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In an April 2006, piece published in The Boston Globe I wrote in relevant part that, "Perhaps people will stop repeating the human-made catastrophes of the past when we cease being ahistorical and truly learn from history's lessons." Unfortunately, far too many Americans, particularly white Americans, are content to remain ignorant of history's lessons especially as they pertain to their enjoyment of color and/or class privilege.

To be chronically lacking in an awareness and appreciation of history is to be ahistorical. Being ahistorical is an ongoing and dangerous hallmark of US society. No other major nation in the entire industrialized western world can boast of having and maintaining such an ahistorical citizenry as that of the United States of America.

America, from its foundations steeped in genocide, slavery, hypocrisy and the concomitant legalized thievery of an entire continent has developed and continues in the 21st century to perpetuate an ahistorical mentality among its population. Thus, while some white Americans (and their surrogates) in particular, be they so-called conservatives or liberals, might possibly see a few problems with America's internal and external policies that need a little adjusting; the vast majority of people of color within America and around the world correctly view America as fundamentally, systemically, and irreparably flawed.

Nevertheless, by consistently promoting a selectively ahistorically warped national and world view of itself white America vis-a-vi its so called "informational / news" and "educational" institutions maintains an active cognitive dissonance regarding its horrible and active internal and external policies and practices. This applies equally to Republicans, Democrats, and so-called Independents alike in the American economic and political system. 

This perpetually maintained cognitive dissonance on the part white America, including white American liberals masquerading as "progressives," is precisely why white America collectively neither feels nor demonstrates conscience or shame for its past and ongoing atrocities against the peoples of the world and most especially towards people of color internally and externally. This is why white America can and does, with no compunction whatsoever, elevate and glorify itself while demonizing its victims on every conceivable level; physically, culturally, and emotionally. This is why America, with no remorse or conscience whatsoever, overthrew the democratically elected Chilean Government of Salvador Allende and thirty-one years later in 2004, did likewise to the democratically elected President Aristede of Haiti. This is why America, utilizing its fake "volunteer," economic-apartheid military has invaded and occupied Iraq under the outright lie of "weapons of mass destruction," while terrorizing the peoples of that nation and Muslims around the world--including inside the United States itself. This is nothing new. It is as old as lynchings themselves in this land. It is the ahistorical blood-soaked ostrich known as America; and is why America is increasingly loathed world wide.

I am reminded of March 28, 1962, when I excitedly accompanied my then college-student cousin to see, listen to, and meet Malcolm X in Baltimore, Maryland, at what was then known as Morgan State College (now University). Malcolm stood in direct opposition to white America's bloody and racist ahistorical cognitive dissonance, and for this he was murdered, as was subsequently the then politically growing and developing Martin Luther King, Jr.  Malcolm and Martin were then scorned, despised, and ridiculed by white liberals and their "Negro" surrogates, just as presently in the 21st century these very same kind of white liberals (today also masquerading as progressives) and their negrodian counterparts profess love and respect for Malcolm and Martin, while actively doing all they can to disenfranchise Black, Brown, and Red peoples in America and throughout the world in 2007. This is but another reflection of America's ahistorical cognitive dissonance and hypocrisy. These white liberals, conservatives, and their pretend-to-be people of color surrogates hated Black America in the days of Malcolm and Martin, and the fact is that they and their ilk hate us even more today.

As prisons in the US bulge at the seams with the misery and de facto slave labor of Black, Brown, and Red, men, women and children, and yes even an increasingly economically disenfranchised white population; there is but one thing to do. We must remember that comfortable people do not make change. Nor do they want change. Why should they? I reiterate what I wrote back in 2006: "Only by removing our heads from the sand, facing up to, organizing against, resisting and struggling for systemic change here and now is there real hope, for ourselves and for people around the world, of stopping and dismantling this [corporately] fascist onslaught. Indeed, we can ill afford to do otherwise." Or as a reader of The Black Commentator recently and graciously wrote to me re 'Keeping It Real,' "Continue to walk worthy." Indeed.

BlackCommentator.com Columnist Larry Pinkney is a veteran of the Black Panther Party, the former Minister of Interior of the Republic of New Africa, a former political prisoner and the only American to have successfully self-authored his civil/political rights case to the United Nations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Click here to contact Mr. Pinkney.