Bad American

There once was a bit of Internet lore called “I Am A Bad American.” There was great debate in the land of the Internet as to who the author was. Was it George Carlin? Dennis Leary? Well. No. Turns out the original author (as best as the folks at Snopes.com could figure out) was some troglodyte over at Free Republic.

You can read that version and the others at Snopes.

The significant thing about the original was that, in the author’s view, being a ‘bad American’ was an excuse to be a proud fascist/racist/sexist/classist or any other damn “-ist” you could think of. I’m not fond of “-ists” but when the shoe fits it gets an “-ist.”

So after reading what these folks think makes them a “bad American” I thought, quite naturally, that Mr. Troglodyte had it all wrong, in a way. You see, if you read the screed, the person who wrote it (especially the original version “I Am A Bad Republican”) really is a bad person, at least in my mind. But they are very well a “Good American,” at least in their eyes.

Because they would probably agree with the phrase “God, guns and guts are what made America great.”

The above phrase is true if you just drop the last word.

But in reality, they ARE the ‘Good Americans,’ the ones that Toby Keith and countless other flag-waving country yahoos sing to and for. They’re the people Joe Bageant writes about - the ones that proudly vote against their own self-interests, just so long as the (fill in whatever minority group you can think of here) get put in ‘their place’ by the candidate. I’m not for open borders (first surprise about me, there will be others) but that’s no excuse for blaming Mexicans who come here looking for a better life. Blame the real cuprit - the rich Republicans who need cheap gardeners, nannys and busboys who knowingly break the law or don’t enforce it.

And while were at it let’s also smack around the holier-than-thou Democrats who also like Consuela to pick up after their kids at a wage they would sneer at if they had to work for it.

So let’s get this out of the way right now. I hate both American political parties for different reasons. That’s part of what makes me a Bad American. If its Clinton vs. Guiliani, I’m not voting and no, I’m not going to stop complaining because I didn’t vote for one or the other handpicked corporate candidates.

See, I’m a Bad American.

I’m also a Bad American because I believe in a little thing called the truth, which is either generally not taught, recognized or respected in America. We either hate the truth or run from it. If we’re really in a slick mood, we can ignore it as if it weren’t there.

Here’s an example. Sitting down? From The Hindu (26Sept07)

Addressing the UN General Assembly and later a press conference, Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, blasted the UN Security Council which, he said, is under the influence of powerful nations who are out to impose their will on others.

Hitting back at the United States which considers Iran as violator of human rights and supporter of terrorism, he called Washington and Israel as “occupiers” and demanded that the Americans leave Iraq.

The human rights are being violated by “certain powers” who set up “secret prison,” abduct people and are guilty of “secret punishments without any regard for due process,” he said, obviously referring to the United States.

“They use various pretexts to occupy sovereign states and cause insecurity and division and then use prevailing situation as an excuse to continue their occupation,” he said.

“Unfortunately, human rights are being violated by certain countries, incidentally, by those who pretend to be their exclusive advocates,” Ahmadinejad said.

Guess, what? Ahmadinejad is spot on right. Still an ass, but right.

But just to even hint that maybe, just maybe America hasn’t really covered herself in glory and to point out some really inconvenient truths about our country, is regarded by a growing number of Americans as ‘treason.’

Its treason to even suggest that perhaps the brand of predatory market capitalism practiced in the USA isn’t the best system for the sustainment of the human species on this planet.

Its treason apparently, to question the freedom-killing measures the Bush administration has use to eavedrop, spy and harass private citizens.

In fact, its treason to question any official authority.

Its treason to ask why our own troops have committed atrocities against the Iraqi people at Abu Ghraib among countless other places.

Its treason to point out that the results of all our instigated bloodletting may be why ‘they don’t like us.’

Its treason to possible suggest that maybe God didn’t tell the USA it could rule the world by any means possible and that maybe ‘he’ isn’t ‘on our side’ or anyone’s side.

For that matter, its treason to suggest that it isn’t the manifest destiny of The USA and Israel to rule the world either.

Its simply treason to point out anything that this country has done wrong now or in its history. If you doubt that, spend 10 minutes at Free Republic.

So if this be ‘treason,’ before the dark curtain falls, let us make the most of it.

Because I’m a Bad American.

Personal: I’m not only a “Bad American” but a proud (but often befuddled) Clevelander who has been away from the home stomping grounds for 11 years wandering the untamed wilds of Central Illinois and Eastern Iowa where I was (in order) an editor of a small town Illinois weekly paper, a bureau chief covering Bloomington/Normal for the Peoria Journal-Star, a radio talk show host for WJBC AM in Bloomington and the religion reporter for the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

I lost the last two jobs for standing on principle. The radio gig evaporated when I (1) rightfully took the Bloomington Police to task for their overt racism and (2) questioned the invasion of Iraq. The Gazette gig was over when (1) I protested the paper’s decision to pick up Ann Coulter’s column by canceling my own home subscription. The long knives came out then.

Now I own a bookstore in Chardon where between buying and selling used and new books, I can write to my little heart’s content.

ABOUT THE PHOTO ON THE PAGE HEADER: Taken during the 1941 strike by the UAW at the Ford River Rouge plant which forced the Old Fascist (Henry Ford, did you know he supported Hitler?) to cave in to the union’s demands. Most American schoolchildren AND adults haven’t a clue about the real Henry Ford (or the real Bush family who also helped Hitler) but those two kids in the photo knew all about the publisher of The Dearborn Independent. And they weren’t afraid to tell the world about it. And note the veterans marching with the picketers. Could you imagine such a scene today in America? No, not me either.