Eric A. Blair: Imperialism the real problem

Published in the SummitDaily News on December 3, 2011 (www.summitdaily.com) under a brief pen pal name I used, Eric A Blair.



I find it unbelievably disingenuous to blame the unemployed for the debt problems this country is facing. Most political partisans seem to wear blinders when they speak or write. George Orwell once wrote, “Orthodoxy, of whatever colour, seems to demand a lifeless, imitative style.” Mr. Liddick’s words are exactly this: lifeless by lacking the power to invoke a deeper understanding of the systemic issues facing the U.S. right now, and imitative by echoing the blame the victim mentality that is constantly evoked amongst the conservative circles in this country. Just to be clear: Many of the liberals in this country are not immune to a “lifeless, imitative style” when defending their side, and also partake in the blame game mentality. In a political environment where a dumbed-down mainstream political discourse is the norm, it is becoming less relevant whether the partisan is “on your right” or “on your left,” because both seem to be missing the bigger picture.

This blame-game mentality simply helps to obscure the real problems. Many of the problems we are facing lie in the fact that the United States has become a full blown empire. Defense spending is one thing, but maintaining a global garrison of military bases (780 plus, located in more than 160 different countries) and engaging in wars of aggression is not defense; it's imperialism! And anybody who knows their history about past empires should know that imperial over-stretch creates the inevitable decline at home.

The “defense” budget is estimated to go over the $1 trillion mark this year. On top of this it was recently reported by Bloomberg News that the Federal Reserve handed out nearly $8 trillion to the banking institutions with no strings attached. So excuse me if I think the $133 billion used in 2010 to help Americans keep a roof over their heads and to be able to feed themselves pales in comparison to the trillions and trillions of dollars being shoveled over to the real welfare queens of this country — the corporate hogs who are happily feeding at the public trough. These same hogs then have the audacity to grunt and moan and use their political organizations disguised as news channels to spread the myth that the unemployed, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are the main source of the debt problems. It is a disgusting thing to watch.

I wonder if Mr. Liddick has the ability to take the logic used in his article and apply it to the folks who are “on the right” and happily accepting “largesse” in the forms of bailouts and massive corporate subsidies. Corporate welfare programs do indeed make the entire system corrosive, self-perpetuating and expansive. His article can go both ways; that is, if we are willing to remove our partisan blinders and look to the systemic problems this country is facing.