Times are changing always around us. In this great nation, many things are under way. A whole new way is on the horizon, and dawning upon us even now. A crisis looming that will affect our lives to a greater extent than perhaps any previous event in our short history as the mighty United States of America.
We, as Americans, used to take great pride in the fact that we are an apparently free country. We attribute our superior strength in the world community to the very ideals which we attempt to uphold as a society. Our tremendous strides in industry, science, medicine, and agriculture are the direct result of of this free and open pursuit of new ideas. Our patriotic dedication to our country comes from this freedom and liberty that only we, as Americans, are so privileged to enjoy. The basis of our governing law upon the alleged equality and rights of the individual has been solely responsible for our position of global dominance today.
Few persons anymore, however, seem to understand the fact that what are said to be our RIGHTS have with them at least one, and often many, associated RESPONSIBILITIES. The idea that rights went along with responsibilities used to be taught to everyone in this country. Somewhere along the line of time, the two became separated and things have not been the same since.
RIGHTS are very popular. We hear about them in the news all the time. Everyone wants more rights. Everyone is concerned that rights be distributed fairly. Everyone complains if their rights seem to be in jeopardy. People get upset whenever it appears someone has more rights than they. People get upset when they, or others, appear to have their rights violated. The politicians make good use of rights, basing much of their talk and promises on increasing or decreasing the rights of this or that group of people. Rights are always a very important topic, and no doubt a commodity that always seems to be in short supply.
RESPONSIBILITIES are not very popular with anyone at all it seems. Nobody wants more responsibility. Anyone who has any responsibility is always attempting to get rid of it and put it upon someone else. Whenever there is talk of responsibility it is usually in the context of an argument - or what will provoke one. Responsibility is a bad word. For anything that can be said about rights, the reverse is true regarding responsibilities. With responsibilities being such an onerous burden to everyone, it quickly falls down the scale of those with rights.
To those in power, this is what makes America great. Those with the most rights have the fewest responsibilities. Power always resides with rights. Power to hand the responsibilities down to those with less power and thus fewer rights to avoid it. The responsibility cascades down the ladder until it ultimately resides with those who have no power: The working people, the criminals, terrorists, and other scapegoats of society.
Those who know what it is to work an honest day’s labor have the majority of the burden for keeping everything going. Those who believe still in the old ways. Cherishing freedom and liberty - and life itself. Feeling they are blessed with these, they work and toil continually for those who do not. This has always been the way of things, not only in this society, but in those of old countries and cultures from which we have all come.
The system has always been this way, and has always gone in cycles. Groups of people need leadership to achieve common goals and security that cannot be realised without organisation, leadership, and government. Whether of religious or political, or both; government is a necessity for civilization. People will always have to work a little more than normal to provide for those in power who do not work in the same way.
Ideally, it is a benefit though. As having government allows people the freedom to work in peace. Instead of the farmer having to stop tending his stock or working his crops to go and chase off thieves and invaders, there is a protective force to do these tasks. Police and military do have a job, and work to do that is a benefit and worth what we pay them, even when they often sit idle most of the time. This is only the idea, and as such is a point of perfection that is rarely achieved.
It is a great system for the selfish, greedy, and lazy people of the country. If one desires not to have to actually do any work in life, there are but a few simple things to do. First of all, get an education. It doesn't really matter what this education might be in, but it is very important that you spend a lot of money on it. The more you spend, the more money you can potentially make, and also the more exclusive of a group you will become a part of in society.
(October 26, 2001)This system has actually served our country very well for the most part. There has always been discontent and talk from a small minority who believe the poor do not have a chance. This is not true though, and the reason such talk never really goes anywhere. The rich may have a distinct advantage in that they do not have to exert nearly as much effort to achieve the desired status. It is incorrect to say that the poor do not have a chance though, as it is entirely dependent upon how bad you want it.
The United States of America has always been a land of dreams and opportunity. Like no other nation in the world, there seems to be no limit to the extent of personal wealth and power that an individual may achieve here. Because we have all shared in the wealth and power of freedom and liberty through democracy, we have become the most influential nation on the planet. This is a position that has given us many RIGHTS to do as we please and be a major force in the growth and change of the modern world. The whole idea of associated RESPONSIBILITIES seems to have been lost or corrupted in our glorious climb to the top. Our responsibilities seem to extend only as far as our own borders, while our rights have been enforced upon the globe.
There are more than twice as many people living on this planet now as there were in 1945. There is only so much wealth that any one nation may possess, and there are more and more people who want it. The only way for the United States to maintain the high standards of living we have here was to take it from somewhere else in the world. Since our victory in the last World War, we have done just that. As the world’s defender of freedom and liberty we have sought to manipulate and control any other nations as we see fit.
