We live in an empire, not a democracy
Posted on December 29, 2020 by Sonoma Valley Sun
A lot of people say there’s no difference between Democrats and Republicans. A lot of people point out the differences in social policy — abortion, gun control, immigration. But when you only look at foreign and economic policy, our country hasn’t changed for many decades. That’s because we live in an empire. We just don’t say that part out loud.
Within the empire, it is tolerated to argue about abortion access or LGBTQ equality, gun control and immigration, because those things don’t affect the structure of empire. And when someone DOES talk about changing the structure of empire, they are smeared as “Putin’s puppet” or “Russian bot”. One MSNBC host insinuated that Bernie Sanders would execute people in Central Park, if elected.
The empire propagandists on mainstream media report international stories through a lens of empire that assumes the US military is an international police force that holds other countries accountable for daring to go against US interests, and millions of people are fooled into believing that it’s normal for the US military to be fighting against other counties’ rebellions, overthrowing other countries’ leaders or punishing countries for shipping goods to places the US has sanctioned.
I am not okay with my government killing people in Iraq for lower oil prices. I cannot tolerate my government trying to coup leaders of other countries so those countries elect leadership that is friendly to US interests. I am not fine with my government supporting the use of slavery, in prisons and in third world nations, to harvest minerals used in cell phones & computers, or cacao beans or to sew Levi’s or Nike’s. I cannot accept my country starving people with sanctions to cause civil unrest.
This is why there’s such a HUGE difference between a liberal, who wants to use the system to get people more, and an actual leftist, who wants to change the whole system. We can have a system that works for everybody, a system based on justice. One that makes sure that no one dies from lack of basic needs. OR we can have a global empire. We cannot have both.
— Jason Kishineff, American Canyon
2 thoughts on “We live in an empire, not a democracy”
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Leftists are quick to cry for a “system based on justice that makes sure that no one dies from lack of basic needs.” Until they run out of other peoples money to spend and the whole concept tanks and creates more death and misery than they accused the old “empire” system of. Leftists fail to grasp that while you can vote your way into socialism. When it fails ( it always does ) you must shoot your way out of it.
The author also seems to think that prison labor is slavery. There is no forced prison labor in the Untied States. Period. Prisoners are indeed “paid” for labor. Are they paid a minimum wage? no. why? they gave up that right when they chose to become felons.
The author speaks of Iraq and killing people for oil. Yet is apparently ignorant of the fact that we have ZERO energy interests in Iraq and are not dependent upon them or any other nation for oil or energy. In fact, The United States was not ever in Iraq for oil as international oil export records clearly show.
The author wants to “change the whole system”. I would suggest that the author relocate to some leftist utopia and leave those of us who are happy with our freedoms alone.
We got into two World Wars not of own making! We then picked up the pieces of a collapsing British and French Empire while confronting the Soviet Union. The result has been Global engagement with some failures and successes. Messy, yes but hardly an Empire!