Delusions Under
Siege
By Jason Miller
04 September, 2005
Countercurrents.org
How does he sleep at night?
What is it that
enables George Bush to sleep at night when his avarice and iniquity
as a ruler exceed that of Marie Antoinette? Could it be that he slept
through his history lectures about the French Revolution while he was
at Yale? Perhaps his capacity to sleep soundly stems from having the
most powerful military in the history of humanity at his disposal. Being
a member of a dynasty dating back to the 1930's would also tend to endow
one with a sense of serenity as one plundered a nation's resources,
shredded the US Constitution, initiated illegal wars, bullied most of
the world, slaughtered innocents in the name of "spreading freedom",
starved the poor to feed the rich, and allowed tens of thousands to
suffer or die in New Orleans simply because they are poor and black.
The power of
psychological manipulation
While there could
be many reasons for Bush's smug self-assurance as he gives the finger
to most of the world's citizenry, I theorize that his sense of security
stems from the level of protection he derives from America's Propaganda
Matrix, the propaganda machine which enables the American Nightmare
to masquerade as the American Dream. A friend recently commented to
me that Orwell had written "1984" as a warning, but that the
Bush administration had adopted it as a blue-print. Free and constant
access to the mainstream media (to spread their sugar-coated versions
of Pax Americana), genuflecting pundits like Michelle Malkin and Charles
Krauthammer,corporate ownership of mainstream media, textbook companies
and schools which portray a white-washed version of US history, heavily
funded "think tanks" like the Hoover Institution, and the
perpetuation of the myth of the United States as the "good guys"
in many mindless Hollywood blockbusters unite to provide US leaders
a powerful yet subtle means to manipulate their subjects. Why would
Bush worry about the consequences of his actions when the propaganda
machine at his disposal, like his military machine, is unparalleled
in human history?
Not unlike the program
the machines created in the movie called the Matrix, America's Propaganda
Matrix manipulates the poor and working class by lulling them into an
illusory sense of joy over being so "free". While wealthy
dynasties (like the Bush clan), their sycophants, and their corporate
cronies pillage the US treasury and employ foreign policies (like the
Bush Doctrine) to seek world domination, an apathetic American public
joyfully slaps magnetic ribbons supporting the Iraqi invasion onto its
gas-guzzling SUV's, smiles and nods its assent at federal budgets calling
for increases in an insanely bloated defense budget and cuts in spending
for social programs, lightheartedly surrenders its civil liberties,
and blithely watches the wealth gap widen to monumental proportions.
The brilliance of the American Propaganda Matrix is that it enables
a covert nobility to rule behind the guise of a "federal republic".
With virtually no open acts of violence or totalitarian measures, a
small fraction of the population in the United States maintains a vast
majority of the world's wealth and power by ensuring that "their
people" are elected and appointed to the key positions in the US
government. Living in the delusory American Propaganda Matrix, many
poor and working class Americans contentedly go about their lives as
the "freest people in the world" enjoying the fruits of "sublime
capitalism". In the American Propaganda Matrix, the American Way
is The Way, and there is no room for critical evaluation. Those beguiled
by the American Propaganda Matrix will tenaciously adhere to their delusions,
regardless of who suffers or dies as a result.
Your computer
has a virus, Mr. Rove
Unfortunately for
those in power in the United States, the American Propaganda Matrix
has a "virus". In fact, as a free lance writer publishing
on the Internet, and as a proponent of social justice, I am a part of
that "virus". The "virus" consists of activists
for peace and social justice who are attacking the "program"
which manipulates Americans into believing in the false construct of
the US as a benevolent world power with political and economic systems
which the world must embrace. I know from the many emails
(and comments on my blog) which I receive that more people are escaping
the psychological clutches of this Matrix each day as they awaken to
the harsh light of reality. As Americans examine their leaders and history
more closely, they see the depth of the corruption, the pervasiveness
of the lies, the extreme hubris, the insatiable avarice, the objective
of global domination (regardless of the human cost), the white patriarchy,
and the exploitation of the poor and working class. Propaganda does
not hold up well under the scrutiny of critical examination. The Iraqi
occupation, events in New Orleans, cuts in assistance to the poor, a
rapid decline in the number of decent paying jobs, tax cuts for the
rich, spiraling federal deficits, sky-rocketing gas prices, corporate
plundering, and weakening environmental protections are coalescing to
form a battering ram of truth which is shattering the delusions created
by the American Propaganda Matrix. When reality bites, the pain is real,
but as my wrestling coach said on many occasions:
"No pain,
no gain!"
