The Last Days of the American Republic

[Time for change]

The title of this post was taken from the subtitle of Chalmers Johnson’s new book, “Nemesis – The Last Days of the American Republic”. Johnson calls this book the last of his “inadvertent (non-fiction) trilogy” – a series of three books which were meant to warn Americans of pending catastrophe and the “decline and fall of the American Empire” if they don’t change their ways soon. He never planned to write three volumes, but the first two warnings were ignored so he’s giving it one last try – though he believes it’s probably already too late.

His first book, which I haven’t read, was called “Blowback”, where Johnson warned of retaliation against the United States for the “covert, illegal violence” that we perpetrated abroad for the purpose of overthrowing democratically elected governments of other nations. It was written prior to the 9-11-2001 attacks on our country, but it didn’t receive much attention until after that date. His second book, “The Sorrows of Empire”, which was one of the best books I’ve ever read, warned about the disastrous effects of the monumental militarization of our country. And the focus of his current book can be pretty well ascertained from its subtitle – “The Last Days of the American Republic”.

All I’ve read so far of Johnson’s third book of his trilogy is the prologue. But it contains information that is so crucially important for Americans to think about that I’m choosing to post a discussion about it now, prior to reading the rest of the book.


Blowback

Though Johnson emphasizes the post-World War II period as our first ventures into “illegal clandestine regime change”, regime changes perpetrated by the United States upon sovereign governments started much earlier than that, involving Hawaii, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua and Honduras between 1893 and 1912.

The term “blowback” was first coined by our CIA in 1953, following its overthrow of the democratically elected and popular Prime Minister of Iran, Mohammad Mossadegh, for a combination of reasons, including his nationalization of Iranian oil and the belief (unfounded) that he might be leaning towards Communism. Though that tragedy remained unknown to the vast majority of Americans, the Iranians never forgot the years of brutal repression that followed at the hands of their pro-American Shah over the next 26 years. And most historians believe that the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis was largely a result of the Iranian hatred of our country engendered by our illegal overthrow of their government in 1953.

Following the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Johnson and his friends discussed what nations might have had reasons for perpetrating such an attack against us, They came up with a list of 18 countries as possibilities, due to substantial harm that those countries suffered as a result of our meddling in their internal affairs.


The failure of Americans to understand the causes of the 9-11 terrorist attacks

Whether one believes that the Bush administration itself perpetrated the 9-11 attacks on our country (as I do) or not, the idea that the attacks occurred solely due to irrational hatred of our country and were not based on anything that we have done is absurd. Yet following the attacks George Bush did everything in his power to perpetuate the myth of our nation as a purely innocent babe in the woods, saying at a press conference in October 2001:

How do I respond when I see that in some Islamic countries there is vitriolic hatred for America? ... I’ll tell you how I respond: I’m amazed that there’s such misunderstanding of what our country is about that people would hate us. I am – like most Americans, I just can’t believe it because I know how good we are…

And at a commencement address in 2004 Bush said:

No act of America explains terrorist violence, and no concession of America could appease it. The terrorists who attacked our country on September 11, 2001, were not protesting our policies. They were protesting our existence.

Hmmm. Well, I guess if anyone would know about such things it would be George W. Bush. Though he doesn’t read newspapers and has little more knowledge of American history than my cat, he does communicate directly with God.

But as Johnson explains, Osama bin Laden has no quibble with our mere existence nor with our “Western values”. It is indeed our policies that enrage him:

Bin Laden on U.S. sanctions against Iraq: “One million Iraqi children have thus far died although they did not do anything wrong”.

Bin Laden on U.S. policies towards Israel and their occupied territories: “I swear to God that America will not live in peace before peace reigns in Palestine…”

Bin Laden on U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia: “… or before all the army of infidels (American soldiers) depart the land of Muhammad (Saudi Arabia).”

The consequences of our failure to understand the causes of the 9-11 attacks

Johnson explains the consequences of most Americans buying into the myth of a purely good and innocent nation as the victim of a world wide evil conspiracy:

Because Americans generally failed to consider seriously why we had been attacked on 9/11, the Bush administration was able to respond in a way that made the situation far worse…

Then he expands on the disastrous consequences of buying into Bush’s myth by explaining what otherwise could have happened, and what instead did happen.

We could have… won the hearts and minds of populations al-Qaeda was trying to mobilize… avoided entirely contravening the Geneva Conventions covering the treatment of prisoners of war and never have headed down the path of torturing people we picked up almost at random in Afghanistan and Iraq. The U.S. government would have had no need to lie to its own citizens and the rest of the world about the nonexistent nuclear threat posed by Iraq or carry out a phony preventive war against that country.

Instead, we undermined the NATO alliance and brought to power in Iraq allies of the Islamic fundamentalists in Iran. Contrary to what virtually every strategist recommended as an effective response to terrorism, we launched our high-tech military against some of the poorest, weakest people on Earth. In Afghanistan, our aerial bombardment … gave warlordism, banditry, and opium production a new lease on life. In Iraq our “shock and awe” assault invited comparison with the sacking of Baghdad in 1258 by the Mongols. President Bush declared that… you are either with us or against us… His actions would ensure that, in the years to come, there would be ever more people around the world against us….

Perhaps the worst consequence of Bush’s “War on Terror” is the contempt for international law that it has generated

Whether Americans intended it or not, we are now seen around the world as having approved the torture of captives at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, at … Kabul, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and at secret prisons around the world, as well as having seconded Bush’s claim that, as a commander in chief in “wartime”, he is beyond all constraints of the Constitution or international law.

The crisis the United States faces today is not just the military failure… or our government’s not-so-secret result to torture and illegal imprisonment. It is above all a growing international distrust and disgust in the face of our contempt for the rule of law.

Johnson then expands upon and details how the Bush administration has demonstrated nothing but utter contempt for international law, pointing out that our Constitution requires us to abide by international treaties that we have signed; he concludes that discussion with a statement that should make us all wonder why our Congress has not yet taken aggressive steps to remove George Bush and Dick Cheney from office; regarding the international treaties that we have signed:

Neither the president, nor the secretary of defense, nor the attorney general has the authority to alter them or to choose whether or not to abide by them so long as the Constitution has any meaning.

The extreme militarization of the United States and its consequences

The major theme of Johnson’s second book of his trilogy was the extreme militarization of our country and the disastrous consequences of that policy. He continues that theme in his current book. Americans should consider these facts:

 We are the world’s greatest producer and exporter of arms and munitions.
 Every year our military spending exceeds that of all the other nations on Earth combined.
 We currently operate at least 737 overseas military bases in 130 countries.
 We spend three-quarters of a trillion dollars a year on our permanent military.
 And Johnson concludes that: “Sooner or later, our militarism will threaten the nation with bankruptcy”.

Johnson describes the evils of this militarization and the imperialism that it entails:

The purpose of all these bases is “force projection”, or the maintenance of American military hegemony over the rest of the world. They are meant to ensure that no other nation, friendly or hostile, can ever challenge us militarily… “Some of the “rest-and-recreation” facilities include the armed forces ski center… over 200 military golf courses around the world, some 71 Learjets and other luxury aircraft...

Americans cannot truly appreciate the impact of our bases elsewhere because there are no foreign military bases within the United States. We have no direct experience of such unwelcome features of our military encampments abroad as the networks of brothels around their main gates, the nightly bar brawls, the sexually violent crimes against civilians, and the regular hit-and-run accidents. These, together with noise and environmental pollution, are constant blights we inflict on local populations to maintain our lifestyle. People who live near our bases must also put up with the racial and religious insults that our culturally ignorant, high handed troops often think is their right to dish out. Imperialism means one nation imposing its will on others through the threat or actual use of force. Imperialism is a root cause of blowback. Our global garrisons provide that threat and are a cause of blowback…

We are now saddled with a rigged economy based on record-setting deficits, the most secretive and intrusive American government in memory, the pursuit of “preventive” war as a basis for foreign policy, and a potential epidemic of nuclear proliferation as other nations attempt to adjust to and defend themselves from our behavior.

The tragedy of the Iraq war

Johnson describes the extreme differences between George Bush’s rosy rhetoric about the Iraq War and the reality of it:

Despite the administration’s endless propaganda about bringing freedom and democracy to the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, most citizens of those countries who have come into contact with our armed forces (and survived) have had their lives ruined.

He then provides a lurid account of how many Iraqis feel about the war by quoting “An Unknown Iraqi Girl”:

I don’t understand the ‘shock’ Americans claim to feel at the lurid pictures (of torture at Abu Ghraib). You’ve seen the troops push, pull, and throw people to the ground with a boot over their head. You’ve seen troops shoot civilians in cold blood. You’ve seen them bomb cities and towns. You’ve seen them burn cars and humans using tanks and helicopters… I sometimes get e-mails asking me to propose solutions or make suggestions. Fine. Today’s lesson: don’t rape, don’t torture, don’t kill, and get out while you can – while it still looks like you have a choice… Chaos? Civil war? We’ll take our chances – just take your puppets, your tanks, your smart weapons, your dumb politicians, your lies, your empty promises, your rapists, your sadistic torturers and go.

I usually don’t like to quote anecdotal evidence like this because anecdotal evidence can be misleading. However, based on everything I’ve read about how Iraqis feel about our presence in their country, the above quote seems reasonably representative to me. Iraqi opinion polls clearly make that point; according to a World Opinion Poll of a few months ago, 71% of Iraqis want U.S. forces to get out of their country within a year, and another 20% want us out within 2 years, 78% say that our presence in Iraq is “provoking more conflict than it is preventing”, and 61% go so far as to say that they approve of violent attacks against U.S. forces. All of that demonstrates extreme hostility of ordinary Iraqis towards the presence of our military in their country. Yet we hardly ever hear this crucially important issue discussed in our country.


Outlook for the future

Johnson summarizes the current situation in the last couple of pages of his prologue:

Unfortunately, our political system may no longer be capable of saving the United States as we know it, since it is hard to imagine any president or Congress standing up to the powerful vested interests of the Pentagon, the secret intelligence agencies, and the military-industrial complex…

If our republican form of government is to be saved, only an upsurge of direct democracy might be capable of doing so… I remain hopeful that Americans can still rouse themselves to save our democracy. But the time in which to head off financial and moral bankruptcy is growing short. The present book is my attempt to explain how we got where we are, the manifold distortions we have imposed on the system we inherited from the Founding Fathers, and our appointment with Nemesis (the goddess of retribution and vengeance, and punisher of pride and hubris), now that she is in the neighborhood.

I wish that every member of Congress would read Johnson’s book and take it very seriously, especially the part where he “remains hopeful that Americans can still rouse themselves to save our democracy”. We elect our Congressional representatives to do precisely that kind of thing.

We inherited from our Founding Fathers a system of government based on the rule of law. Following World War II there was widespread international recognition that international institutions were required in order to create an international order based on the rule of law. The United States of America, under the leadership of President Truman and others (working with principles laid out by Truman’s predecessor), took the lead in creating that international order.

Now we have a President and Vice President who have nothing but contempt for the rule of law, within our nation and within the international sphere. In place of the rule of law they propose that they themselves have the right and the God-appointed duty to dictate their will to the American people and to all the peoples of the world. They have the power to do just that – UNLESS our Congress recognizes that they (Bush and Cheney) have grossly abused their offices and their powers, and therefore decides to exercise the responsibilities given to them by our Founding Fathers to oppose the tyranny of a chief executive bent upon the destruction of the rule of law in our nation and in the world.

[Amy6627]

1. Thank you for such a wonderful post. I had the pleasure of meeting

Chalmers Johnson at a book signing our Dem Club sponsored for him. He spoke first and when he got to the place where he said it might be too late for American to recover, someone asked what can we do? His answer: Plan your exit strategy!

I wish our leaders would read his works and take action, but I'm afraid that is a pipe dream.

[Time for change]

5. Thank you -- that sounds exciting

It sounds like he was feeling very pessimistic.

I like to try to be more optimistic than that, but perhaps I'm just living in a dream world to think that Congress will set matters right -- before or after the 2008 election. But how can face one day after another thinking that the best we can do is to plan our exit strategy?

Anyhow, I'm very much looking forward to reading the rest of his book.

