006,
Volume 13 Nr. 36, Issue 204
Check Your
Conscience at the Door: We're Building an Empire Jason
Miller
Blaring its typical
jarringly cacophonous morning radio jabber, the suddenly welcome
sound of my alarm rescued me from the maelstrom of a nightmarish
Neocon world spawned within my unconscious mind. As consciousness
flooded my being, I had an epiphany. My breed of human being is a
pariah in the American Empire. In the minds of the Regime's loyal
foot soldiers (the Neo-Tories of the Twenty First Century) American
society is waging a domestic war between those they define as
liberals and those they qualify as conservatives. Since 9/11, Fox
News and the Bush Regime have brain-washed them into believing that
terrorists and their sympathizers are lurking around every corner,
poised to infect them with a lethal virus, slice them with box
cutters or obliterate them with a suicide bomb. In the black and
white perspective of the Neo-Tories, you are with us or against us.
If you do not fit into their narrow and misguided notion of
conservatism, you must be a "liberal". The American
media/propaganda machine (which the Empire's power moguls have
brilliantly portrayed as "liberal" to obfuscate the fact
that six corporate conglomerates own 90% of the mainstream media
market) has sharply defined the "treasonous",
"ineffectual" nature of "liberals", portraying
them as soft on crime, sympathetic to those demonic terrorists,
Socialists and Communists, immoral, and militarily weak.
Masters of delusion
To their credit, Israel, AIPAC, the Bush Regime, powerful families
(with names like Koch), the numerous multi-millionaires in Congress,
powerful lobbyists, think tanks, major corporations, and the 1% of
Americans who harbor 38% of the nation's wealth have done a
phenomenal job of convincing a majority of the poor and working
class that they are fortunate to have the privilege of fighting over
the remaining crumbs of the economic pie after the ruling elite
gorge themselves. Despite the 13% of Americans living in poverty, 46
million without health insurance, and approximately 3 million
homeless wandering our streets, the gallimaufry ruling the United
States according to the Golden Rule (he that hath the gold maketh
the rules) has artfully convinced "Main Street" that it
"doesn't get any better than this". The Empire's
Neo-Tories boast that capitalism and the free market are
"kicking ass" while Communism and Socialism have been
relegated to the dustbin of history. (Obviously they have not been
paying much attention to South America lately). With "free
market" think tanks like Cato Institute (funded by
"humanitarian-environmentalists" like Charles Koch) to
provide the propaganda (sorry, I meant to say research), there is
virtually no end to the "evidence" supporting the
"benefits" of government deregulation of businesses and
corporations.
Unfortunately, I was born with a social conscience and a powerful
aversion to tyranny. My strong support of universal human rights and
dignity, social justice, equality, peace, and protection of the
environment has led me to dissent vehemently against the American
Empire. My strenuous objections to the widening wealth
gap, the state
terrorism committed by the United States and Israel, corporate
abuse of consumers, employees and the environment, egregious
violation of international law by the US (including
torture on a wide scale), obscene
hypocrisy concerning nuclear capacities, rapidly
diminishing civil liberties, insane
expenditure of our tax dollars for military purposes, and
the rapid
consolidation of power into the Executive Branch have
earned me the brand of "liberal".
Now is the time for the Neo-Tories to make the sign of the cross,
reach for their garlic, brandish their vile of holy water, and
invoke incantations from Ann Coulter. In so doing, they are certain
to vanquish the lot of us weaklings who stand in the way of the true
"progress" which will only occur once the Empire dedicates
itself fully to the concept of survival of the fittest. Remember,
Hitler eradicated the Socialist/Communist scourge as he rose to
provide us with a viable sociopolitical model encompassing gross
intolerance, cruel injustice, imperial conquest, genocide, and overt
concentration of power in the hands of the elites.