As the "virus"
of activism for peace and social justice spreads like wild-fire, Karl
Rove and his staff desperately seek to patch the highly vulnerable American
Propaganda Matrix "program". Their efforts are in vain. Noam
Chomsky posits the theory that the world has two remaining superpowers,
the United States and public opinion. The "virus" has ignited
public opinion to mobilize against the miscreants operating behind the
veil of the failing American Propaganda Matrix. Bush's rapidly descending
approval ratings provide the statistical evidence, but there are also
more concrete indicators.
Cindy Sheehan
symbolizes a turning point
Consider Cindy Sheehan.
One woman standing in a ditch in front of George Bush's ranch in Crawford
came to symbolize the national movement against the war in Iraq, and
galvanized a growing number of dissidents in the United States to demand
peace and social justice from a country whose leaders are sorely lacking
in desire to allow either.
Ms. Sheehan's determination
and willingness to live in a tent while George Bush vacationed comfortably
on his ranch for five weeks has evolved into a cross country tour of
anti-war demonstrations. Now that Bush has finally gone back to work,
many of the Sheehan supporters from Camp Casey, including other military
family members and war veterans have begun the Bring Them Home Now Tour.
This three bus tour will hit 42 cities in 26 states. Their ultimate
goal is to converge on the White House with hundreds of thousands of
other activists on 9/24 to demand that the Bush administration end the
war in Iraq, bring home the troops, defend civil rights, and end racism.
Gold Star Families for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Vets
against the War, and Veterans for Peace are working together on this
national tour to garner public support for opposition to the Iraqi invasion.
They are also promoting the peace and social justice march on 9/24,
which will culminate with the delivery of petitions and demands to George
Bush, who needs a strong reminder that he is a mere servant of the American
people, not a monarch.
Activism in my
neck of the woods
Yesterday evening,
I left work and headed for the Plaza area of my hometown of Kansas City,
anticipating the arrival of one of the Bus Tours from Camp Casey. My
excitement was justified. Three to four hundred anti-war demonstrators
gathered to show their support for Cindy Sheehan's group. The caravan
from Crawford was a little late, but people found plenty to do as they
waited. Petitions circulated. People met, mingled and discussed their
disgust with the Bush administration and its imperialistic policies.
Ira Harritt, a local peace activist who is heavily involved with American
Friends Service Committee, and Nancy Carry, co-chair of the KC Iraq
Task Force, took turns speaking to the group about local efforts to
end the Iraqi occupation. Many of the demonstrators admired the enormous
collage assembled with ribbons bearing the names of each US soldier
who has died in Iraq since the illegal occupation began.
Having participated
in local anti-war demonstrations before, I was used to getting the finger
and hearing insults. Yesterday, I felt awe-struck by the virtually over-whelming
support of passers-by. The assembly was situated in a park on the corner
of a busy intersection and took place during rush hour. I noticed many
people honking, waving, gesturing and smiling with approval. I heard
no cursing and saw no vulgar gestures. Bush's supporters are obviously
dwindling and feeling less inclined to express their views publicly.
As I waited, I had
an opportunity to speak with two of Kansas City's stalwart anti-war
demonstrators, Carol Huhs and Bob Rowe. They are members of a group
of twenty die-hards who call themselves the 63rd Street Patriots. Determined
to make a difference, regardless of weather extremes or abuse from Bush
supporters, they have held demonstrations opposing the Iraqi occupation
for 132 consecutive weeks. The commitment of people like Bob and Carol
form the backbone of the movement for peace and social justice, which
by its very nature dissents against the Bush administration.
