Collective denial of reality is perhaps the most dangerous pathology consistently indulged in by the misleaders and much of the citizenry of the United States of America.

The American Heritage College dictionary in relevant part defines denial as “a refusal to grant the truth of a statement or allegation; a contradiction,” and “an unconscious defense mechanism marked by a refusal to acknowledge painful realities…” Those who engage in the denial of the obvious do so ultimately at their own peril.

The hypocritical, cuddly, approval for the presidency and current regime of the pro- apartheid Zionist, Wall Street backed, double-talking, de facto war-supporting Barack Obama, is an example of full blown denial in action. It is in reality nothing more than the support for the ongoing injustices and continuation of U.S. Empire at home and abroad. It is pathological.

One of the most disgusting aspects of this denial is that it is opportunistically and deliberately perpetuated by the Democrat and Republican parties (i.e. the Republicrats) and their ever-willing surrogate: the corporate media. They actually work together to the detriment of everyday Black, White, Brown, Red, and Yellow peoples in this nation and throughout the world.

Back in March of 2008, this writer wrote that, “The Bush, Cheney, Rove, and Rice clique has so brutalized this nation over the past eight years that, at this point, even a double-talking, Ronald Reagan-praising, pro-Zionist, ‘unilateral’ militarist, imperialist opportunist - in the person of Barack Obama seems palatable, if not downright appealing, to a significant portion of U.S. citizenry. This is how the Democratic and Republican parties actually work together hand-in-glove to play the American people for fools on fiddle, ensuring that the nation’s populace is in a punch-drunk, manipulated state of fear and exhaustion, devoid of in-depth critical thinking. This is how the corporate, military, prison apparatus of the U.S. Empire utilizes the twin demons known as the Democratic and Republican parties to use the American people, and the peoples of the world, as a perpetual ping pong ball in an unceasing state of manipulation.” (Reference the March 27, 2008, issue of The Black Commentator article titled, ‘Barack Obama: The Empire Strikes Back’). To reiterate: This pathology of denial, combined with an ongoing ahistorical lack of consciousness, is deliberately maintained and perpetuated by the Republicrats, the corporate media, and its allies.

Thus, it stands to reason that Obama and his regime would and did support the greedy and criminal bail out (with the people’s money) of the Wall Street corporate barons, the insurance companies, and the like, to the tune of billions upon billions of dollars; at the horrible expense of the everyday Black, White, Brown, Red, and Yellow peoples of this nation. This is the reality of corporate, capitalist blood sucking, and the continued U.S. Empire whose interests Barack Obama undeniably represents first and foremost. No sweet sounding, obfuscating, double-talk can, in any way whatsoever, change this reality, and no amount of denial can or will make it go away.

Logically then, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the Barack Obama regime has, in virtually every manner possible, sought to undercut and oppose the United Nations Conference on Racism in Durban. Moreover, no amount of rationalizations from the misleadership of the negrodian U.S. establishment can justify these actions. Such actions are indefensible, absolutely inexcusable and utterly hypocritical on the part of Barack Obama, his supporters, and the entire U.S. Government. Such actions are in fact propping up racism at home and active apartheid Zionism abroad.

The Obama presidency really is more of the same - only worse. (Reference the October 30, 2008, issue of The Black Commentator article titled, ‘An Obama Presidency: More of the Same - Only Worse’ Part 1). The hypocrisy and double-speak of the Obama regime both at home and abroad has already taken on a life of its own and is moving toward a level heretofore unmatched even by the U.S. Empire itself.

The Obama regime has continued and even expanded the illegal and infamous so-called “rendition” (kidnapping) programs, while it continues and broadens the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Where is the U.S. “peace” movement as the ‘American’ wars of aggression, occupation, blood shed, and carnage continue unabated?

The economic and political disenfranchisement in this nation of people of all colors (Black, White, Brown, Red, and Yellow) is in full swing with Barack Obama offering obtuse rhetoric and relative crumbs to the masses; while ensuring that many billions of dollars were and are funneled to the wealthy corporate elite. Rhetoric and crumbs are what Barack Obama and the corporate / military elite are presently relying upon to keep in the masses in denial while we are being fleeced like proverbial sheep.

