GOD BLESS AMERICA!

(Her need is dire)

by

John Roberts(2002)

A week or so ago, I awoke with the tune of "God Bless America!" on my mind. As an Englishman, I am not very familiar with this, extremely popular, US song, although I know the general outline of the first verse or so. It is rather a trite, third-rate ditty, of no musical value, but is of interest as an example of the type of nationalistic propaganda to which the people of the United States are regularly exposed.

Having stated that I am an Englishman, it will be apparent that I have much in common with many folk in the USA. Indeed, my sympathies and interests are similar to many, thinking, Americans and I am well aware of the contribution which the people of the United States have made towards human evolution; not only industrially but culturally and intellectually. I feel, with H.W.Longfellow, that:

"Not chance of place or birth has made us friends,

being oftentimes of different tongues and nations.

But the endeavours for the selfsame ends,

With the same hopes and fears, and aspirations."

It is thus with some hesitancy and regret that I have recorded my thoughts on the influence that the USA is exercising in the world at this time: an influence rather baneful than beneficial. Indeed, I increasingly feel that the world is on the brink of a disaster of prodigious proportions: that the cause is the massive military strength of the United States and the failure of the bulk of the citizenry of that nation to comprehend just what sort of a monster it has created.

Twice during the 20th Century has the USA come to the aid of Britain and its allies, albeit reluctantly, at a time when civilization itself has been threatened by powerful regressive influences. On each occasion, it has seemed that the progressive side has succeeded in defeating the forces of evil. Life has continued very much as before, with certain social and cultural adjustments, resulting, for people in the Western and European worlds, in greatly improved living standards. Indeed, it may be averred that most working-class folk, in those countries, have experienced an increase in wealth, comfort and personal amenities, far exceeding the wildest expectations of their youth. Such is certainly the case from my own viewpoint, as I was raised in a very poor district of Lancashire, England. Be that as it may, the same cannot be said for those who have been born and bred in what is commonly known as a "Third-world" environment.

There is, thus, a wide divergence between the living standards of East and West. It might be asked, "What is the Western World doing to redress the inequality that exists in so many societies, right across the world?" There can, of course, be no doubt, whatever, that such inequality and injustice does exist and upon a massive scale.

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As we are speaking specifically about North America, perhaps we might discuss conditions and attitudes subsisting in that Continent. Now, I have never set foot in America, nor am I likely to do so in the future. Not, of course, that I would reject the opportunity to visit, what must prove to be a most interesting and instructive country. I have, however, lived a long time in the world and, in common with most Britishers, have been subject to the influence of US propaganda and culture for many years. I feel a certain familiarity with and understanding of the ways of the people of the various American States and have observed their behaviour from the perspective of Australia for over 45 years. The efficiency of modern and varied organs of mass-communication has ensured that I, myself, in common with millions of English-speaking people, world-wide, have come under the influence of this astonishing phenomenon.

The infectious influence of the USA was initially felt by the arrival in the early 30's of the talking-film. American films brought characters like: May West, Tom Mix, Donald Duck, Zorro, Laurel and Hardy, etc., into the personal lives of millions of people, world-wide. This influence has been enormous. The success of American business propaganda is legendary, with those ghastly reminders of the presence of US money, in the shape of the McDonald and Kentucky Fried Chicken advertisements, which so blatantly disfigure the countryside of Australia and other far-distant countries around the globe.

Even Governments have been affected: none more than that of Australia, which once prided itself upon its British origin and principles. With the establishment of the European Common Market (and even earlier than this), Australia, turned, more and more, to the USA for its corporate and cultural inspiration. Traditional Australian life will never be the same, as the old standards of fair-play and honest dealing, which once influenced the minds of the Aussie businessman, have been well and truly discarded. Corporate dishonesty is rife, here in Australia, just as it is in other parts of the business world and corporate crooks, who can afford equally indifferent lawyers, for whom right-dealing and fair-play are "old hat", are usually able to avoid gaol by deft use of the excessively benign provisions of the criminal law, which enable these scoundrels to escape justice.