Morrigan Phillips,
the media coordinator for the Bring Them Home Now Tour told me that
the goal of the tour is to build momentum for the 9/24 march on Washington.
She added that another objective is to find members of Congress who
have the moral courage to introduce or support legislation to bring
the troops home immediately. They have set high goals, but they are
worth pursuing, and this group has the resolve to persevere.
I visited briefly
with Kansas City Star columnist Lewis Diuguid, one of the few mainstream
journalists in Kansas City with the courage to write columns supporting
social justice, peace, civil liberties, civil rights, and social welfare
programs. I thanked him for his efforts and for expressing his opposition
to many of the grossly misguided policies of the Bush administration.
Camp Casey comes
to KC
As the RV from Camp
Casey arrived, it occurred to me that I was witnessing (and was a part
of) an activism which had not occurred in the United States on such
a large scale during my adult years. I could feel the awesome power
of America's Propaganda Matrix waning as the energized crowd of "de-programmed"
Americans cheered the appearance of Tammara Rosenleaf and Cody Camacho,
who had both spent several weeks with Cindy Sheehan in Crawford.
Deeply tanned by
her stint in the hot Texas sun, Tammara gratified her eager listeners
with her brief bio, news of Camp Casey, anecdotes, and information about
the Iraqi occupation. I felt the elation moving amongst my fellow activists
from Kansas City as an element of Cindy Sheehan's group made direct
contact with us. For that hour, we were direct participants in the national
movement against the Iraqi debacle.
As she started speaking,
Tammara reminded us that Camp Casey had evolved from the courage of
one woman standing in a ditch alongside the road in front of the ranch
where Bush cowered. Within a few days, Sheehan had been joined by about
thirty supporters. Initially they feared they would be arrested, but
the local sheriff allowed their vigil to continue in the interest of
their First Amendment rights. By the end of the first week, they had
50 people and one tent. 10,000 people visited Camp Casey over the course
of its existence. It ended with a rally attended by 2,500 people who
helped dismantle the 71 tents that had been erected over the course
of 5 weeks.
Tammara told us
that her husband is stationed at Ft. Hood. His Army unit is scheduled
to deploy to Iraq in November. He supports Tammara's involvement with
Military Families Speak Out and the peace movement. Tammara told us
that her husband's captain and chaplain also support her efforts.
Pool of tears
and the raging torrent of public opinion
George Bush needs
to realize that the Iraqi occupation has created a pool of grief created
by the tears of mothers and wives of dead military personnel. Tammara
reminded us that Cindy Sheehan's tears caused this pool to over-flow.
What started as a trickle, grew to a river, and has now gained the momentum
of a raging torrent headed for Washington. Perhaps Mr. Bush will pay
attention to the pool of tears on 9/24 when he is confronted with the
power of public opinion which it has inspired.
Bring Them Home
Now left Crawford with an RV and $450.00. In the tradition of the Civil
Rights Movement of the 1960's, this is a grass roots movement relying
on support and participation from people across the United States who
are waking up to the malevolence of the Bush administration. Tammara
asked for donations as she spoke, and it appeared that many in the group
responded.
Tammara emphasized
to her audience that the Iraqi occupation also affects many facets of
life stateside, for both returning veterans and other working class
or poor Americans. In New Orleans, 3,000 National Guardsmen who would
have been helping during Katrina are busy occupying Iraq instead. Military
helicopters which could have been used to air-lift people out of the
city and to help repair the dikes are also in Iraq. How many will suffer
or die in the wealthiest nation on Earth before the New Orleans crisis
is resolved? As many veterans prepare to come home from their tours
in Iraq, the Bush administration is closing several VA hospitals, limiting
medical and psychiatric care for those suffering physical and psychological
wounds. Tammara reminded us that in Baghdad alone, JAG Corps officers
have received 2600 petitions for divorce since the beginning of the
occupation. It would appear there is no limit to the human cost George
Bush and his so-called Neocons are willing to expend using other peoples'
lives in their quest for global domination.
