Letter to the World from an American: Please Help Us

Dear World,

Many Americans are fighting mad. And no, we're not afraid of Osama Bin Laden or his kind. We don't believe that any person or country outside of America can bring America to its knees if the talent and goodness in America prevails. We don't think there is any problem too big that we cannot fix. We still have a lot of pride in ourselves and know that we Americans are a talented group of people.

But what we fighting for is our way of life, which is being attacked from within. And we need your help. We helped you in two World Wars. We have helped your countries in times of famine and disaster. Yes, we've made many many arrogant mistakes for which we can only ask forgiveness, but we've also been there for you at times. Now we need your help.

Depending upon exactly what you read or hear, the actions of our current administration, and those who have hijacked the Republican party, are anywhere from grossly inept to proof that a small gang is trying to overthrow our government by shredding the constitution. Whatever the case, this cannot continue.

Axis of Evil? Bush defined that as North Korea, Iran, and Iraq. But for some of us, the real Axis of Evil is an alliance made up of neocons, rich corporations and media conglomerates, and extreme religious evangelicals. They will do anything to increase their political, social, and international power. Their goal? To create a pseudo-theocratic military state which is used to maintain social control, so that a relatively small group of rich powerful people can rule over the country, and eventually the world.

The idea that Bush and his cronies want to "take over" America may seem ridiculous and extreme to some, and in fact they may not be shooting for all that (I think they are, at least on a subconcious level), but even if they are heading in that direction, which they indisputably are, well, "Houston, we have a problem."

We are not exactly sure why they want to do this. It could be simple opportunity - because they think they can. It could be because they fear a world where everyone has a say, where everyone is equal, because they worry their own self-importance will be minimized. It could be simple control issues. It could even be because they truly believe this is how the world should be run. I guess the same could have been said about Hitler. Whatever the case, it needs to end.

Bush and Republican administration crimes, policies, and actions provide ample evidence that they want total rule with no dissent by implementing policies that weaken the weak and empower the powerful: Kill social programs, or in the case of the Medicare Prescription Drug Program and No Child Left Behind, purposely create social program in such a way to ensure total failure, thus "proving" social programs are always doomed. Shove Jesus Christ into the government and into everyone's public lives, since it is easy to control people via religion (witness Michael Scanlon's comments if you don't believe that). Implement policies that widen the gap between the rich and the poor. And move the American military from 200 years of being a primarily defensive force, to one where we attack pre-emptively to assert control. We are now becoming truly imperialist.

Conspiracy theories abound as well, some of which may be baloney, some of which are true, and some which may be half-true: Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld took down the Twin Towers. Bush outed a CIA agent's wife because he criticized the administration. Bush spies on innocent Americans for political reasons. Oil companies create our nation's energy policies. Science is perverted for political ends. Elections are tampered with. And so forth. Again, not all of this needs to be completely true for us to have reason to fight back.

Within America, nearly half of us are fighting against this attempted coup, and struggling. We've lost (or did we?) two close Presidential elections. We're slowly gaining our voice as we wake up and realize what is happening, but it's a battle against well-financed and powerful interests. If we lose, it's not just Americans who will suffer. So will people on every continent and in every country. That should be obvious by now.

If you live outside of America, and you have become an "America Hater", I ask you to know this: Many of us are nothing like Bush and his cronies. Many of us are not like Pat Robertson. Many of us are not like Bill O'Reilly and his ilk. Those people are a bit like homophobics (well, most of them are homophobics). They are so worried about their own "masculinity" that they decide to hate those they fear they may become. Indeed, neocons, the rich, and the religious evangelicals seem to worry they may become peaceful, middle class, and tolerant. How dreadful that would be, to just become an ordinary citizen of the world.

However, many of us Americans are the kind of people who envision (maybe a bit dreamily, admittedly) a world of peace, a world where America works side-by-side with all other countries to bring the most prosperity and happiness to all people, sharing our talents, and learning from others. We love to hear foreign languages, we like all colors of people, we like foreign foods and customs and ways of life. We actually feel we can learn from others and want to teach you what we know. We'd just assume share the earth with you in peace than rule over you.

Don't get me wrong. Liberals do not tolerate terrorism or acts of evil. And liberals are tough. Proof enough of that is seen in the many Iraq War Veterans now running as Democrats for Congress. Liberals have never been weak nor unpatriotic. We're just portrayed as being that way by the neocons and their friends in the corporate media. We're tough enough to fight back against these same neocons, aren't we?

So, my plea to you: to the people of France, of Egypt, of Japan, of Canada, of Argentina - all of you. Help America. Do not wish for our destruction, because the fallout of that may bring ruin to you as well. America has never been perfect, but we've also not always been bad. Wherever you live, you can find problems there too. The truth is, probably every powerful empire in the history of the world has overreached, and that's what America is doing now. Generally this has led to the end of the empire, with resulting chaos and the rise of a new empire and the cycle repeats. However, the world is now small enough to consider a new idea: A unified world where we all feel we're citizens of one planet, and not only citizens of our own country. Help us by supporting and working with American liberals, who also share this dream: the dream of a world of peace, respect for law, respect and tolerance for all people and their traditions and spiritualities, respect for the environment, and hope for our children.

So, speak out. Speak loudly. Press your leaders to speak against bad American policies, and in support of good policies. Tell them to stop fearing American power, because the more you submit to what is wrong about America, the less you're supporting what is right about America. If you can, financially support good American political candidates or give money to American organizations and charities that do good. Within your own country, vote for candidates that hold a healthy world view. And I'm not being unpatriotic when I want to see "bad America" punished, and "good America" rewarded. In fact that is the ultimate in patriotism. And you're not being an America-Hater to do the same. You're being a supporter of all that is good in America. Do not fear. You have millions of Americans on your side. And if anyone thinks I'm weak for asking for help, I think you're wrong. It's time to bring together people from all countries who believe in what is good and right. We're all in this together. Remember our children and let's make this a better world for them. There is always hope.

Note: It always helps to know what we mean by "neocon". From Wikipedia:

Neoconservatism refers to the political movement, ideology, and public policy goals of "new conservatives" in the United States, who are mainly characterized by their relatively interventionist and hawkish views on foreign policy, and their lack of support for the "small government" principles and restrictions on social spending, when compared with other American conservatives such as traditional or paleoconservatives.

To kos readers: this diary is too long-winded and lacks eloquence. Feel free to completely re-write your own version and submit it as a diary.