Thus, by the turn of the second millennium, we find the world dominated both militarily and economically, by the United States. There have already been numerous and often violent reactions to the systematic subversion of world trade by the USA. Goods are produced by globalized companies, wherever labour is cheapest. Cities will offer companies subsidies to establish manufacturing plant in their suburbs; sometimes worth millions of dollars. When the money is spent, the factories are closed down and the plant moved to another town, where further subsidies are forthcoming. Factories are often closed which have sometimes remained static for generations, and skills are subsequently lost, forever. This phenomena affects workers all over the world, from America itself to Australia. There is never any protest from Government, as this particular Capitalist trick, is sacrosanct. It is a never-ending process and even in South America, is common, as living standards rise with regular employment and the demand for higher wages becomes more vocal.

Workers in the USA are not immune from this malady and suffer as much as other workers, world-wide. Only shareholders benefit from these upheavals in the industrial lives of working-class people everywhere.

In America itself, the first principle of Industry is that the last drop of sweat is to be squeezed from the brow of the worker. A large pool of unemployed labour is seen as a necessary tool in the management of the people and, together with minimal social-security benefits, ensures that the worker puts in a good day's work for his employer.

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The United States was first settled in the 17th Century, by the arrival of the Pilgrim Fathers. These were a body of English Protestant Independents (Congregationalists), who were dominant in the Parliamentary Government under the Protectorate, but fell from power upon the restoration of the Monarchy, under Charles the Second. Themselves, intolerant of other minority religious groups, some Independents decided to seek a new life in the New World. Well, we all know how the new Colony grew and attracted many more folk from the old world, during the next few hundred years.

The indigenous people were given a rough time and were, in effect, pushed further and further West, until by the latter end of the 19th Century, even the West was demanded of them and they were almost totally wiped out by Wars, disease, starvation and maltreatment by perfidious Whites. These nominal Christians: very ardent in the public declaration of their religious beliefs, were quick to inflict successive horrors upon the helpless "Redskins", with no evident qualms of conscience. The obliteration of indigenous culture was forefront amongst their activities.

Slavery added its own peculiar flavour to the nasty taste of life in the new country. More than any other anti-social and inhuman conduct on the part of the wealthy landowner, this practice degraded and debased human beings, both white and black. It enriched the whites and enabled them to live very much as Lords, with power of life and death over the blacks under their control. Many of these whites were cultivated and progressive, in some respects. Take the case of Thos. Jefferson, Scientist, Mathematician, Scholar, Statesman and Slave owner. In common with many of his type, Jefferson was not above enjoying the physical conveniences of slave ownership. In this case the lady could not say, "No!"

It took a Civil War to eliminate slavery, although this was principally a side-issue and merely an incidental event almost at the close of hostilities, in l865. The subsequent suppression of the civil rights of Blacks, continued for another hundred years, with an appalling history of brutality on the part of white men towards the poorer and weaker Black citizens, whose intrinsic rights were consistently and persistently ignored, particularly in the Southern States. Maltreatment and lynchings of Blacks in the South were commonplace, well into the 20th Century. Even today, one hears reports of intimidation of Black voters who seek to assert their right to participate in the election of their political representatives.

Whilst these things are all peripheral, they combine to paint a very poor picture of the moral and spiritual standards of the American white Male. I single out the male, because it is the male who principally asserts himself in relation to public affairs and women still have less clout than men in most aspects of public life.

The social life and activities of the people also give an indication as to their moral qualities. Americans are a "gun-toting" tribe and their gun clubs and hunting organizations are well patronised. The shooting of wild animals: bears, deer, wolves, foxes, mountain lions and other native livestock is a popular pastime, and is permitted in many, if not all the States of the Union. This in spite of the activities of conservationists, concerned at the threat of the extinction of certain species. One well known hunter was the writer, Ernest Hemmingway, who was extremely fond of shooting and held in great regard by the American people, as a hunter of wild animals in Africa and elsewhere. He was often photographed, posing proudly before the corpse of some elephant or lion, just despatched with the aid of his high-powered game rifle. How charming!

Gambling, another very popular pastime, widely associated with the sporting fraternity, is fashionable and cities such as Las Vegas are held out as striking examples of what can be done with money. That there is a sinister aspect of this business is conveniently ignored. Organized Crime, now almost respectable, is usually associated with these places of entertainment and resort. Indeed, the popularity of "high-roller" gambling is such that Casinos have sprung up all over, not only the good old USA but of the whole Western and Eastern worlds.

