To be blunt, so-called American democracy would be more accurately described as the worst and most hypocritical scourge upon humanity that this planet has yet witnessed. The white racist American "experiment" in democracy is a dismal failure, except for that relatively small and elite group of persons who are the sardonic beneficiaries of this failed "experiment." However, before continuing, please note that this issue's column is dedicated to the warrior and former American Indian Movement (AIM) leader and international activist and recipient of the 1993, City of Phoenix, Martin Luther King Award, Vernon Bellecourt (WaBun-Inini). Brother Vernon, this past October 13, 2007, passed on to a place of honor with our ancestors. As he tirelessly demonstrated, and as all politically conscious Black, Red, and Brown peoples, and others of good will know, the struggle for justice and human rights in this nation and throughout the world is ongoing and has in fact intensified in this, the 21st century.

The continuing internal and external hypocrisy, brutality, and insanity of the United States of America, in the beginning years of the 21st century, have amply illustrated for any who cares to see, that the American masquerade of democracy has been debunked. It is time to acknowledge this reality and get on with creating and building an entirely new and different society based upon nurturing the collective betterment of humanity, in steadfast opposition to the inequitable and racistly cynical, individualistic, vampiric, capitalist slaughter of humanity at home and abroad.

Mere reform in America is not the answer. White liberals (often masquerading as "progressives" or so-called "leftists" ) and their surrogates and even some conservatives favor reform because they know that reform will not bring about the much needed fundamental structural / systemic change, and would thereby guarantee the de facto continuation of another form of capitalism [i.e. neocapitalism] and color privilege, overwhelmingly and once again, at the expense of the masses of Black, Red, and Brown peoples in the US and around the world. Reform would simply serve to continue the masquerade of American democracy and white liberals, conservatives, and their surrogates know this. To reiterate: mere reform is not an acceptable answer to replace America's obscene caricature of democracy.

What white America essentially obfuscates or ignores, but what Black, Red, and Brown peoples know only too well is that in less than eight years, the Bush / Cheney regime has successfully instituted an "Imperial Presidency" that consistently, and on a large scale engages in subverting and eliminating even the patently superficial rights allegedly guaranteed by the US Constitution and so-called Bill of Rights. Of course Black, Red, and Brown peoples recognized, experienced, and understood this as an every day reality long before the 21st century, vis-à-vis the callous slavery, genocide, massive land thievery and subsequent physical and judicial lynchings and disenfranchisement upon which the United States of America is built and continues to be based. If the United States of America had been a genuine democracy, there would of course never have been slavery, genocide, and massive land thievery, etc., by white America. Yet, more to the point, with respect to the present, had there been genuine democracy in America, the Bush / Cheney gangsters could never have established an "Imperial Presidency," which is precisely what they have pulled off, along with the conscious and contemptuous collusion and complicity of both the Republicans and the Democrats.

Perhaps one of the biggest ironies in the exposure of American democracy as being the masquerade that it is, is the fact that it is none other than the blatant, unconscionable, and hypocritical actions of America itself that have literally forced the rest of the world to sit up and take notice of America's utter and absolute racial, judicial, economic, and political bankruptcy. Nevertheless, there continue to be certain dangerous neoliberal elements outside the United States who shamelessly and insidiously promote the elitist interests of the small minority of persons who control the resources of the US and the world, in an effort to co-opt and control genuine people's movements throughout the world. An example of this is the recent awarding of former US Vice President Al Gore, the Nobel prize for his self-serving rhetoric about global warming, etc. This is a scathing affront to the majority of this planet's every day population, and most especially to the long time, committed, real and hard-working environmental activists and concomitant scientists around the world (who have long been deeply concerned about global warming, etc.), who know full well of Gore's demonstrated reticence to have unrelentingly pushed for serious constraints regarding climate change / global warming when he was Vice President of the United States of America. Awarding Al Gore such a prize is akin to awarding Donald Duck the Nobel prize for mysteriously being a duck. It was undeserved and is a reflection of systemic and class elitism [i.e. dangerous 21st century liberalism]. Liberalism, liberals, and their counterparts are cunning enemies of Black people and our Brown and Red brothers and sisters, nationally and globally. As the African proverb correctly states, "Beware of the naked man who offers you clothes."

Moreover, when it comes to liberals, let us remember that the infamous (and no doubt ongoing) COINTELPRO activities of the US Government to "frame, discredit, neutralize, imprison, and murder..." especially Black, Red, and Brown political activists in America, began in earnest in the 1960s under a so-called Democratic [Party] President and Congress. As Jamil Al-Amin [H. Rap Brown] correctly stressed, we can ill afford to "go for the ghost." In other words, we must view things as they really are so that we can take the necessary measures to bring about the necessary changes on which our very survival as a people and a planet depends.

As Malcolm X observed, concerning this sham system of democracy and white America's institutions, agencies, and government, regarding Black people in the US, "He examines us all the time. He has the black community throughout this land always under a microscope just like in a scientist's laboratory, to find out how you're thinking, to keep up to date on how you think, on the beat of your pulse - are you beating too hot, or is your temperature running too hot, or is it cool? He wants to know how you think and how you feel...as long as your temperature rises when he puts on the pressure, that's okay. But if he sees you making some reactions that are motivated other than by something he has done, then he begins to worry. He finds that something else is influencing you and controlling you beyond his control and influence. And he should worry when you begin to get like that." It is time that we Black people recognize that the very term "American democracy" is a misnomer and a sham and act accordingly, in conjunction with our other conscious brothers and sisters of color.

The recent outrageous and blatant white racist actions in Minnesota, USA, to revoke Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu's invitation to speak at a college there, and the subsequent official rescinding of the afore described revocation, is a clear example of what brother Malcolm X meant when he said, regarding white racist America vis-à-vis we Black people, "...as long as your temperature rises when he puts on the pressure, that's okay." These are racist and despicable games that white liberals and conservatives alike play throughout America, at the expense of Black, Red, and Brown peoples, as if we are Pavlov's dogs, salivating at the sound of a ringing science laboratory bell. Thus, we must begin to think independently, and act collectively in our own interests as Black, Red, and Brown peoples, understanding that as long as we adhere to the fallacious notion of America as being or having ever been a genuine democracy for us, we are in essence puppets on hypocritical white racist America's blood-soaked string, "going for the ghost," to our own detriment.

We Black people do have the sagacity and creativity to break free of the cyclical insanity and hypocrisy of America. The time is upon us to see things as they really are, and to progressively utilize our collective wills to break free, once and for all, of this masquerade - this sham of a democracy, collectively creating something in this process truly worthy of being called human. It is both our right and responsibility to do this and in so doing, keep it real for ourselves and for those yet to come. Our ancestors are smiling upon us; of this I am certain. They did not live or die in vain in this ongoing struggle, nor do we. Onward. The struggle continues...

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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