American Honor

Article first published as American Honor on Blogcritics.

Since I began writing, I have been called numerous names. I have been told I should be tarred and feathered and run out of town. I have been called a Communist, a tree hugger, and a liar. I have been banished by God, and his fearing people. I have been accused of being stupid, unaware, and out for the handout. I have listened to people call the president names such as Obozo, and use terms like "froward." I have read shared articles stating our president is a Communist; a Socialist. I have read falsified information that shifts the responsibility of our current state of economy, in its entirety, to the current White House administration.

All of these things are simply big corporation lies. The lies are created to muddy the minds of those who want to believe them, as if it suits their purpose. The people like me, the people that look at both sides of the story and then search out the facts, know exactly what I am talking about; the rest will slam me with their ridicule. My side on this particular piece is this: It isn’t about who is right or wrong. It isn’t about liberal or conservative. It isn’t about Republican or Democrat. It isn’t about black, white, brown, Latino, or Arab. It isn’t about Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, Scientologist, Muslim, Jew, or Hindu. It isn’t about young, old, male, female, or sexual preference. Today, it’s about pride. It’s about the honor and respect for our leaders, regardless of their politics. It’s about our people, our politicians, and our government, not about whose side we are on or what political stance we take. Where did that American pride and respect go? When did we become so disrespectful? When did we become so full of hate? When did we allow our values to be preached to us by the networks? When did we become so incredibly selfish? When did we lower ourselves to verbally abusing our officials, with an Archie Bunker mentality? We sit on asses of self righteousness, calling names, throwing disrespect, like playground bullies, too afraid to confront the real issues, too lazy to act on them, and too complacent to attempt to make any significant change.

I’m not sure which side of this chicken/egg came first. Did the politicians stop respecting our people or did the people stop respecting the politicians? The people will blame the government and the government will blame the people. In the mass of deceitful lies and betrayal of one another, I can’t help but ask myself, does blame matter? Today, that seems to be all that does matter. We live in a state of who to blame, because the politicians are so weak they have nothing else to stand on. They can’t stand on their convictions, because they are devoid of conviction, they are bought and paid for by the corporate steam of power and arrogance.

Corporate America took a big hit when they lost to Obama. They had the balls of the Republican Party clenched down tight, on lock. What they preached to the public was lighter government and less government control. I play with words all time. I enjoy playing with metaphors and similes, as do corporate speech makers and marketing analysts. Maybe I can see it only because it is a trick of the trade, but still, it’s transparent. What they metaphorically call less government means less environmental protections, fewer fines for illegal dumping, fewer restrictions on air pollutants, fewer laws governing the safety of the people, to enhance their financial growth. They pay for this advertisement through food stamps, collective bargaining, and the slow growth of the economy. Corporate America hides behind the belief of trickle down, yet as their growth soars skyward, it leaves us with less than the trickle from a defective prostrate.

The people see that the elections today are filled with voter suppression, and they laugh, as if it is about their candidate winning, at any cost. The message is clear in America: Cheating is okay if you win in the end. What kind of hypocrites have we become? Who are these new American infidels? We discipline our children if they cheat a friend. We suspend a student if they cheat on a test. We lose a job if we cheat the numbers. Cheating is a punishable offense, unless you are a politician or the supporter of one, then it is solely about winning, getting to the top no matter what, right? Double standard? Where is the honor in winning if you have to cheat, lie, deceive, betray, and sell your soul to be the winner? Where is the integrity of the politician who chooses, or merely allows, that to happen? Is that really someone we want to run our country? Is this what young men and women have died to protect? Our voter’s rights were supposed to be sacred, but they have fallen prey to corporate and political vultures.

We are watching big corporate money, with the help of the sham of Citizens United; buy our elections, over and over. People like the Koch brothers have quit trying to hide it. They laugh. They think it’s funny that the fundamentals of Americanism have been overthrown by the power of dollars. Voters think it’s funny? Their mindset: whatever it takes to beat Obama. People rally behind the Koch spin machine. They call Obama the communist, but what the people of these groups don't realize is the Koch wealth was born in communist Russia. Fred Koch, the initial money maker, made his millions from, the one and only, Josef Stalin, a leader in communist Russia. The original Koch millions were made by the hands of a very true, very real, very violent, and very communist Russian leader. Now, what was that about Obama's communism? I watch the Crossroads, Crossroads GPS, (Karl Rove dominated), Americans for Prosperity ( Koch founded and funded), and Restore Our Future commercials and I want to scream out the truths, I want to vomit the injustice to every lost or crippled soldier. I want to fight for the American who has lost sight of the American patriotic forest due to the mirage of power tripping trees.

Pride, how in this world can any American feel pride anymore? We live in a country based on a lie of freedom. We condemned and impeached President Nixon for wiretapping in Watergate, but we turn our backs on the Patriot Act, allowing every American, at will, to be spied upon. No impeachment followed W, because the fear of terrorism was too firmly implanted in those who again, couldn’t see the proverbial forest.