Australia: always a profitable place for the gambling entrepreneur, has adopted many of the American gambling trends in recent years, including that gargantuan phenomenon, the Casino. Most States now have at least one Casino complex, in addition to Lotteries of various forms, Poker Machines, Art Unions (ostensibly supporting charities) and gambling on sport of every type imaginable. In addition, there is in all Societies, much private gambling of various forms. My essay on "Gamblemania" deals with the social consequences of gambling upon such a large scale. Sadly, it is an indicator of public decadence of a very low order. Quite apart from the profits from State run enterprises, considerable revenue is raised via taxation of all forms of public gambling.

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Recently, (Aug 2002) I had occasion to view a US documentary film, revealing the conduct of certain members of the US Army, during the Korean War. During 1951, an unspecified number of Korean civilians were deliberately shot and killed on the orders of superior United States Officers. Presumably it was feared that North Korean Spies might infiltrate groups of Refugees and move into South Korea. However, there is no doubt that an unknown number of men, women and children were deliberately killed. Former US soldiers, now well into old-age, were recorded, tearfully confessing their own part in this murderous exercise. They were, no doubt, overwhelmed by the enormity of their crime, even when acting under orders. This particular documentary programme also referred to the case of a number of Korean civilians, numbering over two-hundred, who took refuge in a temple, where they were killed by the very troops who had been sent to protect them, either directly or by aerial bombing.

The subsequent behaviour of US soldiers during the Vietnam War is very well documented and will remain, forever, a record of sustained and ruthless butchery, in which countless thousands of innocent civilians were massacred.

Let us spend a moment to try to penetrate the mind of a killer. He is a naval captain, in command of a missile destroyer in the Persian Gulf, in l988. What, one might ask, was a US Naval vessel doing there? The answer: doing the dirty work of the US Administration. Our Captain is a good-looking fellow, splendidly attired in a spotless white uniform. The ship has been patrolling the gulf, looking for Iranian ships, which might be attempting to break the blockade imposed by the United Nations and enforced by the USA. The Captain and Crew are bored to death. The Captain is in the command room, in which certain crew members are operating surveillance Radar equipment and others are at the controls of missile launchers. A radar-operator indicates that there is an unidentified blip on his screen. Our Captain comes over to have a look. "What do you think it is?" "It is not a military aircraft, Sir!", replies the crewman, "But it is heading in our direction." "You are sure that it is a civil aircraft?" "Yes, Sir!'" The blip is too large for a military strike aircraft: there is no doubt that it is a civil airliner." "But it is on course for an attack on this vessel?" "Well, its present course will bring it approximately over this ship." "Prepare a missile launch!", commands the Captain. "Yes Sir!" cries an operator. Countdown commences and the Captain gives the order to fire. Several seconds elapse, when the radar operator reports, "Sir, the aircraft is no longer in the air."

At that moment, a hundred and fifty or so innocent civilians, passengers in an Iranian civil aircraft, are hurtling in a spiralling descent into the waters of the Persian Gulf and will never more speak to their loved ones on this Earth.

Has the International Court of Justice demanded that this Naval Officer face trial for his murder of so many innocents? Of course not. How absurd to make such a suggestion. He is not a Terrorist! He was merely doing his duty and made a serious but understandable mistake. Not so the two Lockerby bombers, who were brought to trial, one of whom was sentenced to a lengthy term of imprisonment. Was their offence then more heinous than that of the US sailor? (“B” Grade President, Ronald Reagan, gave this Naval Captain a medal, with much acclaim, on his subsequent arrival back home.)

It is quite clear why the United States will not consent to its nationals being called before an International Criminal Tribunal. There would be a never-ending stream of criminals from the USA, who would be called upon to account for the miseries which they are inflicting upon various Third World countries.

As recently as this year,(2002), US forces in Afghanistan, (a place where they had no legal or moral right to be) were reportedly involved in the cowardly slaughter of up to 3000 Taliban soldiers who had surrendered to the US and Northern Alliance forces. These unarmed prisoners were jammed into shipping containers, (as many as 200 per container). These were then machine-gunned in order to "ventilate" the containers. They were then driven some distance to a remote area, where the survivors were executed. It is reported (via a US film crew), that a number of up to 40 US soldiers were present at the latter site, when this killing took place. It is not clear to what extent US Troops were involved in this massacre.

