Anti-Americanism, a con game. Do you oppose what the US government does at home? Then you're Anti-American too. Don't fall for it. Class solidarity is the answer.

Those who order this are not keeping us safe and they're not my friends

When I was in my late teens, early 20's, the IRA were quite active in England but also, there were daily reports about the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.  There were tit for tat killings and the shooting of young Catholics and Protestants on both sides.

There were British soldiers that were occupying the North who were also shot by IRA gunmen.  But I can't recall it being announced on the news or in the media that there were"anti-English" killings or that this or that IRA leader, the "anti-English" so and so, said today blah blah blah.  I never felt the IRA hated the English or that this was the motive for the struggle, although I am sure for some individuals they did and not without reason.  I wasn't clear on what was real issue until I became more political, but I didn't associate it with the Irish being anti-English because I can't recall it being framed that way. I could be wrong but I don't recall it.

The real issues were never brought in to the open in a clear way, the hundreds of years of occupation and the brutality of British rule, so the British were portrayed as the good guys no doubt about it, the same in Africa with the Congo struggle and the Mau Mau for instance, the impression left was definitely one of people that couldn't govern themselves properly and they killed white nuns and stuff like that. 

But in the highly censored and controlled US mass media, anyone that is in opposition to US policies or occupation of their country are "anti-American."  In the Wall Street Journal today the report from Iraq starts off with the "haggling" that is going on trying to form a unity government but "Anti_American" cleric Moqtadr al-Sadr"  is weighing in on the issue.  The same with Chavez in Venezuela or Morales in Bolivia, they are always described as "Anti-American".

There's an obvious reason for this of course as someone who is "Anti-American" hates all of us; Donald Rumsfeld and you.  George Bush and you too.  But what is anti-American about these people?  They never explain in this. They can't because it is history that has to be kept from us.  They are opposed to US government policy in their countries and regions of the world. In Latin America, the US has supported every dictator and murderer to think of.  It has overthrown democratically elected regimes and assassinated people opposed to its policies in the region. The term Anti-American is thrown out at the drop of a hat when any American criticizes the foreign policy or behavior of its government. It's simply a trick to silence democracy and dissent.

Surely, anyone in their right mind would understand why an Iraqi would be against the US government.  It is the force responsible for the propping up of the former dictator Hussein.  It is the force responsible for the death of up to a million Iraqi's if we include the sanctions and driving hundreds of thousands in to neighboring countries as refugees.   How would we feel if it was Russia in invading Mexico? It is the force that invaded Iraq despite never being threatened by it. It overthrew the democratically elected government of Iran in the past.

The US has invaded Afghanistan and daily sends missiles in to the homes of Pakistanis and Afghani's with unmanned drones killing countless civilians. To add fuel to the fire, it apologizes and thinks $100 or two will make everything alright.  And if any group of people would have some right to feel like they hate Americans it would be the Vietnamese as the US government is responsible for the deaths of some 4 million of them.  It even sprayed their food and their persons with dioxin, one of the most poisonous substances known to man.  Vietnamese children are still being born deformed because of it and US veterans are still dying from cancers due to it.

The US propaganda machine uses the term Anti-American in order to make us all feel threatened.  This is the problem with nationalism and patriotism.  These are used as a cover so that we support our so-called government when it commits atrocities as the US government is doing daily.  If you haven't yet seen that video that is the real reason the US wants to silence Wikileaks you should see it. Is this how we want to represent ourselves to the rest of the world; to the workers of the world? It's not the only government that commits atrocities but given its power and world influence it is the most destructive. Apart from that, its representatives like Hilary Clinton and Barak Obama strut around the world preaching about democracy and freedom while it surpresses both. People aren't stupid; they see this hypocrisy.

The US capitalist class in its wars in the interests of the corporations is overeaching itself. It has waged violence and destruction against all those that threaten its interests.  Its interests are not our interests as American workers. It is also waging war against us at home.  Warren Buffet said not so long ago that there is a class war and his class is winning it.  They are winning partially because we are often blinded by nationalism, the false idea that we are all one nation with the same interests.  Nationalism is just a extension of the Team Concept in the workplace, the idea that bosses and workers have the same interests; its purpose is to divide workers and weaken class solidarity.

US foreign policy is the root of hatred for Americans and attacks on us when they can carry them out. US Vice President  Biden yesterday accused Wikileaks' Assange of terrorism.  Others have called for his execution and/or assassination. Biden regurgitated the lie that Julius Assange and Wikileaks has put American lives at risk.  But it is Biden, Bush Clinton, Obama, and the rest of the US capitalist class that puts our young people at risk and brings about the death and misery of millions of others. As I wrote in a previous blog, I am convinced Pat Tillman was assassinated by his own government.

We must not be fooled by their talk of us all being American as if we are equal.  Their polices abroad are costing the lives of our young people and the lives of millions of innocent people.  We can't get health care, jobs, schools, public transit because they are busy spending our money around the world making it a safe place for US corporations to make profit.  As US workers we have to become players on this stage and put a stop to those that kill and maim in our name.

Look at what they are doing to us at home.  The bailouts, the jail population, the product of a racist justice system, the corruption, the savaging of services, rights and benefits that those before us fought for.

We should heed these few words of a great American, Eugene Debs.  

"I have no country to fight for; my country is the earth, and I am a citizen of the world."


"While there is a lower class, I am in it, while there is a criminal element, I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free."


"The most heroic word in all languages is revolution."
Eugene V. Debs

That's the ticket to freedom