[starroute]

2. The best thing I can see us doing is breaking the cult of silence

There's a hideous disconnect in Washington, where nobody is able to talk openly about the facts Johnson lays out. Even the Democrats are, at most, able to say that Iraq was a mistake. But the basic truth -- that America has become the bad guys and that we need to feel remorse and make amends if we are to have even the shadow of a prayer of rectifying the situation -- remains unutterable.

The left, as well, is paralyzed by memories of the why-do-you-hate-America trap it got itself caught in during Vietnam, and is largely reduced to pushing a sort of wishy-washy we-just-need-to-live-up-to-our-own-best-ideals kind of line instead. And that's getting us nowhere fast.

I see two things that need to change if we are ever to see daylight. One is to (with apologies for the term) frame Johnson's message in a way that ordinary Americans can accept. That's the tricky part. Maybe casting it in something close to the traditional religious formula of sin and repentance would work best: America as a nation has sinned and is suffering for it. Our first priority is to identify the nature of our sin accurately (rather than blaming it on the gay couple down the block) -- who we have harmed, how we have benefited by it, and why we keep clinging compulsively to the fruits of our sin. Our second is to atone for that sin by genuine sacrifice -- both in terms of giving up things ourselves and in generosity towards those we have harmed.

The second part, whatever the phrasing of the message, is to say it over and over, loudly and without embarrassment or fear of getting in trouble for it, until even our Democratic politicians start to acknowledge it and make it their own. Or, to put it another way, we need to cover their flank in order to make it possible for them to state and act on the beliefs we can only hope they are already thinking.

That's one strong reason I'm inclined towards a quasi-religious phrasing, rather than a traditional liberal-utilitarian one. Put simply, we have to seize the moral high ground. This is probably our greatest tactical advantage here -- the fact that the right has abandoned all moral claims to justification in favor of an extremely crude Darwinian survivalism. The moral center of our nature is open for the taking, as a result -- and whoever occupies it now will dominate American culture for a generation to come.

Liberalism lost ground increasingly after World War II by appealing solely to self-interest. The left -- whatever the new shape of the left is to be -- will get it back by appealing to altruism and self-sacrifice.

There was an article out a few days ago saying that researchers have found that altruistic thoughts activate pleasurable feelings in an extremely primitive area of the brain, devoted also to food and sex. Greedy thoughts, on the other hand, are not experienced as pleasurable. In other words, the right-wing mantra that you can't win by asking Americans to give up things is demonstrably phony. You just need to ask in the right way.

[Time for change]

10. I believe that Kucinich went some ways towards breaking the cult of silence

with his great speech about our trying to steal Iraqi oil, and how that will likely lead to greater destabilization of the region. Anyhow, I couldn't agree with you more that breaking that cult of silence is one of the best things we can do.

Yes, framing it in a way that Americans will accept will be very tricky. Your idea of framing it in religious terms is very interesting, and perhaps that would work. My view on that is that a great barrier to Americans accepting that their country has done wrong is our corporate news media. In a hundred and one different ways they work very hard to prevent Americans from even thinking in those terms. So, will the religious framing that you speak of help? I'm skeptical of that, but it's certainly worth a try, especially by those who actually think of it in those terms. I couldn't agree more that it is a message that needs to be repeated over and over again. That's a major reason I'm voting for Kucinich. But again, our corporate news media poses a great barrier to getting that message out.

I do firmly believe that you are right about the need for liberals to appeal to more than self interest. I love Edwards' steadfast emphasis on the need to attack poverty in our country. The conventional wisdom is that that is political suicide, and yet he's had the courage to do it and stick with it. Another politician who had no qualms about appealing to our altruistic impulses was JFK. And he certainly didn't suffer politically for it.

[NEOBuckeye]

83. Not politically

But physically. They killed him for it. Same with Bobby. Same with Martin Luther King. They had too much power/pull with the people and could not be controlled.

As for John Edwards, he's good, but the corporate media has already been doing its' best to "assassinate" him. As for what Gore wants to fight to bring about, can anyone really blame him for being hesitant about entering the fray?

[unpossibles]

48. I semi-agree but see a couple of problems

1 - as for religious framing, frankly I am done with that and while it may grab a couple of votes here and there, I don't think it will. Most of the alleged Christian Republican voters that I know personally don't really give a crap about poor people or other people in general and have a kind of self-righteous attitude about everything, imo. They don't see themselves as sinners and would never see Amerika as being a sinner. End of story. It's like they can't even begin to hear any acceptance of responsibility without turning it into a "why do you hate/blame America?!?!" thing.

2 - and again this is just my opinion, but I feel the left is already on the side of altruism and societal strength over individual, and if anything we get hammered for that by the right and the media. The right is the selfish side, as they don't want to pay taxes and don't feel the need to support the "lazy" members of society which do not have the same connections, luck, and whatever they do.


I do think we need to know how to frame our message better, but I feel the best way to do that is through honesty and refusing to allow the RW to dishonestly reframe everything to make us look bad. The right wing, while being the ones who are truly more selfish and irresponsible, have framed us as being the selfish ones, and I for one am sick of it.

[understandinglife]

3. Outstanding. Bookmarked.

:hi:


Peace.

[Time for change]

9. Thank you ul

:hi:

[some guy]

4. thank you

Like Mr Johnson, I believe it is too late as well. We do elect members of Congress to check the abuses of power of a rogue administration; and yet there are currently only four members of the House who are co-sponsoring articles of Impeachment against the vie-President. The 'leadership' is making no attempt to bring this issue to the floor.

Though they've sworn to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, against all enemies foreign and domestic' they claim to have other priorities. If retaining/restoring the basic framework of government in the US is not a priority for them, how can there be any faith among the citizenry that the nation will do anything other than continue to crumble and perish.?

[Time for change]

15. That’s the way I see it too.

It’s very hard for me to understand what they feel is a higher priority than re-establishing our Constitution and the rule of law in our nation.

Many have put forth the opinion that they feel this is the way to get a Democratic Congress and President in 2008. I feel that’s a grave mistake.

