Theoretically, in America, "we the people" are the government. Most of us who live in America consider ourselves "free". If that is true, why then are we voluntarily contributing to human rights violations all over the world and propping up illegitimate Dictators. Do we ever give it a second thought?America has a long history of propping up dictators and totalitarian regimes with a history of human rights abuses (see this post US political and Corporate disregard for the foundations our country was built on ).
Even here on our own "home land" plantation owners and factory owners engaged in slavery, worker abuse and child labor. We believe this would still be the case had not American workers organized, formed Unions and other labor associations and demanded better working conditions. It got quite bloody has the corporate man hired thugs try and beat them into submission.
The deterioration of the unions began, as is true with many organizations, as they too became corrupt. Unfortunately they could not become as corrupt as the government who under Reagan was able to topple the Air Controllers Union giving large American Corporations hope, they would be freed from being responsible employers and members of society..
However by that time, the government saw the need to regulate/monitor corporations as mines collapsed due to poor safety conditions caused by mine owners cutting cost at the expense of safety. . Then the people got a bit concerned when they learned that their hamburger contained a fair amount of rat feces and human body parts due to lack of oversight in the meet packing industry. Some whacked out folk even believed that children should not be able to work full time until they reached a certain age.
But then, after a number of wars and the easing of tensions with foreign countries, American corporations found a better way. They were allowed to "help" other countries develop. Under the premise that if we showed the populace the benefits of a free market system they might revolt and ask for freedom, fair wages and democracy. Kind of like what is happening in North Africa and the middle east now.
Keep in mind though, that it isn't just American Corporations abandoning the American worker for a population they could use and abuse in order to increase their bottom line and better line their pockets.
We, yes this we acknowledges our part in contributing to the mistreatment of others by proxy also, the people have supported the oppression of other people. In numerous ways. We supported it by buying the products of slave labor. How many of us started shopping at Walmart because they only "sold products "made in America by Americans"? And how many of us stopped as they started selling foriegn goods on the cheap? Not to mention Walmarts court cases defending themselves against worker complaints on this side of the ocean.
Then of course there are the tax dollars and American made weapons, that by the millions, have ended up in the pockets and warehouses of Dictators, Sultans, kings and princes of totalitarian regimes that use the millions to keep their people enslaved so that we, the free country, can have access to cheap Iphones and oil!
But what happens when the people whose misery we have contributed to, decide they want freedom and democracy too? And after having women and children raped, killed and left laying in the streets ask us for help?
Oh well now we don't know about that. We aren't reaal sure what right we have to stop you all from getting killed, raped and left laying in the street in the name of Freedom.
But then they, the government/corporatioins and the rest of us, probably dont remember or give a damn that were it not for the french we would still be paying taxes to the King!
Kinda like we got no problem blowing into Iraq. Over what we still do not know. But we damn sure watching how we talk about Saudi Arabia who still treats women like "property."
It's even more ironic and/or absurd when we trash their religion as we extol the virtues of our Christian heritage and wonder why they get mad at us after years of being oppressed with our help????
Call me crazy, but were I them I'd tell us where to put it. But then the money always wins doesn't it.
It's the truism Las Veegas relies on.
But we shall learn. As the governors and representatives claiming to profess independence and liberty collected funds from the Koch party to buy their offices so they could immediately started screwing the working man/woman,
Welcome to America, land of the what???????? Just remember, what goes around comes around. It's like a Karma thing.
Hers a good post for ya:
