Try To Remember America

“The American Dream,” Brought to You by “The New Yorker”

Well, few public schools, and few private schools, will fill in the gaps between America the fantasy and America the reality.  The name of America has been invoked with reverence when describing its history of righteous endeavors.  What is seldom included in these filtered history lessons, is some of the atrocities committed in the name of progress and democracy.  The idea of democracy is far removed from the reality of America’s demonstration of democracy cloaked in capitalist consumption.  This is why they always call America’s Democracy an experiment.

America’s experiment is failing because the emphasis became consumption.  Consumption is marketed by capitalist corporations changed the original vision.  Possession of things replaced possession of personal integrity.  American children have been cheated out of practical understanding of the planet they live on.  Emphasis on practical.  Most school children can mimic facts and figures required to pass tests and impress their educational bureaucracy.  But, put the child to a real test of skills requiring basic understanding that children used 100 years ago, and they are lost.

Today’s technology is what today’s children understand.  Remove that technology and those same children will founder.

Today’s integrity is also what today’s children are learning. Lies and corruption permeate America’s everyday politicians and celebrities.  Money is the common denominator that feeds the risk of being revealed.  Ask any teenager the definition of veracity or integrity.  Just do it.

All this is the preface to America’s current role in the world.  The disparity between the American fantasy and global reality has grown so far apart that it takes a journalist from Al Jazeera to describe some awful truths.  This article rings with many painful truths.

The end of American exceptionalism

by Mark LeVine, visiting professor at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University, Sweden.

Truth Is Out There Somewhere regardless of downplayed realities.  American politicians behaving like inner city gang members is accelerating the fall of a great idea.  Other countries recognize this and seek to salvage what they can from the American Dream before everyone wakes up.

America is fracturing into tribal behavior.  Disparity caused by the abuse of religion, personal gain, bigotry and filtered education has fueled the breakdown we are experiencing right now.

Health Care wars, Climate Wars, Religious meltdown and the clamor for the last drops of fossil fuel have dominated global crisis while the public is conveniently distracted by Tiger Woods.  Move over Paris Hilton.