A veteran speaks
Following Tammara's
inspiring and heartfelt talk, Cody Camacho took the microphone. He served
as an Army specialist in Iraq from March 2003 to March 2004 before he
was honorably discharged in October of 2004. Cody asked several poignant
questions as he spoke:
1. Who is the "boss"
in the United States? Excellent question, Cody. With a slim margin of
victory in the last presidential election and support for his illegal
Iraqi occupation well below 50%, why is Bush defying his "boss",
the American people, and insisting on "staying the course"
in Iraq?
2. Why do people
continue to support corporate media? Another question more Americans
need to ponder deeply. Why support a corporate media which often ignores
or waters down the truth if it casts even a hint of negative light on
the United States?
3. What is the noble
cause in Iraq? Cody answered that question for us since Bush would not.
The illegal Iraqi occupation is a "nobility cause" to benefit
the wealthy.
4. Why are we showering
Halliburton (via its subsidiary, KBR) with billions of dollars in Iraq-related
contracts when our soldiers are not equipped with effective body armor
or properly armored vehicles?
Cody informed us
of the lack of efforts toward reconstruction of infrastructure for the
people of Iraq. Based on his observations during his deployment, many
US resources were funneling into the construction of permanent US military
bases in Iraq. (A nation can't have a "true democracy" without
US military oversight, now can they?) To further nauseate the crowd,
Cody told us that his job in Iraq was to protect Halliburton contractors,
one of whom bragged to him that he was making over $100,000.00 per year
(tax free). Given the fact that he was talking about Halliburton, it
was not surprising to learn that many of those contractors were performing
jobs US soldiers could have been doing. Disgusting to hear, but not
surprising.
One of Cody's greatest
fears as a veteran relates to the issue of depleted uranium. Depleted
uranium (or DU) is the residual left after natural uranium has been
enriched to make reactor fuel or weapons. Its radioactivity is mild,
but DU is very heavy and is almost twice as dense as lead. The military
places it in the cores or tips of weapons in order to pierce armor.
When DU does pierce armor, it becomes a cloud of vapor which then forms
a poisonous and radioactive dust. Many veterans of the Gulf War believe
that exposure to DU left them with chronic and serious health problems
and killed some of their fellow veterans. While the US military acknowledges
that DU dust is dangerous if inhaled, they claim that its effects are
short-term. There is no hard evidence to prove either contention. However,
Cody, and many other veterans, fear what the long term effects of their
exposure to DU might be.
As Cody finished
speaking, he dispelled one of the common rumors about Camp Casey. According
to several accountings, the pro-Iraq occupation demonstrators in Crawford
out-numbered the contingency at Camp Casey. Cody and Tammara both confirmed
that on a given day throughout the vigil, the number of Bush supporters
only averaged about 30. Not only were they much fewer in number than
the Sheehan supporters, they also went home at night.
How long can
he ignore the Second Superpower?
I left the Bring
Them Home Now Tour with a renewed sense of hope and a stronger faith
in the power and magnitude of the grass roots, spiritual movement toward
a better America. The "virus" of activism for humanity is
spreading rapidly throughout the "hard drive" supporting America's
Propaganda Matrix. As more people become acquainted with the reality
behind the veneer of lies, the Bush administration, large corporations,
the wealthy elite, and powerful lobbying groups are slowly losing their
grip on power as the tide of public opinion rises against them, here
and abroad. The non-violent movement for peace and social justice is
growing, and hundreds of thousands of us will be knocking on Mr. Bush's
door on 9/24.
Jason Miller
is a 38 year old activist writer with a degree in liberal arts. He works
in the transportation industry, and is a husband and a father to three
boys. His affiliations include Amnesty International, the ACLU and the
Americans United for Separation of Church and State. He welcomes responses
at [email protected]
or comments on his blog at http://civillibertarian.blogspot.com/