[CrispyQ]

39. Your final paragraph has the beginnings of a wonderful LTTE.

:thumbsup:

[formercia]

6. From the 'Official' bio of William McKinley

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/wm25.html


Not prosperity, but foreign policy, dominated McKinley's Administration. Reporting the stalemate between Spanish forces and revolutionaries in Cuba, newspapers screamed that a quarter of the population was dead and the rest suffering acutely. Public indignation brought pressure upon the President for war. Unable to restrain Congress or the American people, McKinley delivered his message of neutral intervention in April 1898. Congress thereupon voted three resolutions tantamount to a declaration of war for the liberation and independence of Cuba.
In the 100-day war, the United States destroyed the Spanish fleet outside Santiago harbor in Cuba, seized Manila in the Philippines, and occupied Puerto Rico.



This was done up much like the lead-up to Iraq and other takeover conflicts.


Those were the good old days....

[formercia]

7. The group that supplied a lot of the players:

http://www.ctrl.org/boodleboys/boodleboys1.html

[Time for change]

71. I believe you're right that the lead-up to the Iraq War

had much in common with the Spanish-American War, in that we used false excuses to justify an imperialistic war -- except that I believe that Bush's actions were substantially more egregious than McKinley's, since he had planned that war for a very long time and spent a great deal of time building a case for war that he must have known was totally based on manufactured evidence.

I do think though that the above "official" bio of McKinley minimizes his role. He asked Congress for a declaration of war against Spain, and our long disastrous war against the Philippines was pretty much his idea -- except that God urged him to do it:

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Philippine-American_War#God_told_McKinley_to_take_Philippines

[formercia]

89. Mckinley and Taft

were part of the Ohio gang and have the same political and social roots as Bush Gang. I think the Bush administration agenda goes back to the Westward expansion and Manifest Destiny of the 19th century.

[Odin2005]

8. The US started out wanting to be Athens, it has become Rome instead.

:cry:

[wildbilln864]

11. K&R! n/t

[lonestarnot]

12. $8,833,143,251,907.69 It cannot be sustained.

[Amonester]

13. $8,833,205,781,850.75 . All empires fall. - eom

[file83]

14. What will become of our people once America falls?

That's what makes me curious.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

22. I believe I will see an independent California in my lifetime,

I think the US will fall apart like the former Soviet Union, the more viable states will do reasonably well for themselves and fall under the European sphere of influence, I think the only part of red america that will survive as red america are parts of the sunbelt.

I would say much of red america will just become something like the third world, but much of it is already pretty damn close.

[Clark2008]

35. "Much of it is already pretty damn close?"

Where?

I live in "red" America and I don't see ANYTHING that looks like a third world country - and I've visited a couple of those.

Are there poor people here? Yes. But they don't, by and large, live in shacks with no running water or have donkeys outside their doors. They live in tenements and, around here, at least, these housing projects look like condos - certainly not like Cabrini Green up North in "blue" areas.

I agree that the US might fall apart like the former Soviet Union, but I believe each area of the country would draw upon its strengths and the red areas would, once again, as before the Civil War, turn more agrarian.

[femrap]

46. Just wait until the oil gets scarce and

folks can't run air-conditioning. Then what? All of those high rises with windows that don't open? What then? And global warming starts to kick in....who will want to live there then? And what about water shortages? Can't grow much without water, can we?

Sometimes I do think we have crossed a line of no return...if we don't focus on treating Mother Nature with some respect and stop using UNrenewable resources (and very soon), I think it's over.

I'm very glad that I didn't reproduce because I truly fear for the next generations...

I wish people would realize this picture of doom and demand of its politicians ACTION for the common good.

Edited...can't spell when despairing.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

68. have you spent much time in North Florida?

[Time for change]

72. To be honest about it, that possibility scares me

We've built up so much ill will in the world.

But on the other hand, the thought of America falling is not as scary as America "succeeding" according to the wishes of the Neocons. I doubt that they care what happens to most of us.

[NEOBuckeye]

84. America is an idea, not a government

The way I look at it is this: "America" is an idea, and ideas are both pure and immortal. The only way you can truly defeat an idea is to come up with a better one.

For the past 230 years, the "United States" has been the founders' attempt -- an experiment -- at realizing the "idea" of "America".

The United States is a government, and governments are by no means perfect, much less invincible. At some point in time, the United States will fail. Perhaps it will be replaced with a new and hopefully better attempt at realizing the idea of America, and maybe several such attempts. But whatever the outcome, America will live on so long as people continue to identify with the idea and call themselves Americans.

[OneBlueSky]

16. great post . . . I too believe that BushCo had something to do with 9/11 . . .

if they didn't make it happen, they sure as hell facilitated it . . . the obvious questions that haven't ever been asked in a formal inquiry are astounding . . .

[mod mom]

27. I too. Just too many coincidences and missed warnings.

[Time for change]

51. Did you happen to see Keith Olbermann a couple nights ago?

He talked about 13 "coincidences", where something went bad for the Bush administration and very soon after it was followed by some sort of terror warning for our country -- such as the announcement of Jose Padilla's alleged plan to set off a dirty bomb on an American City -- after he had already been in police custody for a month.

But Keith forgot the biggest "coincidence" of all: The fact that George W. Bush was intent on finding an excuse to go to war with Iraq from the very first days of his presidency, or before.

And then came September 11th.

Actually I don't believe that Keith forgot or overlooked that coincidence. Rather, some things are too radioactive for even him to talk about.

[ellisonz]

17. The "illegal, clandestine regime change" of Hawaii begins in 1790.

A. First White Residents of Hawai'i

1. Kamehameha Detains Two Foreigners

The first known westerners to have remained in the Hawaiian Islands, and certainly among the most influential individuals in terms of their impact on Hawaii's development, were an Englishman, John Young, and a Welshman, Isaac Davis. Both men were detained in Hawai'i unwillingly as the result of rather strange and interrelated circumstances. As mentioned, during the 1790s an increasing volume of trade had evolved between Hawaiian chiefs offering food, firewood, and fresh water, and foreign sea captains pedalling cargoes of metal, firearms, gunpowder, and cloth. The Hawaiian ali'i avidly desired such foreign goods, for through them they gained status and power over their rivals.

