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.
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