Mickey Z. -- World News Trust
"Why do you hate America?" This is a remarkably easy question to provoke. One might, for instance, expose elements of this nation's brutal foreign policy. Ask a single probing question about, say, U.S. complicity in the overthrow of governments in Guatemala, Iran, or Chile and thin-skinned patriots (sic) will come out of the woodwork to defend their country's honor by accusing you of being "anti-American." Of course, this allegation might lead me to ponder how totalitarian a culture this must be to even entertain such a concept, but I'd rather employ the vaunted Arundhati defense. The incomparable Ms. Roy says: "What does the term 'anti-American' mean? Does it mean you are anti-jazz or that you're opposed to freedom of speech? That you don't delight in Toni Morrison or John Updike? That you have a quarrel with giant sequoias?" (I'm a tree hugger remember? I don't argue with sequoias.)
When pressed, I sometimes reply: "I don't hate America. In fact, think
it's one of the best countries anyone ever stole." But, after the
laughter dies down, I have a confession to make: If by "America" they
mean the elected/appointed officials and the corporations that own
them, well, I guess I do hate that America -- with justification.
Among
many reasons, I hate America for the near-extermination and subsequent
oppression of its indigenous population. I hate it for its role in the
African slave trade and for dropping atomic bombs of civilians. I hate
its control of institutions like the United Nations, World Bank,
International Monetary Fund, and World Trade Organization. I hate it
for propping up brutal dictators like Suharto, Pinochet, Duvalier,
Hussein, Marcos, and the Shah of Iran. I hate America for its
unconditional support for Israel. I hate its bogus two-party system,
its one-size-fits-all culture, and its income gap. I could go on for
pages but I'll sum up with this: I hate America for being a
hypocritical white supremacist capitalist patriarchy.
After
a paragraph like that, you know what comes next: If you hate America so
much, why don't you leave? Leave America? That would potentially put me
on the other end of U.S. foreign policy. No thanks.
I
like how Paul Robeson answered that question before the House
Un-American Activities Committee in 1956: "My father was a slave and my
people died to build this country, and I'm going to stay right here and
have a part of it, just like you. And no fascist-minded people like you
will drive me from it. Is that clear?"
Since
none of my people died to build anything, I rely instead on William
Blum, who declares, "I'm committed to fighting U.S. foreign policy, the
greatest threat to peace and happiness in the world, and being in the
United States I the best place for carrying out the battle. This is the
belly of the beast, and I try to be an ulcer inside of it."
Needless
to say, none of the above does a damn thing to placate the yellow
ribbon crowd. It seems what offends flag-wavers most is when someone
like me makes use of the freedom they claim to adore. According to
their twisted logic, I am ungrateful for my liberty if I have the
audacity to exercise it. If I make the choice to not salute the flag
during the seventh inning stretch at Yankee Stadium, somehow I'm not
worthy of having the freedom to make the choice to not salute the flag
during the seventh inning stretch at Yankee Stadium. These so-called
patriots not only claim to celebrate freedom while refusing my right to
exploit it, they also ignore the social movements that fought for and
won such freedoms.
There's
plenty of tolerated public outcry against the Bush administration and
the occupation of Iraq, but it's neither fashionable nor acceptable to
go as far as saying, no, I do not support the troops and yes, I hate
what America does. Fear of recrimination allows the status quo to
control the terms of debate. Until we voice what is in our hearts and
have the nerve to admit what we hate... we will never create something
that can be loved.
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Mickey Z. can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net.