• "America is the epitome of democracy, the best form of government the world has ever known. The world envies our form of government by the people."
• "America is the freest nation on Earth."
• "In America we have something called freedom which those in other countries don't have and wish they did."
• "It's a free country."
• "Everyone in the rest of the world dreams of coming to America."
These cherished fanatical beliefs of America and its propagandists have no actual basis in fact or reality, yet they are chanted by many Americans, their media and education system as a religion and set of Gospel truths that are universally agreed upon and unquestionable. Thus they are the antithesis to a free-thinking and truth-seeking mind.
Let's dissect these myths and see how they match up to facts, common sense and real life experiences:
1) "America is the epitome of freedom and democracy for the world to emulate. It is the ideal form of government by the people that the world envies."
We will get into freedom later, but for now, let's address the democracy issue. Technically, a democracy is defined as a "rule by the majority". Hollywood, the media and our education system all chant that America is the epitome of democracy as though it were a Gospel Truth that is universally agreed upon (but it is not by far). It is so ingrained in our culture that most never dare to question it.
The founding fathers never intended America to be a democracy and in fact didn't even believe in one. Most Americans would be shocked to learn this. Anyone who casually researches the American form of government and its founding in the late 18th Century will see that technically, America was not set up as a democracy but as a Constitutional Republic.
A Republic is "rule by law" and tends to be the most just and stable form of government, protecting the rights of its citizens while limiting the power of government to a minimal level.
The first video above contains quotes from the founding fathers expressing their thoughts on democracy, which you will see was anything but positive.
In fact, there is no mention of the word "democracy" in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution. Even the Pledge of Allegiance cited by school children mentions that America is a Republic:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
The founding fathers were intellectual elites who knew their history. They knew that a democracy was unsustainable, for it was in essence a rule by a lawless mob. The fundamental flaw in a democracy is that the majority is unrestrained.
Critics of democracy use this revealing analogy: "Democracy is like three wolves and one sheep voting on what's for dinner." In other words, if 51 percent of the population voted to harm or seize the property of the other 49 percent, who's going to protect the 49 percent? This reveals the inherent flaw in democracy, which America does not dare bring light to.
In fact, the US Constitution and Bill of Rights were designed to PROTECT you FROM a democracy! (Most Americans would flip if they heard that) For example, in a true democracy, or a "rule by majority", if most people in your town voted to seize your property and hang you, your assets would be confiscated and you'd be hanged. Simple as that. But in a Republic with a Constitution of rights, your rights and property are protected by law. If you are accused of anything, you have the right to a fair trial. That's how a Republic works. And that's how it PROTECTS you from a true democracy.
The ancient Greeks tried having a true democracy, but it failed, led to chaos and eventually to oligarchy. Even the greatest Greek philosopher, Socrates, did not believe in a true democracy. He advocated that the wisest and most virtuous rule society, not the common populace. In Plato's great work "The Republic", Socrates likened a "democracy" to the crew of a ship committing mutiny against their captain and taking the helm. In such a scenario, the ship, run by "the mob", would never be run efficiently nor get to its proper destination, as the mutineers would constantly bicker, quarrel and change their minds. There would be no order. The ship would be blown around by the wind, so to speak.
So why doesn't a true democracy work, you might ask? Well you see, most people are followers, not leaders or thinkers. They are emotional, not logical or rational. Being gullible, they are changeable on a whim, quick to jump to conclusions, and not wise. A true democracy is like having a mob take control (as in Socrates' example above) without laws or protection. It is neither efficient, stable nor sustainable. And besides, there is no logical reason to presuppose that the majority is always right either. As the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said, "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Though on paper, America began as a Constitutional Republic, it gradually evolved into a form of oligarchy (rule by the elite), plutocracy (rule by the rich) and corporatocracy (rule by corporations). These terms are more accurate to describe America's governance than the term "democracy". Any unbrainwashed observer can see why. Yet the elite continue to perpetuate the democracy propaganda to instill patriot religious pride and fervor in its citizens, to get their compliance and obedience (ironically). They see it as a "necessary illusion" as Noam Chomsky, the renowned intellectual and American critic, would say.
In addition, consider the following:
a) According to polls, most Americans do not feel that they have a say in their government or its policies, and do not feel that their vote even matters. (Hence voter turnout during elections tends to be under 50 percent) There is a good reason for that. The government and the elite who run it often act in contrary to the will of the people.