In my poignant moment of clarity, I decided it was time for me (and
others like me) to surrender our fatuous devotion to childish
notions of fairness and equality. The Neocons and their Neo-Tory
bootlicks possess an unwavering commitment to domination that will
enable them to lead the American Empire (unfettered by weaknesses
like compassion and empathy) to its true destiny: global hegemony.
How could I have been so blind to the truth that the many must
suffer so the few can prosper? It is an inescapable aspect of the
human condition. Only 250,000
Iraqi civilian have died for the noble cause of spreading
freedom and democracy (wink, wink; nudge, nudge). In the process, we
have also taught those filthy Middle Easterners that we will not
tolerate them selling their oil for Euros and we
have established the 52nd state of the union (to complement the 51st
state formed through the genocide of the Palestinians). Never mind
that the Machiavellian and illegitimate Bush Regime has reduced the
value of the Constitution to that of toilet paper (albeit it would
probably be too rough even for that purpose).
Bury the efforts and sacrifices of Women's Suffragists, Populists,
Progressives, organized labor and civil rights activists! Join the
Neo-Tories in a Twenty First Century renewal of fealty to King
George! William Kristol, Robert Kagan and the Empire-building
signatories of the PNAC
had the cajones to announce America's intentions to dominate the
world. We owe it to them to make their wet dream a reality....
Imagine a nation unfettered by the silly constraints of conscience,
the rule of law (over the whims of individual rulers), humanity, and
justice! My mind is reeling in orgasmic delight at the virtually
infinite array of possibilities. America has the potential to become
an empire like no other. Envision endless hedonistic orgies,
mountains of blood-drenched cash harvested from the Neo-colonies,
uninhibited rape and plunder of the world's resources, obscene
exploitation of the billions of human beings not fortunate enough to
inhabit the "Empire proper", and military domination by
air, sea, land and space. Sign me up to help make it happen!
In the wake of my startling realizations, I finally began seeing the
light as I envisioned the American Empire as it should be.
Thankfully, I have come to my senses and will cease my frivolous
pursuit of inane ideals that don't create wealth, advance
technology, dominate other human beings, provide immediate
gratification, or satiate carnal desires.
This is America, baby! Shut up and swear allegiance to the Flag, the
Dollar, the Corporatocracy, and to the Regime.
Taking off the mask (and the gloves)
It has become too cumbersome to carry on the charade of democracy.
Staging two consecutive fraudulent presidential elections,
maintaining a Congress which has evolved into a rubber-stamp for the
Regime, and giving the populace access to a court system packed with
ideologues who eagerly await the opportunity to endorse the Empire's
edicts have effectively enabled tyranny under the guise of
democracy. However, these unnecessary hindrances have become
obsolete. Besides, if we are to rescue Scott McClellan from eternity
in Malebolge, it is time that the Bush Regime comes out of the
closet and simply issues its own version of the Enabling Act.
As President-elect George Bush stated on 12/18/00:
"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a
lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator."
Let's not keep him waiting any longer! Stop haranguing him about
wire-tapping without FISA approval. Implement Patriot Act II.
Embrace torture as an acceptable and necessary means of expanding
the Empire by breaking its alleged enemies and dissenters. Habeas
corpus and Posse Comitatus are antiquated impediments to domestic
tranquility. They must be eliminated.
One of my co-workers recently asserted that everyone who disagrees
with the policies of the Regime needs to be rounded up and shot. I
agree. We need to implement a nation-wide dragnet to capture
subversives, dissidents, liberals, war protesters, and the remaining
scum whose treasonous activities retard the Empire's progress. A
bullet is a hell of a lot cheaper than a prison cell. We have plenty
of bullets; let's put them to use.
The Business of America is Business
Calvin Coolidge, a visionary president who recognized the necessity
of laissez-faire economic policies, knew what America was about. It
is time we got back to our roots by removing quaint ethical, legal,
and moral constraints on businesses. American society reached the
peak of its evolution during the Gilded Age. Let's reclaim that
glory.
