Credibility and Patriotism
Guest Opinion by J. J. Estemac
It is indeed very difficult to continue supporting political leaders and other leaders in the country that refuses to acknowledge that building arguments on lies damages the credibility of these leaders. It is the height of arrogance when President Bush and his cohorts label citizens as unpatriotic because they disagree with his foreign policies. Particularly when President Bush try to justify his military exploits as necessary for the defense and protection of the American people. It is curious to note that is not all the time the term used “ USA interest” it refers to the interest of the American people. Many times, and I will dare to say most of the times when that rationale is invoked as justification for a course of action it is really the interest of a minority of the American people, the oligarchy of this country.
The interests that US politicians usually refer to are the vested interest of major capitalist’s interests such as the huge military/industrial complex of this country, the transnational corporations and its allies. Unfortunately there are too many Americans that are so chauvinistic that they refuse to reason and see the error in their leaders. They accept the official propaganda disseminated through the media as gospel truth. So much so that it is difficult to distinguish between the domestic political and religious fanatics and the international fanatics, maybe only by their style and overt actions. Many of the US fanatical expression are expressed by displaying patriotic symbols such as the flag in different forms, the anthem and quoting and interpreting the Founding Fathers intentions of their written and spoken words.
I can say categorically that my patriotism does not rest on symbolism but on real actions. Actions that make a difference such as supporting American businesses by buying, to the extent possible, American products. Many of those so-called patriots that display the US flag on their residences, their vehicles, their lapel and even with tattoos fail to support American industries, they buy foreign goods, rationalizing, they are cheaper. Is that true patriotism? Should one buy a product because it is better or because it is cheaper? Is it patriotism to know that the politicians are lying to the American people and rather than denounce the lies and the liars accept the lies and the liars? I love this country but do not trust the politicians. My loyalty is first to God the Creator and second to humanity not to politicians nor governments. I am willing to do all that I can to protect this nation from its enemies domestic and foreign.
We have to take a stand against corruption in government, in our society as a whole. We need to reestablish the moral values that have been our strength until recently, when dark forces in our society have been successfully undermining the moral underpinnings of our society, of our nation. These dark forces advocate unbridle individual liberties, which many confuse with licentiousness. There are many iconoclasts who are successfully tearing down all the moral markers that have guided our nation through difficult times and prosperous times. Many in their efforts stamp out religion in our nation have been interpreting, erroneously in my view, the provision of the US Constitution that refers to separation of church and government. The operative word is church not religion, they are not even synonymous, therefore, there is no really constitutional provision prohibiting religious practices in government. Evidence of this reality can be seen in the various ceremonies and activities of the government, federal and local, in all three branches of government, that include religious presentations.
I believe that the most patriotic action we can take is to point out the errors of our political leaders, our representatives in government. Our loyalty should be to the truth not to individuals or ideologies. When there is no credibility in our leaders the country suffers, a crisis in leadership emerges, and the clamor for change is propagated. Our patriotism should be based on truth , human dignity and Justice. When we fail not only to denounce or even impeach a President and Vice-president that blatantly lies to the American people and the world, we the people become complicit with our leaders’ lies and thereby guilty of those lies and should suffer the ultimate consequences that any nation should suffer when it supports immorality in its leaders. And then we wonder why our nation is suffering such adversities and lost of prestige worldwide? We strayed away from our basic moral values and must pay the price. Allah-God have mercy on us.
J. J. Estemac
CCBG
St. Thomas, USVI