For example, most Americans did not want the Vietnam War or the Iraq War, yet the US leaders insisted on them and shoved them down our throats, with the help of the media of course (see the film "War Made Easy" on Google Video). People also do not want higher taxes, yet the government continually raises them.
So, if a democracy is a "rule by majority" then how come most people have no say in the country's policy making, either foreign or domestic? That says a lot, yet most Americans still believe the democracy myth. (Fortunately though, with the surge in the conspiracy movement and the internet, more Americans are beginning to wake up everyday)
b) According to the historical track record, no matter who holds the office of President, whether Democrat or Republican, Conservative or Liberal, US policies, both foreign and domestic, remain the same. Thus, critics liken the whole political system to a show or theater, since the power networks that own both parties really represent the same interests. The system is designed to maintain the illusion of democracy, to appease the gullible dumbed down public.
Therefore, people don't really have a say in the policies their government sets. They are simply given the chance to elect Presidents every four years, and Congressmen and Senators every few years, as an illusion of some control in the democratic process. In reality though, no matter who gets elected, the power networks (corporate giants, banking elite, military industrial complex, secret societies, etc.) make sure they are in control. They are the real masters, not the President of the United States, who is merely a fall guy.
Why do you think that US Presidents tend to renege on their campaign promises that won them the election? Do you think any man likes going back on his word and breaking his promises in front of the whole country's population? I don't think so. It's obviously because he has no choice, since he's not really at the top of the hierarchy and cannot do whatever he wants. He is controlled by a "shadow network", where his real allegiance lies. Otherwise he wouldn't be in office, or he better submit to them if he wants to remain in office, lest he suffer the consequences (as JFK, our last real President, did, which was a warning to all that followed).
The elite merely need to present the illusion of democracy to appease the masses. And they do it by giving you the charade of political elections, and calling it "democracy". All they have to do is control the tiny pool of candidates that you have to choose from, in one form or another, and they remain in power, NOT you. That is why no matter who is elected, policies (including covert ones) remain the same.
Of course, the elite themselves don't believe in a democracy either, for a true democracy would usurp their power. Therefore, they are knowingly spreading myths that they don't believe themselves, which is both hypocritical and deceitful.
c) Immigrants and foreigners from other countries do not usually say "Wow we have so much freedom and democracy in America which we never had in our own native country" as Hollywood portrays. Go ahead and ask them yourself. They do not come to America for its freedoms or democracy, but to earn the almighty dollar and pursue career opportunities. In reality, most in the rest of the world do not see America as an "ideal democracy" but many do see it as an ideal country for making money and pursuing higher career opportunities.
Furthermore, it is not true that most people in the rest of the world want to live in America. Immigrants to the US are predominantly from Asia or Mexico, who come to make money, not for "freedom". In fact, a large percentage of immigrants regret coming to America, feeling lonely and isolated and wishing they were back in their homeland, which the US media never covers of course.
And that brings us to the next myth...
2) "America is the freest nation on Earth. Our enemies hate our freedoms, and the rest of the world envies it."
This one really takes the cake. Even as a school kid, I always thought it was odd that we were constantly told that "America is the freest country on Earth" yet I was forced to go to school, do homework everyday, and would get a "detention slip" if I wasn't in class when the bell rang. My everyday life did not seem "free" at all, yet I was constantly told that it was, as though it were a religion.
The problem is that this fanatical claim is very vague, not specific at all, and not supported by anything except the US media, Hollywood and education system. It has no actual substance or basis to it, and it makes no sense either. This statement is more of a religion than a fact.
What's especially revealing is that no one who is really well traveled believes that America is the "freest" in the world. Only those who have never left the US buy into it. What does that tell you?! That in itself is very shattering to this American myth.
Now, if America were truly free, do you think it would constantly have to boast about it to reassure itself? Such blatant boistering is usually the mark of an insecurity or inferiority complex, not the sign of a happy free people. As one of my forum members wrote:
"As a person of intelligence doesn't need to tell others he is intelligent, a truly free society doesn't need to be told it is free."
