A moment of National shame – when the demagogues win

Politicians on the American political right seem to have mastered the art of summoning national rage at xenophobic moments and working the nation’s myriad of loose heads into states of choreographed frenzy that belies the status of a nation that prefer to consider itself developed and sophisticated. At a time when the real news is China growing economic and political clout, and the growing likelihood of American decline ( mainly because of its emphasis on constant self flagellation,  uncommon self congratulation and rare inability at introspection) and the obvious indication that the nation has lost its edge as a global powerhouse (still a global power) and engine of global innovation and growth, the right has managed to expose the true underbelly of  a nation built on greed and ignorance. Outrage at poor immigrants pleading for a fair shake, and absolute xenophobe at a religious minority – evidence of  the bully trait that led to ill fated wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and many more others in between.

For more than three decades, America has been known (at least for as long as I can remember) as an arrogant nation – first with Reagan’s ill conceived star wars. Wars that could havebankrupted the United States has the Soviet Union not imploded first. Today, Americans are jubilant because the Soviet Union imploded, and continue to credit their ill conceived policies for the demise of that once heinous regime – They conveniently forgot the blood and sacrifices of the nations once conquered by the soviets – from Bulgaria to Poland to Cambodia. The Soviet empire fell, not because of American foreign policy, but inspite of it.  America’s role during and prior to the cold war was not always one of coherence and altruism. Its ignominious role in South African and Liberia still haunts the heart of fair people everywhere.

In the last decade, America has managed to up the ante even more with its chest thumping self defeating invasion of Iraq and holier than though perennial occupation of Afghanistan. These two foibles, and the continued madness in its self styled unconditional support for Israel, has kept its eyes of the ball, allowing China to grow in leaps and bound, unchallenged and left Russia ( the sole heir of the Soviet empire) to gradually rise from its ashes (sake for the Russian peccadillo for drunkenness). Most of Europe is in decline, except for Germany, many Asian nations are rising, and so are some South American ones, notably Brazil. But the United States of America is on its way to become the scattered states of North America, and the clownish right wingers are too blind to see – preferring to create unnecessary controversies by fanning the embers of intolerance, unbridled arrogance ( with their self proclaimed exceptionalism)   while the city goes to flame.

A nation built by a bunch of Europeans and their African slaves, who stole lands, uninvited, from native Americans have no shame declaring its new immigrants as illegals just because they have not allowed themselves to die first before seeking an opportunity to live! No one, it seems, is brave enough to tell the so called “nativists” that they are just three generations removed from being “illegal” themselves. The ignorance of the people is not helped by the self-delusion of its right wing politicians from Gingrich to Palin, from McConnel to Eric Cantor and every other xenophobe in between.

And while it was still gyrating in the death spiral that the immigration debate is more likely to engender, it found another mad dance to engage in – a furor about an Islamic community center! To hear the mad ones say it, it will be hard to imagine that the nation’s third president, Ben Franklin, actually swore his oath office on the quoran -the religious book of muslims! This nation, despite all its weakness, was built on the notion of tolerance – religious tolerance! Its first set of “illegal” immigrants from Europe, came, running away from religious prosecution and persecution in Europe. Its future waves of immigrants escaped both religious and ethnic persecution from Ireland to Cambodia, from Germany to Vietnam. They people came because it was an experiment in tolerance and the sanctity of the human person. A look at the political rallies organized by the political carpetbaggers on the right will not reveal the true origin of the nation nor the spirit of its constitutions. They clowns on the right who pretend to be leaders would rather see the nation come to naught than accept their place as a minority party, even if for one cycle. They believed in the mean spirit of the American people, and the polls are proving them right.

In one decade, America was able to do one great thing, almost! It showed the world the potential strength of its character, when its fear of obvious ruin (in the wake of a financial tsunami) fueled it to momentarily suspend its bigotry and racial intolerance to elect a half-black man married to the granddaughter of  former slaves as president – Yet over 50 million, almost half of the electorate still chose a man proven by experience to be no more than a feckless opportunist and his  near illiterate running mate – But in no time, the people reverted to the dark side of their spirit, worked up by a fringe party of the intolerant bigots of the Northern American continent. While the world seeks to become like what is good in America, America is seeking to become like what is bad in the world!

The elevation of the citing of an Islamic youth center, into a national debate does not reflect what is possible with a nation founded on the principle (not practice necessarily) of fairness, equity and respect for the opinion and rights of others, but showcases its fears. In the last 18 months, America has been demonstrating more of its fears than its ideals. And the politicians and self styled political pundits have been milking those fears for their own personal gains – It is after all the American way. But it is also a national shame!

Follow this link to see John Stewart’s comedic take on this. Also see the following xenophobic video from youtube bellow