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NEWS & LETTERS, May 2002
Column: Voices from the Inside Out by Robert TaliaferroCapitalism's information virus infects all
by Robert Taliaferro When was the last time that you
witnessed so much news about relatively obscure non-news items? Since the beginning of the
declared war on terrorism there has been no lack of information surrounding
every aspect of the action. Americans, and the world, now
know more about the conduct of war than they have ever known, and the media
onslaught describing the war's prosecution now borders on overkill. From any minor scratch received
by troops on the ground, to the utilization of multi-million dollar weapon
systems, we now get up-to-the-minute information that supposedly lets the public
know that their faith in the American leadership is not misplaced, and that
their money is well-spent. Additionally, we now know more
about Afghanistan than we know about our own backyards, which is sadly ironic.
Had this information been available prior to September 11, it is quite possible
that the tragic events of that day could have been avoided. Unfortunately we have this
unique propensity to ignore anything in the world that does not directly pertain
to our existence. If attacked in any fashion, we are quick to respond with a
sense of emotional furor. Yet, despite all of its
technology and industrial might, the U.S. is relatively naive with an inchoate
understanding of the world beyond its borders. In essence, it is a second-rate
player when it comes to understanding the theoretical and philosophical context
of world views. Every administration since
Reagan's has been defined by that inherent ignorance and American propensity to
trust in the concept that "money can solve all problems." Nearly every tragedy that has
befallen American citizens, both home and abroad, can be mapped directly—or
indirectly—to policy-makers who have blindly embarked on crusades that equated
finance with solutions. Yet the greatest deterrence to
rational actions on the part of those policy-makers has not been economic, or
philosophical for that matter. It has been cultural and nationalistic,
attempting to imbue American ideas and principles on people in a manner that is
as alien to them as Pop Tarts or peanut butter. In search of public support,
policy-makers often act like some virulent plague that runs rampantly though the
population, sickening everyone with a deadly disease. The disease that is spread is
capitalism, whose symptoms are as devastating as the most deadly virus: inherent
racism and the conditions that make genocide possible, ensure homelessness and
hunger, that enhance and support hatred, and that ultimately promulgate some
tragedy. Today the enemy is Osama bin
Laden and Saddam Hussein. Yesterday it was Noriega or the Duvaliers of Haiti. In
each case they were once supported by policy-makers in this country in some
capacity. In each case that support backfired. During the Cold War, nearly
every abusive leader in this hemisphere was supported directly, or indirectly,
by American policy-makers of the day. The only criterion for that support was an
espoused hatred of Communism. Unfortunately, they were not questioned about
disdain for their own people. Who will be tomorrow's puppet?
Who will be the next unlikely partner in some newly-stylized freedom campaign?
The die is already being cast for the next political failure, as policy-makers
vie for public support. In a letter to Adams, Thomas
Jefferson once questioned whether the common man could be trusted with
self-government. In a historical irony, it was Karl Marx who was able to answer
that question affirmatively. One wonders what both would think today if they
were to review the decisions that policy-makers have made over the last few
decades? Of course, Jefferson also noted
that a little revolution every now and again was a healthy thing, if for no
other reason than to ensure that the leadership was kept honest. Marx would have
agreed with that idea. It is important to be able to view events in order to ensure that the trust of the people is not misplaced. In viewing those events, however, one must be careful that they maintain the ability to discern the differences between factual—as opposed to manufactured and orchestrated—truths. In so doing, one cannot be lulled to sleep by disinformation and propaganda, from either side. |
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