In fact, America is alone in believing that it is the epitome of freedom. The rest of the world does not share this myth about America. Even fascist regimes, dictators and terrorists do not see America as a "free country" (contrary to what Hollywood and the US media misportray). Rather, they see America as an Imperial Empire trying to take away the freedoms of the rest of the world, and attempting to dominate and control everyone to take advantages of their resources! (they did that to the Native American Indians, so why wouldn't they do that with the rest of the world too?)
For some reason, Hollywood and the US media perpetuate this bizarre stereotypical image that ALL countries outside the US are living under facist regimes governed by martial law, with soldiers and machine guns pointed at everyone, keeping them in terror, and that America is the only country free from all that. This is totally bogus and laughable, yet many Americans seriously believe it, sadly enough.
The reality is that most countries do NOT live under fascist dictatorships. Yet America claims to be the only country that's "free" of fascism, using the worst examples of dictatorial regimes to contrast itself. In doing so, America uses a classic advertising technique of comparing the best of your side with the worst of the other side, which is a total misrepresentation and fallacy. (a more accurate and logical comparison would be to compare typical examples from both sides).
American culture, media and movies insinuate all the time that all foreign countries are under oppressive fascist regimes, while America alone fights for freedom and democracy. This is extremely inaccurate and does not reflect reality at all. Yet America will NEVER confront this fact of course, for it destroys the propaganda of illusions that hold the country's morale together.
Hollywood is also fond of portraying all immigrants as idolizing America's freedom, and all terrorists as jealous of America's freedom and plotting to eliminate its threat to fascism.
For instance, in the 1985 film Invasion USA starring Chuck Norris, an army of terrorists break into Florida during the Christmas Season. While parked in a suburban neighborhood, the leader of the terrorists looks around at families celebrating Christmas in their homes, and then mutters something about "Americans enjoying their freedom" (in accordance with the myth that America's enemies hate its freedoms) before using a bazooka to blow up some homes. For some reason, Hollywood likes to portray America's myths rather than reality and is the epitome of stereotypes. Call that a conspiracy if you like.
Now let's dissect the concept of America being "the freest country".
What does America mean by "free" exactly? That you are free to do whatever you want without any laws or rules? Certainly not! As in every country, America has many laws, regulations and controls that you must abide under. Such vary from country to country of course, but there is no evidence to suggest that America's laws are much more lax than that of most countries. On the contrary, government regulations are much more stringent in America, which is one reason why corporations are outsourcing, besides cheaper labor costs.
In reality, in most countries, is that as long as you have money for transportation and accommodation, and you don't break any laws, you are "free" to go wherever you want on public lands, visit any attractions you like, eat, drink and be merry. So how is that any different in America? What exactly are you "free" to do in America that you can't do anywhere else?
In fact, arguably, since America is one of the most expensive countries in the world to live or travel in, one's purchasing power is diminished there, whereas it is multiplied much greater in third world countries. Thus, one's ability to "purchase their freedom" is greatly diminished in the US. So if you define freedom by purchasing power, then in that sense the US is "less free" than cheaper third world countries where your purchasing power would be much greater. Any expat living in third world countries (e.g. Philippines, Thailand, Costa Rica, etc.) will tell you this. And sorry Hollywood and CNN, but virtually none of these expats will say that they are "less free" outside the US. In fact, they tend to say that they are "more free" outside the US, which shatters Hollywood's stereotypical propaganda.
(You might also be surprised to know that no one I've met who's been to the Middle East reports that it is less free than in America, despite the extreme black and white Islamic laws there. They all report that the US media's image of the Middle East is total BS. And in fact, Arabs from the Middle East do not consider America to be "freer" than where they came from, since they define "freedom" differently. However, funnily enough, one freedom they do have in the Middle East, that you don't have in America, is that they can show up for a job late and not worry about getting fired; they will only get their pay docked.)
Jeremy Rifkin, author of The European Dream, sums up the difference between the idea of "freedom" in Europe vs. America, explaining why the European concept is more evolved and progressive:
(Pages 13 - 14)
"The American and European dreams are, at their core, about two diametrically opposed ideas of freedom and security. Americans hold a negative definition of what it means to be free and, thus, secure. For us, freedom has long been associated with autonomy. If one is autonomous, he or she is not dependent on others or vulnerable to circumstances outside of his or her control. To be autonomous, one needs to be propertied. The more wealth one amasses, the more independent one is in the world. One is free by becoming self-reliant and an island unto oneself. With wealth comes exclusivity, and with exclusivity comes security.