While Barack Obama cynically and opportunistically calls upon Cuba to release “political prisoners” the U.S. itself hypocritically continues to imprison numerous political prisoners right here in this nation who have, as a Black political activist and reader of The Black Commentator correctly wrote, “For more than thirty years several Black Panther Party members have been incarcerated on phony, trumped-up charges. These men [and women] were targeted by the F.B.I. and COINTELPRO and taken out of American society. Not one of them received a fair trial…” Additionally, no justice has been forthcoming for long time and unjustly incarcerated American “Indian” Movement activist Leonard Peltier, or for the Reverend Edward Pinkney [no relation] who remains under apartheid-like house arrest in Benton Harbor, Michigan, even after having been wrongfully imprisoned by racist and unjust authorities there. Last but certainly not least, the case of the ‘Cuban Five’ right here in this nation is yet another example of the grotesque mockery of justice that has yet to be rectified. It is accurate that, “justice delayed is justice denied.” Moreover, not merely “charity” but justice must begin at home otherwise there is no democracy - only hypocrisy. The hypocrisy must cease.

Your writer recently received a communication from another reader of The Black Commentator which poignantly asks in relevant part, “Why and how do most black people feel so much loyalty to his man [Barack Obama] and he has never made one commitment to us? Are we sane?”

The above questions in themselves say a great deal and are based upon much-needed critical thinking and analysis; for indeed Barack Obama’s “commitment” is to maintaining and perpetuating fundamentally precisely the same corporate / military U.S. Empire that his predecessor was beholden to. The only differences are that Obama’s pigmentation is slightly darker and his rhetoric is much, much slicker. Thus, the pathology of denial is made seemingly more appealing by Obama, despite the worsening daily reality and the present and future dire consequences for Black people, and indeed for everyday peoples of all colors in this nation and around the world.

While liberals and so-called progressives pathetically banter on about forming a movement to push Barack Obama to do the right things, he and his regime are busily doing all that it can to neutralize any serious movement, knowing full well that only a people’s movement based upon fundamental and systemic change can bring about what the masses of people need and deserve. It is these very liberals and “progressives” who have bought into the delusional rhetoric of “hope” and in so doing also serve to perpetuate the pathology of denial.

In his ‘Beyond Vietnam” speech Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. referred to the United States of America as “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today…” Unfortunately, this continues to be accurate presently both inside and outside the geographic borders of this nation. The violence of poverty and economic disenfranchisement, combined with police and military has become worse for the majority of people, not better. The only way to truly change this current reality is to first recognize and acknowledge it for what it is, not be in denial of it. The next steps must be to organize for complete systemic change, not fake, rhetorical ‘hope’ nonchange; engaging in some kind of pitiful and ridiculous effort to supposedly push the current head of the U.S. Empire to go against the very corporate / military apparatus that installed him in power and which props him up.

Brother Malcolm X often spoke of the “wolves and the foxes.” He explained that be it a “wolf or a fox,” its objective / end game is the same: “To eat you!” Currently, there is a slightly pigmented “fox” in the White House, and despite his rhetoric, his goal is definitely not to bring about much-needed systemic change or to serve the needs of everyday Black, White, Brown, Red, or Yellow peoples of this nation. Let us not be delusional about this.

We must work diligently to awaken our brothers and sisters from the dangerous slumber of delusion and denial. We must organize for uncompromising systemic change. We owe this to ourselves, each other, our prodigy, and the planet!

Onward then. Onward…

BlackCommentator.com Editorial Board Member, 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. In connection with his political organizing activities in opposition to voter suppression, etc., Pinkney was interviewed in 1988 on the nationally televised PBS NewsHour, formerly known as The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. For more about Larry Pinkney see the book, Saying No to Power: Autobiography of a 20th Century Activist and Thinker, by William Mandel [Introduction by Howard Zinn]. (Click here to read excerpts from the book). Click here to contact Mr. Pinkney.