We thumb our noses at the current president, calling him a Communist, when the reality is he is just a Republican in colored clothing. Obama isn't any different than the other conservatives, he is just a little more humane. The conservative spin whines against him, not realizing he is basically one of their own. Come on, he signs bills that would make even a moderate Liberal cringe. All too often, he plays to his base, but the glare of his conservativism blinds some. While some believe the controlled media, they degrade him for the economy, because that is what is pushed. It isn’t true, but they repeat, share, and defend their stances. What is true is he signed the National Defense Authorization Act, also known as NDAA, which is a totally unconstitutional bill. NDAA was a direct slam to the American people, just as the Patriot Act and the Patriot Act II both are. This bill gave our military the ability to strike on our own soil, which is constitutionally erroneous. To me, it’s writing on the wall. Does our government fear the Occupy movement to the point of excessive force? One should wonder.

Our current president also was in talks in a backdoor international trade bill that would give exclusive environmental risks clearance, via a panel of three international lawyers. Not judges, not Americans, just lawyers. This panel of three would have the power to overthrow American law on American soil, to benefit the corporate world. All of this in the name of free trade and global economy. My question is this: Who had this global economy idea in the first place? Take a good look, what good has it done us?

Last night, I listened to FoxNews tell the people that with Obama lightening immigration for illegals, he was contributing to the bad economy. So, they believe if we deport people by the masses that it will provide more jobs for the American people? I don’t think the state of our economy falls on the heads of illegals, that’s another brainwashing, anti Obama, tactic. I think our economy dumped when our large corporations became too greedy and decided to move their companies to Mexico and other third world countries so they could benefit from slave labor. I guess they grew tired of just Mexico, though, because now they seem to be going for the global slave trade. Bill Gates loves it, though, along with his other multi-million, multi-billion, dollar buddies. The color of the skin may have changed, but slavery is alive and well in the 2012 world today.

Our current government has purchased tons of pink slime to feed our children in their school lunches. Our Department of Homeland Security has purchased 450,000,000 rounds of .40 caliber, hollow point, bullets. This is not our military, this is Homeland Security. Homeland Security is strictly about American soil. Hollow points? They are looking to do extensive damage, but who is the proposed target of this very destructive ammunition, on both levels?

We have a blacked-out media that doesn’t allow for the real headlines to cross through without censorship. We have police using riot control and illegal arrest tactics against peaceful protesters. We have immoral free trade agreements that will sell us out without us ever having a chance to reverse them being discussed behind closed doors. We are eating genetically modified food and pink slime ordered by our government. We have given rights to the executive branch to shoot on sight, to arrest and detain without due process, to stop and frisk, to racially profile, to patent the vaginas of women, to starve the hungry, and to discriminate with religion. We subsidize big oil companies with billions of tax dollars. We are facing wiretapping, drones, cameras, and censorship of the Internet. They are working toward a blind and controlled nation. Is it the communism of President Obama, the fascism of the extreme right, or is it both sides, attacking us, sneaking in though our blind spots? We are losing very basic rights daily, not just from the Obama camp, because the truth is, his hands are fairly tied, he can’t pass anything without the help of his friends, now can he?

Now, what was I saying about having pride and respect for our politicians? How can we possibly feel pride in a nation that sends their young men and women to fight wars, risk their lives, limbs, and/or sanity, under the premise of freedom, when the real war zone is in Washington? Our soldiers face grenades, chemical warfare, bombs, and high powered weapons daily, all in the name of fighting for our freedom. The real war isn’t with the foreign terrorists and the threat of terrorist attacks, bomb blasts, and gunfire. The real weapon that is used against the American people is the Washington pen. The hand that holds it, as it signs away our rights, is the terrorist who would shame even the most ignorant, and arrogant, of Americans.

What kind of a people, what kind of a politician, would send our people into a war with such disreguard to all human life, when there isn't any risk of the loss of our freedoms in the first place? What kind of people can claim victory on the blood shed by the children he has sent to fight the battle he hides from fighting himself? How barbaric and imbecilic have we become? Have we lost the ability to see through the hologram? Did we ever have it? For the life of me, I can't understand our trend backwards. I can't understand why or how people accept Citizens United. I can't understand why people can't see we are not being screwed by the current administration any more than we were the last one. I can't believe patriotic eyes have been sealed by the glue of the billionaires club. I can't believe the low level of integrity in Americans, both publicly and politically.

Tell me, how can I respect this nation that lives under such a pretense of freedom? How can I pledge my allegiance? How can I stand with my hand over my heart with clear patriotism? How can I be a proud American when I can’t find any pride or honor in our politicians? I can’t. I want a leader who is honest. I want a leader who doesn't hide behind closed doors or fear leaks. I want a leader who believes in the truth and the justice that the American people believe in. I want, and would to anything to have, my free America back. I want respectable leaders who aren't bought. I guess those days are gone. RIP America.

Till the next time, Peace.

Pam