What's so special about the US? by Carol Wolman

What's so special about the US? by Carol Wolman

Bush seems to believe that the US is a special nation, blessed by God to impose its form of government on the rest of the world, by force if necessary.  This, at least, is his rhetoric.  The US stands for freedom and democracy and therefore is entitled to sweep evil dictators like Saddam out of power and replace them with representative government.  So goes the myth.  It is still being used to justify our continuing presence in Iraq.

 

This myth works because it has deep roots in the psyche of America and the world.  In 1776, most of Europe was ruled by corrupt monarchies that oppressed the people.  The American revolution was the first of many that overthrew this system and replaced it with some form of constitutional representative rule.  Our Constitution became a model of how to form a government of, by, and for the people.  Its whole thrust is separation of powers, balance of powers, dispersion of powers among the three branches of the federal government, and further dispersion to state and local governments.

 

The Founding Fathers feared concentration of power in the executive branch.  They suffered under King George III and wanted to ensure that the new republic would not revert to a monarchy. 

 

With all its flaws- slavery, racism, rule by a power elite from day 1, the Constitution has allowed more power to the people than the world had seen since the days of the Roman Republic, 100 years before Christ.  America became the land of opportunity, a beacon of hope to oppressed peoples around the world.  America was called "the New Jerusalem", the "shining city on the hill". 

 

This image of America, specially blessed by God, started to be severely eroded right after the Civil War, when corporations started to usurp the legal concept of "personhood" through a series of court decisions.  For details, see www.duhc.org   Over the past 150 years, Americans have been disenfranchised, as corporate money has bought elections and politicians.  This process has speeded up since WWII, and under George W. Bush has become a feeding frenzy, whereby the public treasury is looted to the point of bankruptcy to enrich the corporate beast.  Our freedoms have likewise been diminished, and voting is such a corrupt process as to be meaningless.

 

Still, America retained some moral leadership in the post World War II world, pretending to stand, at least, for justice, human rights, respect for international law, and keeping the peace.  All such pretense is out the window under the current regime.

 

Does God still favor the US?  Does He still bless America?  How can He bless a country that lies in order to steal the oil of other nations, that kills children by the tens of thousands, that tortures prisoners, that spreads life destroying chemicals and radioactive substances over large portions of the globe?

 

America needs to repent and return to the original ways of God, practicing justice, mercy and love of one's neighbor.  Perhaps then we may be spared the economic, social, and political disasters that are looming.

 

Psalm 67:   ²May Thy way be known upon earth, Thy saving health among all nations.

 

In the name of the Prince of Peace, Carol Wolman

 

Carol S. Wolman. MD is a psychiatrist and lifelong peace activist.

She hosts http://groups.yahoo.com/group/peacemakersbiblestudy/
email: cwolman@mcn.org