Isaac Davis served as mate on a small schooner, the Fair American, commanded by Thomas Metcalf, the son of Captain Simon Metcalf of the American snow Eleanor out of New York. Both vessels were bound on a northwest fur-trading voyage, which included a rendezvous in the Hawaiian Islands if they became separated. Reaching the islands, the elder Metcalf traded off the coast of Hawai'i during the winter of 1789, ultimately moving over to Maui. Metcalf was, by all accounts, an irascible, harsh individual, who believed in strong and immediate punishment for infractions of his rules. When natives stole a small boat he was towing and killed its watchman, he sought a secret, murderous revenge. Sailing to the village of the suspected thieves, he waited until the trusting inhabitants had gathered in their canoes around his ship, eager for trade, and then opened fire, indiscriminately killing more than 100 natives and wounding several hundred more. Avenged of his losses, Metcalf weighed anchor and returned to the island of Hawai'i where he initiated a seemingly friendly intercourse with the natives at Kealakekua Bay.

Kame'eiamoku, one of the North Kona chiefs on Hawai'i, however, had previously been insulted by Metcalf and vowed revenge on the next ship that passed his way. By coincidence, it happened to be the Fair American, seeking land near Kawaihae Bay. The opportunity to avenge his insult by foreigners, the defenseless state of the vessel due to its small crew and inexperienced commander, and the value of the muskets and other iron implements on board sealed the vessel's doom. Metcalf and his crew were either killed or drowned. The only survivor was Isaac Davis, who, although wounded, jumped overboard and managed to reach a native canoe, whose occupant clubbed him into submission but for some reason spared his life. The Fair American was hauled ashore and Kamehameha later appropriated it, its guns, ammunition, and other articles of trade, as well as Davis himself.

During this event, the Eleanor remained anchored at Kealakekua. John Young, a native of Liverpool, England (Illustration 20), serving as boatswain, went on shore one day with some of his shipmates to see the country, and, venturing far inland, returned alone to the beach too late to reboard the vessel. In addition, he discovered that Kamehameha had instituted a kapu on all canoes and was prohibiting the population from further contact with the Eleanor. A combination of reasons probably influenced that action. First, having just been informed of the capture of the Fair American, Kamehameha undoubtedly feared retribution from Captain Metcalf. Second, Kamehameha was still involved in warfare both with other chiefs on Hawai'i and with the rulers of the other islands. Because he was slowly amassing a quantity of arms and ammunition to combat these threats, he may have felt in dire need of knowledgeable foreigners with the expertise to handle those items, care for and repair them, and train his warriors in their use.

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/kona/history3.htm

[Time for change]

73. Stephen Kinzer has a very good description of it in his book

Overthrow -- America's Century of Regime Change from Iraq to Hawaii:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5325069

But your post has a lot of details that he didn't talk about.

[ellisonz]

87. Moreover, 1893 is not the pivotal date.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1887_Constitution_of_the_Kingdom_of_Hawaii

[Truthiness Inspector]

18. I won't recommend this post

It's ridiculous.

Your introduction contradicts your closing paragraph. The only thing consistent is the theme that America SUCKS. No it doesn't.

I am disgusted that this has been recommended 37 times as of my posting.

[Socal31]

19. Thank heavens...

There is another sane person on here!

Why does being a "good progressive" mean hating America these days? Why cant I just want Universal Healthcare, our troops to come home, higher minimum wage, and near-open borders, and a nice democrat elected in 2008 without being labled as right-wing? Why do I have to buy into this horse manure? We REALLY spend more money on our military than China, Russia, the EU, North Korea and the Middle-East combined? LOL. Show me the numbers.

There is so much crap floating around DU these days. It wasnt like this pre-2004 election. Yes, we all took a hit on that shitty November evening. But this is what becomes of it?

[Selatius]

20. Pointing out the US government has done wrong is not "hating America." That's incredibly absurd.

The government that reigns over a people should not be considered the same thing as the people it reigns over nor its lands and territories it controls. It's idiotic to suggest otherwise, given the historical evidence of world history in terms of governments that do things that the people would not support.

You want the numbers on how much we spend on the military? While it is hyperbole to suggest the US spends more than the rest of the world combined, the simple truth can't be denied either about how much the US spends relative to the rest of the world.

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp

The US military budget was almost 29 times as large as the combined spending of the six “rogue” states (Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria) who spent $14.65 billion.

Military spending in 2005 ($ Billions, and percent of total)

United States __________ 420.7
China * ________________ 62.5
Russia * _______________ 61.9
United Kingdom _________ 51.1
Japan __________________ 44.7
France _________________ 41.6
Germany ________________ 30.2
India __________________ 22
Saudi Arabia ___________ 21.3
South Korea ____________ 20.7

[formercia]

24. Value for the money expended

The US may spend a lot of money but doesn't always get the same value per dollar spent than say, China or Russia.

[Odin2005]

50. Exactly. Great Powers often do morally dubious things, the US is a Great Power...

...thus, the US has dome many morally dubious things. stating what could be described as a historical law of how Great Powers operate isn't "America-bashing."

[Time for change]

81. U.S. military spending as a proportion of world military spending

The link that you provide indicates that total world military spending in 2005 was $1 trillion. It also indicates that total U.S. military spending in that same year was about $580 billion, which is over half. But the pie chart, which you show in your post, indicates that we account for slightly less than half. I guess the exact numbers depend on the source. But either way, the U.S. accounts for an obscene proportion of military spending in the world.

[Tyler Durden]

23. rah, rah, rah.

sis, boom, bah.

You see one of the better prepared posts on what has gone wrong with the American Experiment, and all you can say is "Why do you hate
America?"

Give me a fucking break. I am so tired of watching the slow avalanche to the sea that this country has become; if anything was going to work, then it would have: the country keeps on rattling toward the abyss like a badly tuned Model "T" and all you people can do is pick one or two points that have been demonstrated hundreds of times followed by "why do you hate America?"

This ain't rock and roll; this is GENOCIDE.

[formercia]

30. We don't hate America

Just Bush Gang, their enablers and Masters.

The boys have been trying to loot and destroy out constitutional form of government for generations.

God forbid anyone would consider them to be America.

[CGowen]

32. ah well

“If the people were to ever find out what we have done, we would be chased down the streets and lynched.”
— George H.W. Bush, cited in the June, 1992 Sarah McClendon Newsletter

[formercia]

42. Another Poppy quote:

"Lies Work"

GHW Bush 1992.

[formercia]

88. Color of authority

I can only speak for myself, and hate is not a proper term. Hate assumes anger and what I feel is determination to see those responsible get their fair and due process. To feel otherwise would make us like them.