At about the same time as the above incident, some 400 odd Taliban prisoners were being held in a fortress compound in Afghanistan. Owing to some confusion they were able to overpower several guards and obtain control of a supply of weapons, which they themselves had earlier surrendered. US Aircraft were alerted and over a period of several days, eventually killed most of these prisoners by bombing and strafing the compound. However, a number survived the bombing and surrendered. This was one of the few incidents recorded on film and portrayed graphic scenes, showing numerous corpses of dead Taliban who had literally been blown to pieces.

The same television report revealed that a young American, named "Walker", who had been wounded whilst serving with the Taliban forces, was arrested by US troops and, subsequently, returned to the USA, where, on pleading "Guilty" to: "Conspiring against the US", he was sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. Thus, this idealistic and gentle young man, who has, in all probability, never contemplated violence against any of his fellow men, stands condemned to spend his best years in shackles in a Federal Penitentiary. What really is his crime? It is that he has sought a lifestyle alien and differing from that of his fellow Americans. By pleading "Guilty" to the charge, he has allowed himself to be imprisoned without a public hearing of the circumstances under which he was arrested and returned to the United States. It is quite probable, that had the case gone to a full hearing on the merits, that no proper evidence would have been forthcoming against him.

In some respect, Walker's lot will be less onerous than that of those prisoners detained in the US Military Base in Cuba. These people, citizens of Afghanistan and, perhaps, Pakistan, have been attacked, bombed, imprisoned, transported, maltreated, tortured, abused, shackled and deprived of all hope of liberty and happiness. Their crime? Being unhappy with the bully-boy tactics of the United States in its dealings with the world of Islam.

These people have nobody to speak for them. The United Nations has lost its voice. The very body which should raise a cry of protest at this unprecedented and wholly unjustifiable and illegal action (11 Sept 0l, notwithstanding) is silent. Even Cuba does not appear to have questioned the use by the United States of its Base for such an inhuman purpose. Why does not Cuba insist on the USA removing these prisoners from confinement on its territory? It cannot afford to do so. No doubt, the USA pays well for the privilege of keeping this infamous hell-hole away from its own territory, where it might possibly be obliged to give the prisoners certain basic rights as “prisoners of war.” Comrade Fidel Castro should do something about this utterly unjust situation. I have already spoken elsewhere about the contemptible silence of John Howard, Australian PM, regarding two Australian citizens detained by the Americans in this wicked place.

Instead of the USA and its confederates in crime being cut-off and isolated from the International Community, and regarded as pariahs, the fact of this outrage is conveniently ignored. These innocents, against whom there can be no, or merely the flimsiest, evidence of encouragement for the perpetrators of the attacks upon the United States, are exposed to all the brutality of which the US Federal system is capable. US Federal Agents are acting in this affair as Informant, Judge, Jury and Executioner, to gratify the inflamed blood-lust of the American people.

In the meantime, nobody is informed of what is taking place in that prison. One can only catch the occasional newsreel glimpse of prisoners, pinioned and shackled, hobbling along, closely watched by two or more soldiers.

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Enough has been said in these notes to indicate real grounds for an impartial observer to be concerned at the present state of American affairs. There are a great many rotten apples in this barrel. Of increasing concern is the extent of the degeneration of the cultural life of the people. Hollywood continues to produce "fantasy" films, depicting the most outlandish and improbable plots: Space and Time-travel, Magic and Witchcraft movies. This type of entertainment is utterly detached from the reality of life and often depicts the most horrifying scenes, involving murder, rape, mutilation and aggravated violence on a grand scale. “Bruce Willis” movies have become a byword for cynical brutality and are by no means amongst the most degrading of Hollywood's productions.

The once high standard, established by the US Film Industry, has given way to a flood of mild, and not so mild pornography, accompanied by much foul language. Such gross immorality is explained away as due to, "changing public standards". All this "filth" is absorbed by young minds and has been continuing to influence young people for many years. The natural effect of this type of "entertainment" is the brutalisation of the Nation.

One specific aspect of the cultural life of the people of the United States, is the peculiar phenomenon involving the worship of deceased Cult figures, such as that of Elvis Presley. He was, as is well known, a highly popular "Rock and Roll" Song and Dance performer. He was also a notorious drug addict, who eventually died of an overdose of drugs, circa l975, after a short but tempestuous career, flinging himself about the stage. The number of his "fans" is increasing year by year and Memphis, Tennesee, his home town, is a regular place of pilgrimage for thousands of his adherents. It is a multi-million Dollar enterprise. This is mass obsession of a morbid and unhealthy nature. Presley is by no means the first long-dead "Star" to have a large and devoted following, years after death.