The new European Dream, however, is based on a different set of assumptions about what constitutes freedom and security. [b]For Europeans, freedom is not found in autonomy but in embeddedness. To be free is to have access to a myriad of interdependent relationships with others.[/b] The more communities one has access to, the more options and choices one has for living a full and meaningful life. With relationships comes inclusivity, and with inclusivity comes security."
So what exactly are you "free" to do in America that you can't do anywhere else? America doesn't answer this important question. But I'll take a crack at it. Let's see...
You are free to work and make more money than you can in most countries, yeah, but the high cost of living offsets that. In fact, Americans are more in debt than those in any other country, and most Americans live paycheck to paycheck and are one paycheck away from being broke. Most do not own their own homes, but have mortgaged it, making themselves slaves to the bank. Is that freedom?
You have individual rights under the Constitution, yeah, but in most countries, especially Europe and Australia, human rights exist too. Most countries do not have the extreme human rights abuses shown in the US media. But let's get real here. In any country, those in power seek to keep their power and control, not protect its citizens' rights. It's the same in the US. There can never be truly clean ethics as long as money can be used to influence and control things.
Americans like to boast that they have freedom of speech and that they can speak out against their own government and leaders legally, without getting arrested, whereas in all other countries, doing so will get you arrested or shot. But again, this is misleading. While it is true that you are legally allowed to speak out against the government in America, the truth is also that in most countries you are also allowed the same, (albeit a few fascist regimes) as long as you don't actually DO anything to interfere with the government's power and control.
The same applies in America. You can think what you want, engage in activism and protest, and write whatever you want (like I'm doing here), as long as you don't actually get in the way of the elite networks and corporatocracy that run it. If you do, you will be subject to punishment or imprisonment, and if you are a popular leader capable of making big waves you can even be assassinated (e.g. Martin Luther King Jr, JFK, RFK).
So essentially, it's the same thing. The only difference is that citizens of other nations can see the state of their freedom the way it really is, whereas Americans are under the delusion that they have a special status as "the freest nation on Earth".
Sure, there are some countries like communist China or North Vietnam where dissidence is not tolerated and leads to incarceration, but these are extreme examples, and do NOT apply to most of the 200+ countries in the world. Besides, it is misleading to compare only with the worst examples out there, as the US media and Hollywood does. It would be more accurate to compare typical examples of most countries rather than the most extreme ones just to support your agenda, but America doesn't do that obviously, for truth and reality are not its highest aim.
Either way, being able to legally speak out against the government does not make America the "freest nation on Earth" as its propagandists preach. Besides, there are a lot more "freedoms" important to life than just being able to speak out against the government, which is just one thing in the broad spectrum of life.
Australia and most of Europe, for example, have the same basic "freedoms" that Americans do, if not more. Yet they do not go around boasting that they are the "freest nation in the world" for all to follow, nor do they invade other countries under the false pretense of fighting for freedom. They are much more down to earth and real about it. It's America that has these pumped up delusions which it tries to force onto the rest of the world. Americans seem to have an inferiority complex that makes them need to overstate and flaunt their patriotism and importance to the world. It's a sad thing that indicates a lack of true wholeness inside the American psyche. As I've always said, America is a very fragmented and disconnected country, both psychologically and sociologically. You can see that in its citizens and the complete lack of human or social connection in its environment.
In reality, most of us conform to schedules and routines set by others, and submit to authority of some kind. As children we conform to school and submit to its authority, schedules, rules and workload. As adults, we submit to the same in the corporations that employ us. Most are not "free" to wake up and do whatever they want, especially not in an expensive workaholic country like America. That's life. So what is "freedom" exactly? That's the big existential question.
Since we are all under someone else's control for the most part, in one way or another, there is no "true freedom". Most of the world realizes this. It's Americans that do not, instead living under the delusion that they are a free country and a free people, and that the rest of the world envies them and wishes they could immigrate there to attain "freedom", despite evidence to the contrary.
