By Chris Hedges
Our culture of flagrant self-exaltation, hardwired in the American character, permits the humiliation of all those who oppose us. We believe, after all, that because we have the capacity to wage war we have a right to wage war. Those who lose deserve to be erased. Those who fail, those who are deemed ugly, ignorant or poor, should be belittled and mocked. Human beings are used and discarded like Styrofoam boxes that held junk food. And the numbers of superfluous human beings are swelling the unemployment offices, the prisons and the soup kitchens.
It is the cult of self that is killing the United States. This cult has within it the classic traits of psychopaths: superficial charm, grandiosity and self-importance; a need for constant stimulation; a penchant for lying, deception and manipulation; and the incapacity for remorse or guilt. Michael Jackson, from his phony marriages to the portraits of himself dressed as royalty to his insatiable hunger for new toys to his questionable relationships with young boys, had all these qualities. And this is also the ethic promoted by corporations. It is the ethic of unfettered capitalism. It is the misguided belief that personal style and personal advancement, mistaken for individualism, are the same as democratic equality. It is the nationwide celebration of image over substance, of illusion over truth. And it is why investment bankers blink in confusion when questioned about the morality of the billions in profits they made by selling worthless toxic assets to investors.
We have a right, in the cult of the self, to get whatever we desire. We can do anything, even belittle and destroy those around us, including our friends, to make money, to be happy and to become famous. Once fame and wealth are achieved, they become their own justification, their own morality. How one gets there is irrelevant.
I've written about this subject many times before. The examples range from A Latin View of American-Style Violence to Victor or Victim: Our New National Anthem? In these postings I've noted the connection between greed and selfishness--core American values--and conquest and genocide.
It wasn't a coincidence that the Euro-American lust for gold and land led to the near-extermination of the Western Hemisphere's peoples. Rather, it was the inevitable outcome. When one side deems success the only thing that matters, the other side becomes expendable. The winner takes it all; the losers are eliminated. Figuratively in reality shows but literally in American history.
The conquest of America was a perfect example of free-market libertarianism in action. Without government constraints, settlers moved onto Indian land and declared it theirs. When the Indians fought back, "self-reliant" Americans cried for government protection. The government pacified the Indians for them while they boasted about what rugged individualists they were.
"Cult of self" goes way back
"Flagrant self-exaltation" existed before the European invasion of the Americas, of course. It arguably goes back to the Bible and the idea of "chosen people." We can trace this attitude from the Book of Genesis to the latest reality show:
"God made man in his own image" => "Dominion over all things" => Divine right of kings => "Shining city upon a hill" => Manifest Destiny => American exceptionalism => "Me" generation => Cult of self.
While we were anointing ourselves angels, we also had to anoint some demons to help define our self-image. So we've created a long list of heathens, savages, and barbarians to justify our self-proclaimed greatness. The lists includes Indians, blacks, Mexicans, Mormons, Catholics, immigrants, Asians (the "yellow peril"), Jews, labor unions, socialists, communists, atheists, secularists, feminists, gays, terrorists, Muslims, et al. The trend continues with the attacks on Obama, who's sort of the ultimate evildoer (black/Muslim/foreigner/socialist/terrorist) to many Americans.
For more on the subject, see Gray vs. Brown Americans, Culture War Over Who's American, and Bigots Protest Brown-Skins on 9/11.
6 comments:
Great posts! I agree with this posting and am glad to see I am no the only one that sees this in Americans blind sense of nationalism.
Can one be proud to be American without stepping on someone elses toes or backstabbing to get ahead? I think so. I am also optimistic enough to believe that at some point in America's history, all or most Americans will have a better understanding of this contintent and its first people rather than the spoon fed myths everyone is brainwashed to believing from the old world "mummies" and new world "capitalists".
Cortez, for examples, was given a special grant by the crown. Government taking away from some people and giving to others.. more like socialism than libertarianism.
Since you mention Cortez, wasn't the same recognition and authority also given to Columbus?
And now, in it's own quest for "gold", rather, the long green, it's now tribal governments that are destroying Indian People.
http://originalpechanga.com has stories on disenrollments and banishments of THOUSAND of Native Americans so that casino gold
Right on Chris! Unfortunately, American won't learn probably until it's too late, that it has used the Judeo-Christian ethic as an excuse to whitewash blatant greed. It essence, European culture and then the Americans sold out their own claimed moral base for the sake of acquiring (stealing or manipulating) land, natural resources, and any desireable material "stuff" in any manner, at any cost - even to its own claimed moral base. Since it was willing, and still is, to sell out its own moral base - how could it be expected to be moral when it came to Blacks, Indians, or anyone else who didn't follow and support ways? American couldn't because it had already crossed the line - controlling economics and increasing material acquisition became god. This is the start of what we see today.
When the U.S. was on top of the world in essence controlling world economies, it could avoid looking at uncomfortable truths about itself by focusing on fine-tuning the stuff acquired. But now that the economic tables are turning, which started actually in the 1960's, Americans now have to blame others for Americas problems. The various forms of entertainment - the next "idol", "makeover", "sports final" etc. are simply distractions - which will become less and less "satisfying". These remind me of what happened in the Roman Empire - the coliseum became a host to "blood spectaculars" to amuse the unhappy citizens, to distract from the political corruption and their insecurities, and excuses to execute scapegoats and the opposition.
Unfortunately as the economics become more unstable and less secure America will need to develop more scapegoats, but will also need to create more "heroes", e.g. Palin, Beck, Limbaugh, etc. to reassure them that "things will be ok" because we're going to "get our country back". They are blind to the historical facts and contradictory nature of this "call".
The U.S. has long been like an immature 17 year old male who thinks the world belongs or should belong to him, and that he should be free to do whatever he pleases, without any true responsibility, without real concern about others, or any real concern if what he does harms others. The problem with America is that is has conducted itself like this for so long, it makes maturing more difficult to proceed.
The example of all the world's one-time top nations is the same - they had to fall on their asses HARD, some to the point of disintegration before they were truly willing to change. Since American's still basically have most of their material stuff, that will make maturing more difficult.
The real question is what to DO about this state of affairs.
Right on Chris! Unfortunately, American won't learn probably until it's too late, that it has used the Judeo-Christian ethic as an excuse to whitewash blatant greed. It essence, European culture and then the Americans sold out their own claimed moral base for the sake of acquiring (stealing or manipulating) land, natural resources, and any "stuff" in any manner, at any cost. When the U.S. was on top of the world in essence controlling world economies, it could avoid looking at uncomfortable truths about itself by focusing on fine-tuning the stuff acquired. But now that the economic tables are turning, which started actually in the 1960's, Americans now have to blame others for Americas problems. The various forms of entertainment - the next "idol", "makeover", "sports final" etc. are simply distractions.
Unfortunately as the economics become more unstable and less secure America will need to develop other scapegoats, but will also need to create more "heroes", e.g. Palin, Beck, Limbaugh, etc. to reassure them that "things will be ok" because we're going to "get our country back". They are blind to the historical facts and contradictory nature of this "call".
The U.S. has long been like an immature 17 year old male who thinks the world belongs or should belong to him, and that he should be free to do whatever he pleases, without any real concern about others, or any real concern if what he does harms others. The problem with America is that is has conducted itself like this for so long, it makes maturing more difficult to proceed. The example of the world's nations that were once on "top of the world" are all the same - that had to fall on their asses HARD some to the point of disintegration before they were truly willing to change. Since American's still basically have most of their stuff, that will make maturing more difficult.
The real question is what to DO about this state of affairs.
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