Rogue States

By Mumia Abu-Jamal, Prison Radio, Written 8/6/09, Recorded 8/9/09

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A president takes power in government, after an election marred by fraud. All opposition is cowed into silence.

The country's highest judicial body gives its legal blessing to its preferred candidate, a fellow partisan.

The national media essentially silences, demonizes, and ultimately ignores the voices of any significant opposition, and gives fawning, largely uncritical coverage of 'the Great Leader' -- one given to outlandish, bombastic and martial rhetoric.

The leader's repressive machinery, its police, prison guards, judges and military violate both national and international law with impunity; torturing, beating and killing opponents.

When protests do arise-- as they inevitably do -- the leader ignores and downplays its significance. They neither change nor influence the leader's decisions -- for He believes that he is chosen by God to rule the nation, and thus his beliefs are higher than any law.

If this sounds like a rogue nation, it is: but probably not the one you're thinking about. For if you are an average American whose mind is formed by the corporate media, you can't help but think I'm making references to Iran.

Of course, I'm not.

I'm writing of the U.S.A. -- especially after the 2000 presidential elections.

Think of it: election fraud; judicial blessings; slavish media; presidential rejection of protests; leader 'chosen' by God?

It's all there. Not to mention the ongoing national and global costs to be paid by the election of a parade of paranoid schizophrenics.

But, of course, U.S. nationalism makes it quite difficult for Americans to see their country as a rogue state. But history unknown doesn't make it untrue.

In fact, the U.S. is a rogue empire, which has sponsored rogue states around the world, largely as part of the Cold War, when there was a Soviet Union, and it wiped out, took over, replaced and/or supported puppets throughout Latin America.

If we look at U.S. policies against the indigenous 'Indian' nations -- the Comanche, the Creeks, the Lakota, the Seminoles, Apaches -- and many, many others - well: rogue nation becomes genocidal nation.

To say the media has become a tool of state is understatement.

It doesn't inform us -- it misforms us, bending our minds so we don't see anything worth seeing.

--(c) '09 maj

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