[Time for change]

34. You don't have to buy into this

Regarding your question about numbers for military spending:

Here's a chart of world military spending. You can see that it has risen to a $1 trillion by 2005:
http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp#WorldMilitarySpending

Here's a chart from the same reference on U.S. military spending. You can see that by 2005 it has risen to about $580 billion (and $630 billion in 2007):
http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp#USMilitarySpending

That means $580 billion for the U.S. in 2005, and $420 billion for the rest of the world -- and the figure is rising rapidly in the U.S.

I resent the implication that I "hate America" because I choose to point out what's wrong with it, in the hope that more people will recognize what's wrong and consequently do something to correct what's wrong.

How does that mean that I "hate America"? Do I hate some of the things we have done (especially in the past 6 years)? You bet I do. You call this crap? Ok, tell me what facts or opinions I've stated in this post that you believe are wrong.

[tabasco]

38. The US now spends more than THE REST OF THE WORLD combined.

Wake the fuck up.

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp#InContextUSMilitarySpendingVersusRestoftheWorld

[EOTE]

58. Why do you hate America?

Seriously though, I wish your criticisms would be more pointed rather than vague and insulting. Why is it that you mention "hating America"? Do you think pointing out the flaws which have led to thousands of deaths in this country is considered hating? I think it's people that neglect to look at these flaws and pretend that they don't exist that are the ones pissing on our Constitution and Democracy in general. But, perhaps you feel more comfortable with your head in the sand. I'll leave you be.

[EFerrari]

21. Tell History you find it disgusting. See if it cares.

[Tyler Durden]

25. EXTREMELY well put.

History may not repeat itself exactly, but it sure has one fuck of an echo.

[Time for change]

64. As Stephen Colbert might say

History has a well known liberal bias. ;-)

[EFerrari]

69. LOL.

Yes, he might say that. :)

[dbt]

26. Thank you!

Make that 43 recommendations.

[Time for change]

33. Can you be more specific about your criticisms of my post?

I welcome discussion over these issues because I believe that they're crucially important to the future of our country and the world.

You say that my post is "ridiculous" and that I mistakenly say that "America sucks", but that doesn't provide much grounds for discussion.

I didn't say that "America sucks". I pointed out (and quoted Chalmers Johnson as pointing out) several specific things that our country has done, especially under the rule of the Bush administration, that I believe to be terribly harmful.

If you could point out specifically where you believe my post to contain mistaken opinions or facts I could discuss this with you.

Also, could you explain how my introduction contradicts my closing paragraph? I don't see it.

[Bridget Burke]

40. Nope, hit & run is more his style. n/t

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

43. Make that two. -nt

[unpossibles]

49. look at it this way

Do you think that asking someone to consider the repercussions of their actions 'sucks'?

The author is not saying America sucks - stop falling into that right wing media meme where it is illegal or wrong to question what is done in our name (We the people and all that). The rights that people fight and die for should be exercised, otherwise why have them?

The author is saying we need to be responsible citizens of our planet and understand the consequences of our actions. Is that such a horrible thing?

[Time for change]

59. Thank you

I don't think it could be said any better than that.

[deutsey]

52. Are you sure you're responding to the correct post?

The OP is summarizing the "warning" that the author is giving us to prevent what he (the author) believes will be catastrophic consequences for our Republic if the current trend continues.

I don't see where the OP or the author presents a theme that "America SUCKS." They're saying that what Bush and, more importantly, the powerful interests that support him are DOING to America is what sucks.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

56. Make that 69 times.

Are you doubly disgusted now?

[TheWatcher]

63. Yet more Hit And Run Nonsense from you.

No attempt at real debate, just basic attack dog brow-beating.

Perhaps the reason this post has been recommended so many times is that there a lot of us who know something you can't seem to bring yourself to face.

Here is my question for you my friend.

Why does this country have to die, because of people like you who are too weak, blind, and willfully ignorant to help it live?

Wake Up, Dead Man.

[nam78_two]

82. Sshhhhh don't look now

But it is up to 74 now. Must be a lot of Marica-haters here :eyes:.
But hey 21% of the country is still "patriotic" I hear...

[Larry Ogg]

92. Truthiness Inspector, your screen name is really misleading… You should consider changing it

too “Truth evades me” or “Facts mean nothing”, at least something of the sort that accurately depicts your ability, or lack there of, to have a clue and an appreciation for those that do. Please don’t get me wrong, I believe people are entitled to their own opinion, such as those who belong to the flat earth society, and those that believe the moon is made of cheese, and let’s not forget the Republicans, I just would have never thought they would be hanging around a web site like DU…

[mod mom]

28. Another excellent post, TFC.

[HamdenRice]

29. Thanks! Outstanding! K&R nt

[CGowen]

31. Where Are We Going? And Why Are We In This Hand Basket?

Victoria Hardy
June 4, 2007

The more I explore the world, the more I find that the United States is going to hell in a hand basket, harsh words, I know, but the evidence is nearly overwhelming. Yes, there are still good people, there are still people who try to do what is right, who try to wake the others to what is occurring, but the majority of folks have become consuming zombies. The values we Americans used to hold so dearly of truth, justice and democracy are sliding away and the money hungry, warmongers and pill pushers have infiltrated our country, their prime directive being to line their pockets with money, at any cost.

While the news channels beat the drum of Republican versus Democrat, stirring us into a frenzy and dividing us, the more thoughtful recognize that the parties are a farce. The divisions between race, sex and religion are contrived measures to keep the people off balance, to raise our temperatures and increase our distrust of our neighbors, while those we should distrust, our leaders, tell us they are concerned for our welfare. Somehow we hear the words, but do not see the actions and if we do, we are told not to trust our perceptions.

This beautiful country created for the people, by the people, has become a poker chip in an international game of Texas Hold’em and where are the dissenters, where are the protests? Our food is unsafe, gasoline is over three bucks a gallon while the oil companies post their highest profits ever, government ignores the voice of the people again and again, truth seekers are called nut jobs, nut jobs are called leaders and asking questions has been declared un-American.