So why then, do Americans believe this myth about their exclusivity to freedom when it has no basis in reality and makes no sense? Well I can only surmise that:
a) Most people are followers, not leaders, visionaries or independent thinkers. They are unable to think for themselves, and believe whatever they are told by establishment and authority. They conform to what they've been programmed and brainwashed with, and do not resist it. Even if their indoctrinations conflict with their everyday experiences and feelings, they will still hold to it, even if it's self-contradictory or doesn't add up.
b) Since America is a lonely country where one can only depend on oneself and is socially isolating and segregated as well, with social disconnectedness as the norm, people are going to naturally feel empty inside and need something to believe in, whether it's a religion or blind patriotism in being the freest country in the world. Otherwise they have no motivation to feel proud and to continue becoming slaves and consumers of the system.
Ironically, though you are expected to be independent and autonomous in America, you are also expected to conform to the propaganda and religious beliefs of the "herd mentality" mentioned above. It's a silent contradiction that America never bothers to resolve, cause obviously, America isn't interested in intellectual debates over truth, but in profit, power, control and property.
c) The elite have a vested interest in promoting this illusion. It instills pride in the population, dumbs them down, keeps them ignorant about the rest of the world, and gets them to comply with US foreign policy, including military aggression overseas (tragically) and hostile takeover of foreign lands, under the guise of freedom and democracy.
This is especially the case if you are in the armed forces, in which case you need to be fully indoctrinated into believing that you are fighting for freedom and democracy, in order to instill absolutely loyalty in you, even if in reality you are on the side of evil engaging in an act of military aggression and hostile takeover for profit and power, bombing innocent civilians in the process. Otherwise you wouldn't follow orders to fight, risk your life or kill others if you knew the truth.
Conclusion:
So you see, America's religious myths about freedom and democracy, which it considers to be Gospel Truth and indoctrinates into its sheeple, is essentially baseless and not supported by facts or reality upon casual examination. These myths are a religion, nothing more. Many logical reasons and comparisons from ordinary examples and experiences have been presented here to debunk these myths.
America does not address the hard questions posed in this essay, nor the fact that so much of reality contradicts the propaganda and myths it spreads, but treats them as nonexistent. Instead, America merely throws its propaganda at you, knowing that most people will buy it and ignoring the few that don't (unless they get in the way), then offers you a life of pursuing a career (aka becoming a corporate slave), consuming to help the economy, and dumbs you down with forms of mass entertainments. That's all American life is. It's not about truth or answering the hard questions. It's about serving the profit system and corporatocracy. If you don't like it, America doesn't care, as long as you don't get in the way.
What we can conclude then, based on all the above, is that "freedom" and "government by the people" are illusions. They don't need to actually exist. The public merely needs to be given the illusion of freedom and democracy.
But unfortunately for America and its controllers, truth tends to be self-evident and surfaces sooner or later. Every time the public finds out that they've been lied to, their trust in government greatly decreases. Without trust, foundations crumble, as we have been seeing in America recently. That's how great empires fall, such as Rome. They collapse on the inside first. We are already beginning to see that happening with the American Empire, as more and more of its citizens become disillusioned with it.
It's a pity that America doesn't see the wisdom of one of its own children's parables known as The Boy Who Cried Wolf, which teaches that consequences of lying is the destruction of one's own credibility and mistrust from others. If America had heeded this simple parable, it wouldn't be in the mess it is today. But of course, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We've seen that throughout history, and America is no exception.
The game of America's elite has always been to induce conformity in the population while at the same time maintaining the illusion of freedom and democracy. It's a delicate game that is self-contradictory, which intelligent freethinkers can easily see through. As a result, the elite have had to find ways to weaken the public, dumb them down, and distract them. They've done this by segregating the populace, making its citizens paranoid of each other, emphasizing competitiveness, and distracting you with mindless mass entertainment and promoting a rampant consumer lifestyle.
But alas, they are playing a losing game and are losing their grip. God only knows what they will resort to next. Those in power do not give it up easily, and will not go down without a vicious fight. Let's hope that whatever changes, revolutions or global awakenings that are coming next will occur through a peaceful transformation.
I also pray that the public becomes informed, enlightened, intellectual and wise, so that history does not repeat itself (as it usually has in the past). As someone once said, "Those who do not learn history are condemned to repeat it." Hopefully, the free flowing of information on the internet will help make that possible.
Thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Winston Wu
Winston Wu is an Expat Writer and International Dating Consultant. He is founder of the revolutionary website http://www.happierabroad.com.
