Independence Day 2009

As we celebrate our national day of Independence from the British crown, let us also acknowledge the presence of some the things upon which we have become dependent.

We have a declining status in the world in part because our citizens are DEPENDENT upon an education system which is not preparing our children to live in the modern world. OECD scores now rank America 31 out of the 57 nations it rates, in spite of the money America spends on education. An increasing number of American schools have ended instruction in arts, music, literature, foreign languages, philosophy and other “unimportant” subjects to “save money” and to “improve” test scores.

Our “criminal justice” system now houses more prisoners than any other nation in the world both in numbers and percentage. Almost none of its inmates are being prepared to live independently after release. Americans are DEPENDENT on this system which creates different forms of terror, one affecting the law-abiding citizens, another for those who break the laws and are caught and sentenced.

Our health care system is ranked 37th among industrial nations in terms of effectiveness and is the most expensive in the entire world. The main reason that Americans now declare bankruptcy is for medical bills. We resist governmental health care because of “higher taxes” yet many families are DEPENDENT on private policies for which they pay cost close to $1,000 every month, and which can suddenly increase in price or even terminate, especially if they lose their job or are laid off.

Americans are DEPENDENT upon automobiles for transportation. Buses, trolleys, subways, and trains are not available for the average American. Most families must have two or more cars for their basic transportation. And to drive these cars, America is totally DEPENDENT on foreign oil.

The American people are DEPENDENT on an economic system which has frozen the purchasing power of the average American wage since the late 1970s. This has happened during a period of astonishing increases in productivity, since almost all of its increases in capital have been accumulated by fewer and fewer owners and the American middle class has not prospered but appears to find itself shrinking.

Americans are DEPENDENT upon supporting a Capitalistic system which proclaims the virtue of the “free market” and “private property” even as it seizes and destroys both of them. To Americans, Capitalism IS a free market because the Capitalists tell them it is free, even as their purchasing options continue to be restricted. Americans believe a “free” market is one which is “free” FROM government control, instead of understanding that a truly “free” market is really “free” because OF governmental regulation. No one would believe the outcome of a major football game played without referees, much less one in which the referees were all hired and paid by one of the two teams, but that is the kind of system that Americans are DEPENDENT on for their economy.

America is totally DEPENDENT upon waging war. We not only wage “wars” against poverty, cancer, disease, terrorism, pollution, global warming, drugs, AIDS, obesity, pornography, but we have been almost constantly at war with some sovereign nation. We have fought the British, the French, Germans, Russians, the Spanish, Mexicans, Chinese, Iraqis, Iranians, Koreans; we’ve fought Japan, Italy, the Philippines, our own Native Americans, the black slaves and Asian coolies we imported to do our dirty work for us, and we’ve fought each other too. I fought in our wars in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and we have fought since then in Kuwait, Iraq, and now Afghanistan (and Pakistan?). And that is overlooking Granada, Cuba, Guatemala (three times), Panama, Nicaragua, Venezulea, El Salvador, Columbia, and others right here almost at home. Now American is building one of the largest mercenary armies in the world, arming people who are not sworn to fight for their country and bound by its laws and treaties, but to kill for a for-profit corporation. Americans are DEPENDENT upon providing for its vast military to “protect” itself from the world.

Americans are DEPENDENT upon corporate cabals which rule its legislative and executive branches of government. Powerful groups from pharmaceutical and medical, financial, petroleum, prison, religious and armament industries among others, direct the nation's actions and determine what is in its “national interest”. One such single group, the National Rifle Association rules congress with a “cocked pistol” held to the Congressional and presidential “head” even though somewhere between 14,000 and 30,000 Americans are killed by guns (by other Americans) every year. If a foreign terrorist kills 3,000 Americans in one day, that is cause for a Trillion dollar, never-ending war, but American terrorists kill that many about every 40 days - year around.

Americans are virtually DEPENDENT upon a press which has become a 24/7 presentation of opposing fascist propaganda machines. Truth - absolute Truth - is no longer sought by the American press except that both sides seek it out to find it out and kill it before normal people find out about it. The American press has become dedicated to misinform and detract its viewers from reality.

Americans are increasingly DEPENDENT upon actions from a religious fundamentalism which creates fear and hatred among its followers and denounces selected scientific findings with totalitarian fervor and threats of “eternal damnation”. Any attempts to operate “independently” of this religious fundamentalism may be met with terrorist activities which include warnings, threats, intimidation and even killings as “directed by the will of God”. No American can any longer support scientific findings without at least considering the impact they may have on the Christian fundamental terrorists in this country.

So - let’s pause for a moment and try to think - what are we Americans to do this Independence Day? Well, we can watch TV, we can drink beer and eat hot-dogs, watch fireworks, and - oh yes - wave the flag (better carry your gun too). That’s important because no matter how DEPENDENT we have become, it is very important that we act like we think we are “independent.”

I wonder what people from other nations is the world really think. But I would only want to hear from them if they were willing to also list some of the main things they are DEPENDENT upon. And if anyone reads these words and disagrees with them, please let me know what has been misstated or needs clarification and I will check that out and correct any errors I find.

Somewhere there has to be a basic “thing” that we can all call “humanity”, and somewhere there has to be a will to build on the wreckage of those great ideals upon which all our nations were once founded and which are still good and sound, but need to be applied to the real world in which we all now live.