America on the 4th of July
As the U.S. observes another Fourth of July, Americans across the board concede that our nation is in trouble. With an economy still in the doldrums and the can of worms that we opened in Iraq, there seem to be few things to be proud of this year. Not that we need actual achievements for the Fourth of July: as a rule, what we honor on this day is not what America currently does, but our idea of what America represents. It is due to the damage to this very idea that this Independence Day should give us pause.
No matter how you felt about Iraq, there was something about the prison abuse scandal that hit straight in the gut, that made you feel ugly to be American. The pictures were dark and disturbing, and they seemed to show everything that was wrong with this war. While Americans can bear to be wrong, to be criticised and even condemned, it has not been since Vietnam that the nation has felt such collective shame. It is a bipartisan shame, gripping Democrats and Republicans, greenies and independents, as well as the half of this country that doesn’t vote (when Rush Limbaugh tried to play down the abuse, I could tell that he felt it too).
At long last, President Bush had become a uniter.
In the midst of all the disgust, like a heaven-sent balm, came the celebration of D-Day, America’s noblest hour. The engagement in World War II will always remain an honourable deed, a fight as righteous as history has witnessed. It was this fight that cemented our moral compass, the sense that America knows right from wrong, and that its military power is fighting for goodness. However, it may also be the glory of D-Day that keeps us from seeing that we no longer have this authority. In the world of 2004, our moral compass dramatically failed: the president lied to have a war all his own, and out of fear and blind trust we believed him. Never mind about Iraqi liberation—at the end of the day, how many Americans care about a free Middle East? If one asks our troops in Baghdad about liberation, they will probably say they’re fighting to survive the next day.
Let’s just stop the pretending, the embarrassing moral fig leaves. Let’s just admit we screwed up. All of us. Big time.
For Americans, it would be healthy and liberating to acknowledge the obvious: we have no God-instilled goodness, no moral superiority, and no mandate to better the world. It is exhausting to be this perfect, to always love and revere the best country in the world. In reality, there has never been a contest (well, perhaps with the French) just a bunch of different countries with good deeds and bad. Instead of exporting our lifestyle abroad, we should take a hard look at affairs here at home.
What better time than the Fourth of July—which praises our liberation from the unwanted British reign—than to remember two basic truths: 1) Not always do rulers mind our best interests; 2) To love one’s country can mean to mistrust its leaders.
The first patriots in the United States were Americans fighting their government. To them, the love of their country meant fighting the British. It is a common notion all over the world: people in Europe, Asia, Africa, or South America will express glowing love of their country, while at the same time condemning their leaders. There is no contradiction—a country is far more than its government. It is an American idiosyncrasy—most commonly used by Republicans—to brand any critic an un-American traitor.
How truly absurd: what could be more American than to criticize what one disagrees with? There is such a thing as healthy distrust, and it certainly is in order when our president invades other countries.
Some people might find it disturbing to ascribe hidden motives to our leaders. It may seem like distrusting one’s parents—too outrageous and scary to contemplate. We wish for unconditional love, for a flawless benign leader who will protect us from harm. Unfortunately, U.S. politics have become so entangled with business that we no longer know how decisions are made. Whether you agree with Bush on abortion, or just in general like his style, one thing has become clear: he lied to us about Iraq, and he is not making this country any safer. And that is why I don’t trust him: you never know when he might start lying, you only know he has done it in the past.
Whatever America means to you, you’re welcome to cherish it on the Fourth of July. But if you are flying that flag on your porch, you have to know and confront what is done in its name.
Chester