Corporations and business magnates have been hamstrung by archaic
laws long enough. Let's truly free the free market. Unshackle the
movers and shakers of our capitalist economy and the American Empire
will blow the doors off the rest of the world. We are only consuming
25% of the world's resources now. America needs to buckle down and
significantly increase its share of the world's bounty. Since the
other 97% of the world's population is comprised of terrorists,
savages, Socialists, non-Christians, and non-Caucasians, they need
to yield to the moral imperative of the Christian God and further
enrich the American Empire.
Minimum wages, Child Labor Laws, mandatory extra pay for so-called
"overtime", legislation prohibiting discriminatory hiring
practices and sexual harassment, and ridiculous protections for the
disabled need to go. Our children have too much free time on their
hands; idle hands do the work of the devil. Blacks and other
minorities need to buck up and deal with it if Whites feel
uncomfortable hiring them. Women need to develop a thicker skin and
realize that sometimes keeping their job requires a little
"extra effort". If someone is blind or wheelchair-bound,
we have no obligation to accommodate their weaknesses.
Clean air and water are luxuries Americans can no longer afford.
Endangered species need to go the way of the Dodo if they can't hack
it anymore. The Bible clearly defines man's dominion over this
planet. If Mother Earth has a problem with the way we are treating
her, she can take it up with the Man Upstairs.
End the Gravy Train
Entitlements are a waste of our precious resources. Medicare,
Medicaid, WIC, food stamps and the rest of those nauseating
Socialistic programs must go. If someone doesn't have money, it is
time they got a job. Those of us who work and pay taxes owe the lazy
and weak nothing. Can't find a job or the money you need for basic
necessities? Tough. If God had intended for you to survive, he would
have given you the attributes and resources to do so.
Shedding our puerile concerns for the plight of the poor, the
elderly, and the disabled will enable us to focus more of our
resources where they belong. The $600 billion a year we spend on
defense represents a mere 60% of world military expenditures. What
self-respecting imperial entity would settle for such a miniscule
piece of the pie? Exempting the military, the Department of Homeland
Security, and the other offices of the Executive Branch necessary to
rule the Empire, it is time to follow Grover Norquist's brilliant
advice and start running the bath water.
Like the one in Jericho, this wall must come down...
A crucial aspect the American Empire lacks is the marriage of church
and state. A tyrannical Bush Regime wedded with the powerful
elements of the Religious Right and Dominionists would empower the
"iron men" to rid our society of harlots and sinners like
Hester Prynne.
We are a Christian nation. Muslims, Hindus, Wiccans and other
followers of unenlightened religions need to convert or face harsh
consequences, including crucifixion, stoning, or if we are feeling
lenient, simple expulsion from our nation. Homosexuality,
prostitution, abortion, and atheism will be punishable by death.
Blasphemy will result in surgical removal of the tongue. Adultery
will be grounds for severe torture involving the genitals. Women and
children will again subjugate themselves to the masters of our
nation, their husbands and fathers.
Religion will return to the public square. Those who refuse to say
Merry Christmas will be flogged until they lose consciousness.
Prayer will be mandatory at all public events and non-participants
will receive severe beatings. Failure to attend church on a
consistent basis will result in assignment to re-education centers.
A government entity analogous to the IRS will oversee the collection
of mandatory tithes. Those caught cheating the Church will have
their hands severed. A Ministry of Decency will monitor all forms of
media and stage mass public bonfires to eliminate profane,
pornographic, and blasphemous materials.
The Church of the Empire will be jointly administered by members of
the Bush Regime and such Christian luminaries as Jerry Falwell, Pat
Robertson, James Dobson, and Tim LaHaye. To prevent the Empire's
bounty from going to waste in a heavily tithed society with
Puritanical laws, the segments of the populace comprising the ruling
elite (including the Church leadership) will be exempt from their
own edicts. "Do as I say and not as I do" will be the
order of the day.
It is time for the "Culture of Life" to prevail in
the United States.