Such phenomena are a symptom of widespread spiritual destitution. They are indicative of a nation going off the emotional rails. The problem is not new: it has been cumulative throughout the 20th Century and is an indication that former standards of public morality no longer apply. A new philosophy pertains: of expediency and profitability.

The traditional religions have less and less influence and New Age and Pentecostal or extreme fundamentalist concepts find fertile ground in the midst of folk who are desperately seeking an escapist solution to the ever-present physical problems of life. One recalls two recent cults in which foolish people have engaged in suicide pacts, in the fatuous belief that they were about to take a short-cut to Paradise. The WACO debacle is also a recent reminder of the danger of permitting "gung-ho" officials to interfere, unnecessarily, in the affairs of such groups.

More and more, people are preoccupied with the purely physical conditions of their existence and less and less aware of their moral, spiritual and social obligations. Their exposure to materialist influences is, in many instances, exclusive and unopposed by any references to more elevated sentiment. Even where the mind seeks to evade unpleasant material realities, it searches for magical and fantastic imagery, rather than a deep enquiry into moral questions.

This indifference to the higher values, is apparent right throughout the whole strata of the life of the people of the USA. Indeed, the whole Western World suffers from a similar malaise. What makes it more sinister and threatening, is the vastness of the problem and the nature of the nuclear threat to the peace and security of the world.

The people of the United States have surrendered their moral responsibilities to ruthless and cold-blooded scoundrels, who have scant regard for the sanctity of life and whose lust for power is overriding and boundless. These folk have abandoned all principles of moral responsibility and have brought the USA to the brink of a War of horrifying proportions.

A "Thousand-Dollar suit" does not turn a rogue into a gentleman and there have been many wealthy men active in the lobbies of Congress. How many have been men of principle?

When a person sings "God Bless America!" what does he mean? What does the sentiment express? It is, like so many absurd statements, utterly meaningless. The condition of "blessedness" is God's gift to all men and women, wherever they are and it is no business of the Creator to go about bestowing his/her/its/ personal favour upon anyone or any group of people in this world. Of course, we should all recognise that we are blessed in the gift of life itself, for which we should be thankful. We also have a duty towards our fellow men and women, to do nothing to disturb their condition of blessedness or happiness in this life. Unfortunately, this principle, of so great importance, is universally disregarded.

That America is blessed, is undeniable. As we have recorded elsewhere, the USA is the richest country on Earth, with unbounded natural resources. She thus bears the greater responsibility to support and assist those living in countries which do not possess such a monopoly of physical assets. We know that the USA is in the forefront of international charitable activities. Unfortunately, this assistance often comes with conditions attached, which, in the final analysis, do more harm than good.

It is time for the people of the USA to take stock of their leading position in the world. A society, superficially prosperous and healthy, which has lost its sense of direction in the world, is floundering and lost. If the United States is constantly at loggerheads with those struggling nations of the Third World, there is something grievously wrong with the system. If the USA is sick, then the whole of humankind is affected. This is what is happening at the present time.

I myself, as an observer of this phenomenon, can offer no solutions. It appears that the confusion evident in the lives of the everyday American citizen can only go from bad to worse, until such time as there is a real "Moral Re-armament", as a popular but transient movement of the 60's announced. Nothing came of that attempt but there is still opportunity for the individual to take stock of his personal position and attempt to do something about it. It involves, a reorientation of his attitude towards life, the gift of life itself, of family and children, of relatives and friends and those more distant individuals in society, at large, of which we are a part and to which we, all of us, have obligations.

Man is a spiritual entity, temporarily using a borrowed physical body, which, one day, we must all discard. How we spend this life will affect our condition in the "after-life". This principle is valid, irrespective of individual belief. Hence, nobody can escape the consequences of his or her activity whilst in this body.

May God truly bless America, in the sense that each individual member of the Community of the United States may come to a realization of the fact that there is really one great human family of mankind, who are all intrinsically involved with each other's happiness and well-being. It is time to start thinking about what you can do for humanity and not what humanity can do for you. This is a principle that applies to every person in the world today, without which, we are all going to slide into anarchy and chaos.

Finis

John Roberts.

Sydney, Australia.

24th August 2002.

mailto:robertsjno@gmail.com