For the most part it has been successful. The original group of victorious Allies has grown and prospered from this effort. We have been joined by other nations who have sought our dreams and ideals as well. World War 2 left a handful of winners and a great majority of victims. Victims, because most had no idea why the war was even being fought in the first place. The whole meaning behind the two wars was originally about wealth. Power and control are only secondary to this pursuit. The western nations had already begun the economic conquest of the world, and the German people had been left behind. With the end of World War 2, this group of free traders was able to do as they pleased. All that stood in the way was the Soviet Union. Communism stood as the only surviving enemy of capitalism by the end of 1946.
So just what is this process of global economic conquest? How does it work? The basis is trade and commerce. The capitalist nations have exploited all their nations wealth and need more. They systematically rape the planet of any available resource and convert it into civilization. Everybody wants to be rich and there is never enough for them all. People in the west have not been satisfied to just survive and be left alone. They want more and more. The rich must maintain a balance in some way or risk losing their wealth to the poor masses. But the masses in a western nation are also the taxpayers and the soldiers. If the rich want to keep the masses in support of their ventures, then they must see to it that the masses are kept at a reasonable standard of living. If not, then there is unrest and revolt. To continue to acquire wealth when your own nation’s resources have been exhausted requires trade and commerce. Great Britain, being a small and limited island, has known this for a long time.
Having risen to a standard of living that is virtually incomprehensible to the people of most of the world, there is a distinct advantage. The poor people in developing nations have no idea what value to place on their resources. Seems ironic actually to call them "developing" when it is not them who really desire any development at all.
Originally the idea of colonialism was to establish colonies of citizens in new lands. These people would move in with superior organisation and weaponry and begin collecting the resources there. The Ships from the homeland would bring in new supplies and take away whatever valuable materials had been collected. In most areas where this was done, the native peoples had no recourse. They were primitive, simple, and powerless to stop the invaders. In many cases they were not even seen as human beings at all but as inferior races.
The United States of America began its life as just another one of these colonies. After we won our freedom and became a close friend to Britain, we watched them carefully and learned from their mistakes. Subjugating the native masses was not the wisest of most profitable thing to do. Spending money to defend your interests cut deeply into profits. If the hearts and minds could be won over though, then there were entirely new possibilities.
The new idea to control and manipulate another country without starting a war or risking our own resources was really very simple, or so it seemed in the beginning. We could win their cooperation and support not by threats, but with wealth. Appealing to the greed in those we seek to control seemed a safe and sure means to an end.
The leader of a lessor power has two choices: Attempt to defend yourself against an unimaginably powerful force with superior technology and a strong circle of allies that could crush your country and take whatever they want by force. Or, Accept their offer of power, wealth, and alliance if you cooperate with them. So the lessor nation doesn’t have enough food, running water, decent medical facilities, well we can give you those if you allow us free trade. Power plants and electricity, paved roads, modern technology and equipment, we can trade you those things as well. So what if we run into a leader who’s nation has something we want and they won’t be bribed? They don’t want any improvements? They don’t want what we have to offer? Well the United States is a defender of freedom and liberty! We can’t just go in after all and take what we want. That would not look good to the American people and they would not support such action. The alternative number one then, is to simply find someone in that nation that does have desire for such things. We make secret deals that send weapons supplies and let our puppet overthrow the existing leadership of that nation. This works and no one knows what really happened. All of the sudden a new leader arises from a land stricken with unrest and pledges his support to the USA and ideas of capitalism. The American people cheer, and we have a new ally and new possibilities for commerce and trade.
Of course, nothing like this ever really happened. All of those tiny governments the United States has supported through the years have been legitimate. They were all fledgling democracies that were being threatened by Communist insurgence.
The truth of the matter is, however, that we have taken very little responsibility for all the rights we exercise as the dominant world power. Since our archenemy has collapsed now, there has been no one to moderate our activities. The pillaging of the lessor nations has gone on unhindered, and there is widespread discontent. Whereas the people of the free world are all under control, there are a vast majority that are not. We have a pretty good standard of living in our so-called democratic nations. We have all the modern conveniences and luxuries. And we have our medication, and the media to keep us from questioning much.
Over two-thirds of the world’s population live in hunger and poverty. Many live in nations that we consider stable and "safe" to us. The people are kept under control by a strong military that draws support from the United States. The leaders are wealthy and enjoy all the benefits of a western society while the people starve and die as slaves to the free world. Many do not live under such control though, and we are hearing from them now.