U.S. History

I've been thinking a lot about U.S. History lately (there's a big surprise), and the more I do, the more I seem to be discouraged by the current state of the union. It seems like nothing ever changes. I think what has affected my most is a book I recently read by Howard Zinn (who is now one of my heroes). It was a graphic adaptation of A People's History of the United States, entitled A People's History of American Empire. It opened my eyes to the horrible reality of American conquest, like a black mark on our country's past, and the dark clouds over America's future. It's enough to make me want to turn Canadian. I am astonished by how many times the will of the people has been ignored, and lives have been thrown away to further the economic interests of this country. It seems as though we only intervene on an international level for our own economic gain, however the people of America aren't the ones getting rich off of the destruction of the lives of others (not that we should anyhow), but it is the large business owners that continuously fill their pockets. Why else would we refuse to help stop the genocide in Darfur? We do business with the Sudanese government! Our government aided Hitler at one point, and would probably do it again, knowing what it knows now, if it would gain something from it. Who do you think it was who trained Osama bin Laden and many other extremists? The U.S. government. It was the strategy of National Security Adviser to President Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski, called the Arc of Islam which used green berets and navy seals to train Muslim extremists in an effort to fight against the Soviet Union. These extremists later formed Al Qaeda and the Taliban. We also staged a coup that kicked Mohammad Mossadegh out of power in Iran in 1953... and I'd rather not get into the mess that caused. Anyway, I highly recommend that you read A People's History of American Empire. All of the information that I just mentioned came from that book. However, I must accept that it is only one part of the story, and I'm sure there are many other factors. There are always multiple sides of the story in history, but the fact remains that so much of what the United States government has done is unforgivable, regardless of situation. There is no excuse for the massacre that occurred at Wounded Knee, the Trail of Tears, the Moro Massacre, NO EXCUSE. And what about all the ways in which American liberties have been trampled on? We have all heard of the horrors of slavery from our history books, but it wasn't until the 60's and 70's that African Americans were truly considered equal under the law. And discrimination continues! There was also The Espionage Act during WWI violated the First Amendment, allowing for the arrests of individuals who spoke too freely of their distaste for the war and the draft. The internment of Japanese Americans during WWII is considered to be by some the greatest violation of civil rights in American history. And now the Patriot Act... what will protect our liberties? H.R. 6304 has now granted immunity to those who continue to wiretap as a means of promoting national security. I ask you, when will it end?

Please understand that I still speak with a limited knowledge of these events, but my frustration with history is real.

Peace,
AGW