Whoring girls and women who become pregnant out of wedlock deserve
to be butchered at the hands of back-alley abortionists. And as for
the abandoned or abused children arising from unwanted pregnancies,
they will provide a ready supply of cheap labor once we eliminate
those hopelessly idealistic Child Labor Laws.
Perpetual war to expand our sphere of influence is the only way to
ensure American dominance over the rest of the world. To hell with
concern for the murder of innocent civilians. Those individuals are
merely "collateral damage" for which we cannot be held
responsible. They just happened to be in the wrong place at the
wrong time. Better luck next time. Besides, when we murder, we are
morally and legally justified because our terrorism is committed in
uniform and for the cause of "freedom". Hopefully Hamas
will not discover our secret and start putting uniforms on their
freedom fighters.
The Empire's work in Iraq is only beginning. Permanent military base
completion, generous dispensation of depleted uranium and white
phosphorus, murder, mayhem, and environmental devastation will keep
us busy for a few more years. Once we have secured Iraq and the
precious oil, we can take a serious look at Iran. While there are
several compelling reasons to refrain from attacking Iran today,
once we bring the nation of Iraq to its knees (regardless of the
cost), we can set our sights on another member of the Axis of Evil.
In the interim, we will further solidify our strategic position in
the Middle East through our unflinching support of Israeli genocide
against the malevolent Palestinians. They made their bed by electing
Hamas. Now they must lie in it. Unless Hamas quietly acquiesces to
the ongoing rape of its people, we will teach them obedience. We
will not rest until the vermin infesting the West Bank and Gaza are
servile or dead.
We can stem the tide of the ongoing threat from our subhuman black
population by stepping up implementation of the death penalty. Since
public lynchings are no longer an option, state murders need to
become public events once again. We know that black males in
particular have natural criminal inclinations, so we need this
powerful deterrent to keep their savage tendencies in check.
Embryonic stem cell research must not take place. Blastocysts are
human lives, whether they have been implanted in a womb or not. We
need to appropriate federal funding for funerals and proper burials
for those tiny human beings discarded by fertility clinics. God
mandates that we deter the murderers who want to use these precious
little children for their evil scientific experiments.
Finally, to keep the citizens of the Empire complacent and
fulfilled, we will continue to burnish unbridled consumption into
their psyches. Alluring advertising from Madison Avenue, easy
credit, and the commercialization of virtually every aspect of our
culture (we will even have to desecrate our sacred Christianity a
bit, but such is the nature of an imperial dynasty) will prompt
consumers to power the engine of America's economy.
Mirroring our spiritual bankruptcy, our people and our government
will revel in false riches derived from borrowed money we can never
hope to repay. But who will challenge the most powerful nation on
the planet? If China calls our notes due, we will simply incinerate
them with the space weapons we will have developed.
You think the American Empire is hubristic, xenophobic, cruel,
avaricious, and murderous? You're right. As Aldous Huxley wrote:
"The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of
people forget that certain other sets of people are human."
Many Americans forgot that many other sets of people
were human long ago. They checked their consciences at the door and
are building an empire. Join me in letting go of the delusional
belief that you can stop them. Resistance if futile. Accept your
fate and surrender gracefully.
To the glory of Washington!
Excuse me now while I wretch and vomit profusely. Once I purge the
toxins of imperial fantasy from my being, I will resume my dissent.
In spite of my tenacious efforts, I was unable to divorce myself
from my conscience. It looks like I won't be swearing allegiance to
the American Empire any time soon.
Jason Miller is a 39-year-old activist writer with a degree in
liberal arts. When he is not spending time with his wife and three
sons, researching, or writing, he is working as a loan counselor. He
is a member of Amnesty International and an avid supporter of Oxfam
International and Human Rights Watch. He welcomes responses at willpowerful@hotmail.com
or comments on his blog, Thomas
Paine's Corner.
© 2006
Jason
Miller
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