Manifest Destiny

10/1/02

Unaltered AP photograph of George W. Bush, taken at a
fundraiser for Republican congressional candidate Bob
Beauprez in Denver, Colorado September 27, 2002
MANIFEST DESTINY
By David Podvin
American foreign policy is revisiting the most brutal period in our history.
George W. Bush has resurrected the scourge of Manifest Destiny, a depraved
philosophy that states we are morally compelled by God Almighty to kill weaker
people and steal their land. There is no scriptural evidence that this is the
covenant of Jehovah or Jesus or Mohammad or Buddha; the God whose will is now
being carried out more closely resembles Attila the Hun. The stated desire for
world domination has some observers comparing Bush to Adolf Hitler. It is a
comparison that is entirely inappropriate - Hitler did not pretend to love the
innocent civilians he was slaughtering.
On the home front, there is also an unwelcome blast from the past. As has
happened so many times in American history, conservatives are expediently
detecting the scent of treason in the air. The moon is full, and the blood is
rising in the wolf. Right-wingers are now working themselves into the
irrational, frenzied state that precedes the hunt, lustfully anticipating the
carnage they are about to inflict. Yet again, conservatives are patriotically
preparing to lay waste to their natural born prey: the evil ones amongst us who
endanger this sacred land by failing to conform to the Lord’s fascist agenda.
Having fostered imperialism abroad and McCarthyism at home, and with the stock
market teetering on the edge of collapse, Bush is closing in on a Trifecta for
the ages. Add the fact that he previously prevented blacks from voting, throw in
the current discrimination against citizens who physically resemble the enemy,
and Bush has delivered a reprise of the worst of twentieth century America – all
deftly compressed into less than two years
The Bush record is a logical extension of what happened in 2000. The theft of
that election was not just a power grab – it was a policy statement by someone
who has contempt for democracy and the rule of law. The inevitable result is the
introduction of the Bush Doctrine. It declares that, while the United States
would prefer to behave legally, "We will not hesitate to act alone, if
necessary, to exercise our right of self-defense by acting pre-emptively." The
Bush Doctrine is the latest incarnation of the Manson Doctrine, which clearly
states, “I reserve the right to kill you if I feel like it.”
This is not the best of America.
America at its best exports freedom and democracy, not death and destruction.
One of the shining moments in our history occurred when the Marshall Plan
rebuilt Europe, even the part of Europe that had just tried to kill us. After
defeating our enemies, we fed them and then helped to create free societies in
which they could thrive. As a result, we turned adversaries into allies.
Contrast this approach with the current situation in Afghanistan, where Bush has
replaced the Taliban with thugs of his own and left the peasants to fend for
themselves - without food or shelter - by growing opium poppies.
America at its best allows people to read library books without having the
Attorney General pass judgment on their selections, and go to museums without
being monitored by FBI agents, and publicly demonstrate against government
policy without being harassed.
The best of America is George Washington declining to become king because he
preferred to live as an equal rather than rule as a sovereign. This stands in
sharp contrast to the current George, who attempts to rule as a sovereign even
though he fails to qualify as an equal.
The best of America is Abraham Lincoln imploring his countrymen to avoid war by
listening to the better angels of their nature. It is quite different than
imploring Congress to slash Medicare benefits for old Americans in order to help
underwrite the cost of sending young Americans off to die.
The best of America is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., risking and ultimately
sacrificing his own life so that others could be free at last. Personal
sacrifice is alien to the man who now insists that our country pay a huge toll
in blood and treasure to satiate the greed of his campaign contributors.
America is a great country when we follow the lead of great people.
And then there is the America that is led by George W. Bush. While the litany of
ways in which Bush has disgraced our nation is seemingly endless, one example is
especially compelling. Under Bush, self-proclaimed child of God, America is
currently torturing foreign nationals who are suspected of committing terrorism.
This return to the caves is cheered by the ruling class and their echoes in the
mainstream media, who emphasize that our sadism is different than that of
Torquemada and Idi Amin because we are the good guys. The conduct of the Bush
administration must always be viewed through this prism, because merely looking