The rulers of our country lead by way of fear and distraction, they are out of touch with reality and out of touch with the people they are sworn to protect and serve. We are moving backwards, we are de-evolving and because we have plenty to occupy our attention these days, few seem to recognize the regression. How can the closing of the EPA Libraries compete with Britney Spears shaving her head? Why should we care that our president has just signed a document declaring himself dictator in the event of any national crisis when Paris Hilton is going to jail? And who cares about the firings of US attorneys when Lindsey Lohan can be seen snorting coke in a bathroom?

And why should we give a second thought to the fact that the Department of Homeland Security has given $385 million to provide "temporary detention and processing capabilities", otherwise known as Internment Camps, on American soil? Some may say, that’s for those illegal immigrants coming into our country and if that was the case, $385 million could have gone a long way to secure our borders, but it wasn’t. The writing is on the wall, folks, for anyone who chooses to see it, but very few do and others who see it simply declare it is nothing but a conspiracy theory.

The American dream seems to be going the way of the dinosaurs and many in America only know the nightmare of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=28827

[Time for change]

74. We had a choice of going the way our Founding Fathers mapped out for us

Or trying to establish an empire. After WW II we made significant progress in the direction of the former. Now we are going the other way so fast that I don't know if it can be stopped.

[ordinaryaveragegirl]

36. It's not about hating America at all...

It's about hating the beast that America has turned itself into in the last few years. World opinion of this country is not good, and we are often seen as greedy, aggressive fools, especially in light of what has happened with Iraq. We know exactly who to thank for that. Yes, '04 still hurts, especailly when you realize just how deep in the shit we are now. We have a "president" who isn't acting in the best interest of the country at all, and is eroding even the trust of many in his base. It appalls me that he has not had to answer for what has happened to tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens, because of his own greed and aggression. Not to mention that astronomical deficit his administration has amassed thanks to their addiction to military spending. Typical Repug politician mentality - bombs over brains; this could have been solved a long time ago with a lot less bloodshed, and there would be a lot more progress to show for it. It's going to take a long, long time to rebuild from the debacle that is Bushco.

Thank you for a fantastic and insightful post, TFC!

[Time for change]

75. Thank you -- We're goind to need some exceptional leadership

in order to turn this thing around.

[leveymg]

37. Read extended extracts of Prof. Johnson's books here:

Blowback: http://books.google.com/books?id=tSrKgv8UIBsC&printsec=toc&dq=Blowback+Chalmers+Johnson&ie=ISO-8859-1#PPA4,M1

Sorrows of Empire: http://books.google.com/books?id=eoFiaMTa5lsC&printsec=toc&dq=Blowback+Chalmers+Johnson&ie=ISO-8859-1

Masters of War (Johnson, ed.): http://books.google.com/books?id=iRiM3KtZdrUC&printsec=toc&dq=Blowback+Chalmers+Johnson&ie=ISO-8859-1#PRA1-PA19,M1

And other books referencing Johnson's work: http://books.google.com/books?q=Blowback+Chalmers+Johnson&btnG=Search+Books

Support Prof. Johnson and his colleagues - read and buy a good book!

[EFerrari]

45. Mark, is Blowback organized in seven or so chapters, each

a case of US interference in a foreign country beginning with Hawaii?

[leveymg]

61. Table of contents shows 10 chapters, Hawaii isn't in the index. You

may be referring to as book by Stephen Kinser, a student of Johnson:

Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq
by Stephen Kinzer

[EFerrari]

62. Yes, I am! Thank you! I've been wracking my brain to get that title

and since a recent domestic reorganization, had no way to track it down. Thanks. Overthrow was also an excellent history lesson for those of us who'd never seen the pattern.

[Time for change]

76. Thanks for the great links.

[byronius]

41. Al Gore's book doesn't deal with these issues, but supports the underlying premise.

And it's scary as hell. Thanks for this post. I'm still reading.

[Stalwart]

44. A Narrative Will Be Perpetuated

encompassing the grand scale of lies, subversions, perversions, cliches, stupidity, that got us into this disgraceful debacle. That narrative will attempt to present it all as as an honest, just and righteous action taken to defend freedom in a clever attempt to defend the great deception.

That narrative will be carefully woven and defended by those that have gained from what has been done and will be foisted forever by a powerful 1% or 2% on the gullible 20% that do not use reason and intelligence to see the truth and would blindly follow anyone anywhere for any story they are fed.

It will be carefully woven and fed to the sheep by those that would hope to rise to power again some day after we have stamped them down but not out. Believed by the ignorant it will gnaw at those with doubts that can be magnified by fear and manipulation once again in the future.

Truth, reason and honesty will put them down, attacking their myths and narrative every time they surface will keep them down. Vigilance and attacking the false narrative is eternally what it takes to keep our freedom.

Johnson and all the others who use reason, observation and intelligence now and in the past to give us what we need to fight the stupidity are heroes in the real war. When we use reason and truth, we fight with them.

Hopefully we will elect a champions of reason to represent the majority. Leaders that will inspire us to use reason to regain world leadership and restore faith in ourselves and our ideals.

[Time for change]

77. "Truth, reason and honesty will put them down"

Yes indeed it will.

But I think that before that can happen we need top take our news media back.

[femrap]

47. I love Chalmers....

I will be sending your post to others and asking them to forward on to more folks...just getting word out is the first step.

Thank you for putting together a great synopsis of Chalmer's work. I would love to meet this person.

[Time for change]

78. That's great to hear!

I hope that it does some good for the people you send it to.

[welshTerrier2]

53. The Sorrows of Empire: here are the last 2 paragraphs

There is plenty in the world to occupy our military radicals and empire enthusiasts for the time being. But there can be no doubt that the course on which we are launched will lead us into new versions of the Bay of Pigs and updated, speeded-up replays of Vietnam War scenarios. When such disasters occur, as they - or as-yet-unknown versions of them - certainly will, a world disgusted by the betrayal of the idealism associated with the United States will welcome them, just as most people did when the former USSR came apart. Like other empires of the past century, the United States has chosen to live not prudently, in peace and prosperity, but as a massive military power athwart an angry, resistant globe.

