Say That Again? No Really ... You Are Kidding Right?

So Barack Obama's former Minister said that the U.S. brought 9/11 on itself. Horrors! Why would anyone want to attack that beacon of peace and freedom, that light unto the world the United States? Let's see. How about maintaining an economic embargo that killed thousands of children throughout the nineties? Oh, wait ... the Iraqis didn't do it. How about protesting that you support democracy and then funding repressive regimes around the world? How about using military and intelligence operatives and operations to disrupt and destroy democratic processes wherever there is the chance someone with different ideas might get elected?

I looked this up for a class I was teaching. The list of U.S. military interventions since 1890 (not including humanitarian or state of emergency deployments) runs 12 pages, single-spaced, size 12 font. The primary causes of intervention: foreign -- elections; domestic -- strikes. Yep, wouldn't want any of the world's poor to try to get a step up. Crush 'em if they try. Villify anyone who dares point out what the U.S. government has really meant by "freedom" in its actions: freedom for U.S. corporations to exploit the world's workers and rape the world's resources. Oops, did I say that? Okay let me correct myself: FREEDOM FOR U.S. CORPORATIONS TO EXPLOIT THE WORLD'S WORKERS AND RAPE THE WORLD'S RESOURCES. There, I feel better after that correction. How about you?

Then, apparently the dear reverend had the temerity to suggest that white people still mistreat black people in the United States. Yeah, like that ever happens. What a nut. What a kook. What a racist. What a ... Rodney King. Is the KKK on the terrorist watch list? It's not? Why not? What about Aryan Nations? What about all the myriad ways black people are routinely debased and degraded: seen New Orleans lately. And not just in the U.S. In Canada, in Europe, even in Africa where we can't be bothered to fight Aids or repression or genocide because ... Well, because why exactly? Does it have anything to do with the persistent cultural overhang of 300 years of race-based slavery? If you think it doesn't maybe it is time you took a drive out of your neighbourhood or maybe read a book by an author whose name isn't Stephen King or Harlequin Romance or just read a book. How about just taking your head out of your butt and opening your eyes. White people still mistreat black people. No. Ya think?

And then poor Obama has to make a speech where he has to manage to spout what he must know is crap without damaging his soul all in order to preserve his political standing because the last thing the electorate needs to know is the TRUTH. Because after decades of ET, FOX News, Survivor and endless Idol reruns most of the American electorate has their heads ensconced so far up their collective asses that not only can't they handle the truth ( it might make their heads explode -- what fun) but it would take every proctologist in the world working 24 hours a day a million years to pull all those heads free.

And that is the TRUTH.