at the facts as they exist would lead a moral person to some very troubling and
socially unacceptable conclusions. The prevailing wisdom among America’s elite
opinion makers is that torturing captured foes is an unpleasant but essential
part of our noble fight against barbarism.
The dungeon also beckons indigenous enemies of the state. Bush is petitioning
the courts to permit “coercive interrogations” of American citizens who are not
even accused of terrorism. The current descent into totalitarian savagery
qualifies as one of those many things that are questioned only by traitors.
There is an ongoing struggle between the good America and the bad. It was seen
when Dalton Trumbo courageously imperiled his career by refusing to betray his
friends before the House Un-American Activities Committee, while Ronald Reagan
cravenly informed on law-abiding people in order to save his own skin. It is
seen when Congressman Jim McDermott – who served with distinction in the United
States Navy in Vietnam – desperately tries to avert an avoidable war because he
doesn’t want innocent people on either side to die, while Senate Minority Leader
Trent Lott – who served with distinction in the Hair Club For Men in Mississippi
– enthusiastically advocates sending other people’s children off to lose their
lives for Exxon Mobil.
To Bush and his followers, dissent is indistinguishable from treason. The
concept of “freedom and justice for all” never really caught on with
conservatives, who have always seen more virtue in “might makes right”. Their
philosophy is, ironically enough, Darwinism in its purest form. Conservatives
govern on the basis that a well-ordered social structure requires the powerful
to strengthen their dominance over the weak. No matter how much Bush tries to
pretty up this vulgar philosophy with his mangled rhetoric, compassionate
conservatism can ultimately be distilled to its essence: “You do as I say, and
no one gets hurt.” This applies equally to the people in the Middle East and the
people in the Middle West. America is now being governed by Corleone family
values, with Fredo calling the shots.
It has always been true that, when the commander-in-chief rings the war bell,
many Americans start drooling. We depend on the personal honor of our leader not
to abuse this Pavlovian power. If the occupant of the White House has no honor,
then the lone superpower is vulnerable to fits of megalomania. The same ignorant
philosophy that insisted, “What’s Good For General Motors Is Good For America”
now gives us, “What’s Good For America Is Good For The World.” The world isn’t
so sure, so it’s time to lock and load.
The war against terrorism is a worthy one; a good first step would be to get a
competent commander-in-chief who prioritizes increasing national security over
increasing the oil depreciation allowance. In any case, our greatest struggle is
not with dictators or terrorists; it is an internal battle. Will we embrace the
principles we constantly claim to cherish, or succumb to the base instincts that
are so easily manipulated by demagogues?
Ultimately, the American people will decide whether war is better than peace and
conformity is better than freedom. Bush can insist on creating Pax Americana,
but he has not consolidated enough power – yet – to act in defiance of an
aroused public. If the people of this country do not yearn for a world that
exists only to increase the profits of oil companies and defense contractors,
then we must take a stand. If we do not want to live in a nation where opposing
perpetual war is an act of sedition, then we must register that view at the
ballot box.
The crucial yet unspoken issue in the upcoming election is whether Manifest
Destiny and McCarthyism were disasters that are best left to the dustbin of
history, or whether they are blueprints for governing the United States in the
twenty-first century. The Republicans have embraced Bush’s determination to
build an empire in the name of all that is holy, while disdaining Benjamin
Franklin’s admonition against trading essential liberty for temporary safety.
The Democrats have shown no inclination to rule the world, and this alone is
enough to make them virtuous by comparison.
The events of the past two years have clearly proven that, in contemporary
politics, the lesser of two evils is significantly less evil. There is
definitely more than a dime’s worth of difference between the two major
political parties: one of them wants the government of the United States to
forcefully eradicate dissent wherever it exists, and the other doesn’t.
On Election Day, Americans should reject the return of expansionism abroad and
repression at home by voting for the congressional candidates of the Democratic
Party.
More David Podvin
Podvin, the Series


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"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lighly upon you, and posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." Samuel Adams, speech at the Philadelphia State House, August 1, 1776.