There is one development that could conceivably stop this process of overreaching: the people could retake control of the Congress, reform it along with the corrupted elections laws that have made it into a forum for special interests, turn it into a genuine assembly of democratic representatives, and cut off the supply of money to the Pentagon and the secret intelligence agencies. We have a strong civil society that could, in theory, overcome the entrenched interests of the armed forces and the military-industrial complex. At this late date, however, it is difficult to imagine how Congress, much like the Roman senate in the last days of the republic, could be brought back to life and cleansed of its endemic corruption. Failing such a reform, Nemesis, the goddess of retribution and vengeance, the punisher of pride and hubris, waits impatiently for her meeting with us."

[Time for change]

67. A great ending to a great book n/t

[immoderate]

54. Thanks for posting this. Chalmers deserves more exposure.

Johnson and Chomsky are top of the heap for intellectuals commenting on US policy.

--IMM

[Brigid]

55. We're going the way of Rome.

I'd like to think it's not too late to stop it, but after 6 1/2 years of the Bush regime, I'm pessimistic too.

[donkeyotay]

57. Thanks for the post.

The biggest issue we're facing is restoring representative government. Nothing will get done - no matter what is promised this election year - without addressing the fact that our representation is auctioned. If Cunningham showed us nothing else, he showed us the circulation between paying for a congressman's election and the reward of tax dollars to unaccountable contractors who allegedly defend us.

Yet, no "viable" candidate talks about it, and if he or she did, the media would marginalize them like they do Kucinich. We have no representation, and the election speeches are meaningless. That's why "independent" is now the majority party in this country. They shouldn't get their hopes up, however, but await the media-psych-ops plans for how to handle this latest wrinkle. For if you look back there have been many elections now where the electorate has been restless, but real change has been elusive. Remember the year when people's greatest concern was getting money out of the elections? Look how far we got with that. Nope, we'd have to do this from the ground up. We'd have to be a force they couldn't ignore. We don't have the leadership. We don't have the organization, and we are divided. If push comes to shove, the whole thing could be cancelled by a terra attack. In other words, I think we're screwn. :-(

[Time for change]

79. Priorities

Break the monopoly of the corporate news media.

Take money out of politics by making bribery of politicians (i.e. large campaign contributions) illegal.

Do away with black box voting.

But it's a vicious cycle because the presence of our corporate news media, etc., it preventing people from understanding what is going on.

Wake up America!!

[Blue_Tires]

60. ttt nt

[DeanDem10]

66. Empire

I fear Johnson is right. Perhaps the last chance we have to restore democracy is to halt the Bush-Rove dumping of legal voters from the registrars' roles is now.

Voters have no say anymore. And yet this country tries to export "democracy"? The only freedom GWB is talking about is the "freedom" to submit.

It's not just that democracy has been hacked (as the HBO documentary "Hacking Democracy" shows). Greg Palast has outlined in his paperback edition of Armed Madhouse and on his website the widespread and ruthless attacks on democracy by this administration. Until today, NPR had not explored the real story behind the US attorney's "refusals" to prosecute bogus charges of Democratic get-out-the-vote effort. This effort was to time baseless charges of vote fraud and file charges right before elections.

But the story goes much deeper and wider than that.

The real story is in the millions registrar's don't ad to the logs falsely claiming "fraud," when none exists. Millions more voters will be dumped next time. Rove et al have concocted so many ways to fraudulently remove voters from roles and votes from election-day totals, but you probably know them all.

But Palast has the evidence. Why are no major media outlets reporting this? (That's a rhetorical question because I do know why.) Though he's an award-winning journalist (used to work for ABC I believe), and crackerjack investigator, the US so-called MSM won't hire him anymore. He's too good at what he does.

Without restoring democracy at home there is little chance to transform for the better what we have become.

[Time for change]

80. You hit the nail on the head

The corporate news media wouldn't hire him because he's too good at what he does.

I'll bet they would love to get rid of Keith too, but they're afraid of the backlash.

Welcom to DU DeanDem :toast:

[AX10]

65. The overthrow of the Iranian government began the process that...

has led to the modern terrorists.

[formercia]

70. The whole point was to create worldwide chaos

The Military industrial Complex can't survive without it.

Like a Vampire needs blood to survive.

Those who profit breed the dogs of War.

[kineneb]

85. have all three books

Read "Empire" and had to have whole collection.

Chalmers Johnson is a wonderful researcher and writer. He knows his stuff.

And for those old enough to remember, he used to be on a great PBS program (1970s?) called something like "World Press in Review" and covered Asian news. It had a group of people representing all parts of the world and discussing what was covered in their media.

[defendandprotect]

86. US mperialism/Capitalism harmful around the world

True -- no one should be so naive as to believe the propaganda of white male history about our nation.

But if the premise of Chalmers book is that "terrorists/Bin Laden" did 9/11, then I think he is being very naive.

[Time for change]

90. The perpetrators of 9-11

Who perpetrated 9-11 is not at all the premise of Johnson's book. The theme of all three of his books in the "trilogy" that I mention is the destructive effects of U.S. imperialism.

Chalmers Johnson is certainly not naive. He does seem to accept the idea that Islamic terrorists perpetrated 9-11. There may be any number of reasons for that. One may be that he doesn't want an argument over who perpetrated 9-11 to interfere with the main emphasis of his book, which is U.S. imperialism -- or, he may simply feel that the rest of his book would be discredited in the eyes of many Americans if he brought that issue up. Or, he may not have closely studied the evidence suggesting that 9-11 was perpetrated by the Bush administration. I wouldn't hold that against him, since nobody has the time to delve deeply into all the major issues that confront us today.

Keep in mind that even Michael Moore, in Fahrenheit 9-11, did not imply that the Bush administration perpetrated 9-11, nor did he even bring up that possibility. Outside of DU and perhaps a few other liberal web sites, that subject is virtually taboo. And even on DU you can't make it the primary issue in your OP without having it relegated to the 9-11 forum.

[CGowen]

91. Michael Moore doesn't want to go into "911 inside job"

Moore appeared briefly in Alex Jones's 2005 film Martial Law 9/11: Rise of the Police State. Jones prompts Moore for an answer as to why he did not mention any of the real issues about the September 11 attacks in his film Fahrenheit 9/11. Specifically, why Moore did not mention why NORAD stood down. Moore's reply was simply, "Because it would be Un-American."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Moore


He is like all the other left gatekeepers out there, for example Noam Chomsky

http://www.geocities.com/agent_noam_chomsky/chomsky.htm