What you need to know about Americans
Syndi Holmes | 05.11.2004 15:17 | Repression | London
Please do not say or think that we, in total, as Americans, elected or support the policies of this President. We are living in a country of less freedom and more corporate co-opting of our government. Many of us no longer have any representation in our own government and are isolated by our media from the world. Many of our fellow citizens intolerant and sometimes openly hostile to other fellow citizens for any difference of opinion let alone life choices or religion-or the lack thereof.
As an American, I watch your programmes and read your publications on the internet to give me a window on the way others interpret the happenings occurring on our planet and to escape the narrowness and the bias of American news.
Since the US election, I have been listening to other common peoples' commentaries on Bush's election and their amazement regarding his election- they seem to think that we Americans all voted for this man and that we approve of what he does and that is NOT true.
Millions of us, in numerous organisations, from the official Democratic Party and it's traditional associates such as unions and civil rights committees, to political action committees such as MoveOn to progressive Christian movements such as Faithful America to anti-war groups and anti- Patriot-Act groups among others too numerous to mention joined together to oppose Bush.
We fully know how irresponsible his policies are and how much more dangerous the world is because of his unilateral, self-interest-only policies.
We are not only alarmed and appalled by the international policies he pursues but are equally appalled by the fear of terrorism he accentuates in this country and uses that fear as a tool to continue his rule. We are appalled by his contempt for the Constitution and Bill of Rights. We know how dangerous it now is to be a dissident inside our own borders with the secret powers now given to the Department of Homeland Security through the Patriot Act.
We know his disdain and oppose his dismantling of our social programmes in favour of the wealthy and multi-national corporations. We watch and protest as more of our fellow citizens become unemployed and more sink into poverty while Bush does nothing except to give more tax cuts to the wealthiest. We are appalled by his fiscal irresponsibility and reckless spending with no thought to the financial burden that future generations of Americans will have to incur or the impact on global finances.
We are appalled by Bush's misuse of religion, using God as a tool to promote a divisive we-they state within our borders that turns citizen against citizen and calls it morality.
We supposedly live in a representative democracy. YET, IF you are a Democrat, Independent or even a moderate Republican who lives in a state who are only represented by two ideologue Republican US Senators and IF you also then live in a Congressional district within that same state represented by an ideologue Republican Congressional Representative THEN you have NO REPRESENTATION within this government. The agenda of these ideologue Republicans is to serve the President's agenda and not serve the interests and concerns of the people they are constitutionally mandated to serve.
So while our government exports so-called democracy abroad, there is a movement to make the US a one party state. As Americans fight and die in Afghanistan and Iraq for others so-called freedom, Americans are loosing our freedoms and Constitutional rights at home.
Our media contributes to American isolation and ignorance by limiting what news is reported, let alone the bias they often hold in what they do report. Celebrity news and mind numbing (un) reality television programmes overrun on our channels. International news is minimal.
And even when international news is available, ITN, BBC, CBC and even Aljazeera do not report on the American opposition of Bush, of persons in America being terrorised by our own government such as Manlin Chee in Greensboro, North Carolina or on the anti-war movement. Neither do they provide Americans with coverage of the international anti-war activities going on, of international opposition to Bush and his policies at both a governmental and common citizen level so we who do fight on in America have no idea of the scope of international activities that are occurring and all are left feeling isolated and unsupported.
HOW can I tell you how important it is to vigourously report to America and to the world these issues so that dialogue is kept open between peoples and not just making them passive listeners of officially approved "news"?
If all the news does is to re-enforce stereotypes of peoples that promotes mistrust and disdain and be a showcase for the powers that manipulate us all than you newspersons might as well become commercial advertisers for Bush and his corporate allies.
DO NOT BE RESTRAINED OR SILENCED BY POWER BECAUSE POWER LIES IN THE FREE DISSEMINATION OF UNBIASED NEWS AND TRUTH.
Since the US election, I have been listening to other common peoples' commentaries on Bush's election and their amazement regarding his election- they seem to think that we Americans all voted for this man and that we approve of what he does and that is NOT true.
Millions of us, in numerous organisations, from the official Democratic Party and it's traditional associates such as unions and civil rights committees, to political action committees such as MoveOn to progressive Christian movements such as Faithful America to anti-war groups and anti- Patriot-Act groups among others too numerous to mention joined together to oppose Bush.
We fully know how irresponsible his policies are and how much more dangerous the world is because of his unilateral, self-interest-only policies.
We are not only alarmed and appalled by the international policies he pursues but are equally appalled by the fear of terrorism he accentuates in this country and uses that fear as a tool to continue his rule. We are appalled by his contempt for the Constitution and Bill of Rights. We know how dangerous it now is to be a dissident inside our own borders with the secret powers now given to the Department of Homeland Security through the Patriot Act.
We know his disdain and oppose his dismantling of our social programmes in favour of the wealthy and multi-national corporations. We watch and protest as more of our fellow citizens become unemployed and more sink into poverty while Bush does nothing except to give more tax cuts to the wealthiest. We are appalled by his fiscal irresponsibility and reckless spending with no thought to the financial burden that future generations of Americans will have to incur or the impact on global finances.
We are appalled by Bush's misuse of religion, using God as a tool to promote a divisive we-they state within our borders that turns citizen against citizen and calls it morality.
We supposedly live in a representative democracy. YET, IF you are a Democrat, Independent or even a moderate Republican who lives in a state who are only represented by two ideologue Republican US Senators and IF you also then live in a Congressional district within that same state represented by an ideologue Republican Congressional Representative THEN you have NO REPRESENTATION within this government. The agenda of these ideologue Republicans is to serve the President's agenda and not serve the interests and concerns of the people they are constitutionally mandated to serve.
So while our government exports so-called democracy abroad, there is a movement to make the US a one party state. As Americans fight and die in Afghanistan and Iraq for others so-called freedom, Americans are loosing our freedoms and Constitutional rights at home.
Our media contributes to American isolation and ignorance by limiting what news is reported, let alone the bias they often hold in what they do report. Celebrity news and mind numbing (un) reality television programmes overrun on our channels. International news is minimal.
And even when international news is available, ITN, BBC, CBC and even Aljazeera do not report on the American opposition of Bush, of persons in America being terrorised by our own government such as Manlin Chee in Greensboro, North Carolina or on the anti-war movement. Neither do they provide Americans with coverage of the international anti-war activities going on, of international opposition to Bush and his policies at both a governmental and common citizen level so we who do fight on in America have no idea of the scope of international activities that are occurring and all are left feeling isolated and unsupported.
HOW can I tell you how important it is to vigourously report to America and to the world these issues so that dialogue is kept open between peoples and not just making them passive listeners of officially approved "news"?
If all the news does is to re-enforce stereotypes of peoples that promotes mistrust and disdain and be a showcase for the powers that manipulate us all than you newspersons might as well become commercial advertisers for Bush and his corporate allies.
DO NOT BE RESTRAINED OR SILENCED BY POWER BECAUSE POWER LIES IN THE FREE DISSEMINATION OF UNBIASED NEWS AND TRUTH.
Syndi Holmes
e-mail:
sydnih@yadtel.net