Troubled Nation\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>
If\r\nyou like this message, please pass it around!\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n You\r\ncan read it on CommonDreams\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n You\r\ncan read it on The\r\nAge <\/span><\/p>\r\n Or\r\nyou can read it here.<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n Abstract\r\nfrom talk given at the Sydney Writers' Festival on 20 May 2004. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/b><\/p>\r\n Troubled\r\nNation \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/b><\/p>\r\n The\r\nAmerican people didn't know its troops abused prisoners in Iraqi jails.\r\nIgnorance. Officials who knew pretend they didn't know. Hypocrisy. To\r\nexcuse the perpetrators, parents of soldiers say their kids were forced to\r\nfollow orders. Obedience. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n Torture\r\nis the problem-du-jour. Two weeks ago, the problem-du-jour was the deceptive\r\ncase for war. The American people believed the administration’s lies.\r\nIgnorance. The President says he relied on the flawed intelligence he was fed.\r\nHypocrisy. Instead of rebelling, Colin Powell stuck with his team. Obedience. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n America's\r\nproblems are structural. Even if Kerry replaces Bush in January 2005, America\r\nwill still have one child in six living in poverty; America will still have two\r\nmillion people in jail; America will still have military installations in 50\r\ncountries. It's time we looked at the structure behind America's problems.\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n By\r\nstudying America’s self-image, we can collect symptoms of the ‘disease’\r\nthat ails American society. Is America truly the beacon of justice? Not when it\r\ntortures prisoners. Is America truly the cradle of democracy? Not when its\r\npresident is elected by a minority, not when government for corporations\r\ndisplaces ‘by the people for the people’. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n Is\r\nAmerica the land of the free? Not when powerful corporations can silence\r\ndissidents like Michael Moore. Is America the land of plenty? Not when one\r\nhousehold in thirteen lives in a trailer.\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n Does\r\nthe US have the best way of life? In a BBC poll, 96\r\nper cent of Americans say that foreigners want to live in America. In the same\r\npoll, one Australian in 100 says she would prefer to live in America. It’s not\r\nhard to guess why: Australians like paid vacations, Medicare, the fair go, even\r\nif it doesn’t always work perfectly. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n By\r\nAmerica’s own standard, the standard of its self-image, the US is a sick\r\nsociety. Behind torture and all the other symptoms, you can find the same\r\ndriving principles. ‘America is the best.’ ‘Might means right.’\r\n‘Corporations have a right to maximise profit.’ ‘Government should serve\r\nthe economy.’ ‘People must look after themselves.’ ‘Status comes from\r\nwealth.’ ‘Winning justifies anything.’\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n Behind\r\nit all, you can find a powerful blend of ignorance, hypocrisy, and obedience. <\/span>It’s\r\na kind of disease, something I call the ‘IHO Syndrome’: I for ignorance, H\r\nfor hypocrisy, O for Obedience. Under its influence, lies become truth, wrong\r\nbecomes right. Peace becomes war, justice becomes torture. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n Of\r\ncourse, every American is not always ignorant, hypocritical and obedient. Of\r\ncourse, the US does not have a monopoly on ignorance, hypocrisy and obedience.\r\nBut when we interpret American society through these lenses, current events make\r\na lot more sense. And that suggests ways to fix that society. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n We\r\nmust produce awareness to replace ignorance. Dissenters must spear hypocrisy\r\nwith truth. Instead of obeying, American people must resist. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n On\r\npaper, that sounds simple. But in America as around the world, many people feel\r\npowerless to change things. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/b><\/p>\r\n In\r\nAustralia, suppose you try to solve just one problem: the logging of old-growth\r\nforests. You will butt against government. You will butt against corporations.\r\nThe press will help your fight, but only up to a point. And you will feel that\r\nmodern society’s values work against you. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n Take\r\ntwo friends and try to discuss how people can solve a problem you care about --\r\nAustralia’s presence in Iraq, refugee detention centres, anything. You will\r\nsoon find yourself entangled in the same web: government priorities, corporate\r\npower, media focus, modern values. Some call that the ‘system’. We feel\r\ndiscouraged because we see that to fix one problem, we would have to fix the\r\nentire system. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n Most\r\npeople would love to fix the system. This means that citizens must have the\r\npower to decide policies. <\/span>Two-thirds\r\nof Americans think Congress should pass stricter gun control laws, such as\r\nkeeping track of who buys guns. Survey after survey confirms this, but the\r\nsurveys also show that Americans expect Congress not to pass these laws.\r\nGovernment does not obey people.\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n People\r\ncannot shape policies, much less institutions, unless they reach a critical\r\nmass. To reach a critical mass, we need to take a stand, and we need to awaken\r\nour neighbours, our parents, our friends. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n It\r\nworks. That’s the way change happens every time, from Alabama blacks’ right\r\nto ride in the front of the bus to Torres Strait islanders’ right to own their\r\nland. And it’s enjoyable. Most people I know prefer to work with others for a\r\ndistant goal than to sit isolated in their living rooms. Apathy is an illusion.\r\nWe are isolated, so we assume that no one else has any interest in changing the\r\nworld, and we join the official game -- work harder, buy more. When we break the\r\nisolation, when we talk to strangers, we realise that most people share the same\r\ninterests.\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n Many\r\npeople are waking up. Michael Moore’s popularity is a sign of dissent. Many\r\nwill try to change society if they see a way. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n There's\r\nno secret. To change the 'system', we need to take a stand and wake up people\r\naround us: parents, friends, workmates. <\/span>At some point it becomes acceptable to disagree -- it becomes the norm to\r\ndisagree. <\/span>It\r\ndoesn’t work overnight, but it’s the only sure way to produce change.<\/span> <\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n Julian\r\nNinio is the author of The Empire of Ignorance, Hypocrisy and Obedience<\/i>. \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n http:\/\/www.ihosyndrome.com.\r\n(c) Julian Ninio\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n The\r\nEmpire of Ignorance, Hypocrisy and Obedience <\/span><\/b><\/i>\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/b><\/p>\r\n is\r\nan immensely persuasive indictment of the most powerful<\/span><\/p>\r\n country\r\non earth. This comprehensive, highly original overview<\/span><\/p>\r\n of\r\nthe American ‘disease’ examines its unchecked corporations,<\/span><\/p>\r\n media\r\nbias, urban poverty, gun violence, voter apathy, carefree<\/span><\/p>\r\n consumerism\r\nand burgeoning empire. It discovers the<\/span><\/p>\r\n syndrome\r\nlinking all these ills, and it offers a plan of<\/span><\/p>\r\n action\r\nthat everyone (American or not) can<\/span><\/p>\r\n undertake\r\nto cure America.<\/span><\/p>\r\n * \r\n<\/span>* <\/span>*<\/span><\/p>\r\n Part\r\nOne compares the United States’ self-image with the<\/span><\/p>\r\n reality:\r\nthe ‘best way of life’ that offers recurring wars and<\/span><\/p>\r\n record-low\r\nsocial services; the ‘cradle of democracy’ that governs<\/span><\/p>\r\n for\r\ncorporations and attacks other countries; the ‘land of plenty’<\/span><\/p>\r\n that\r\ndestroys the environment and leaves every sixth child in<\/span><\/p>\r\n poverty;\r\nthe ‘beacon of justice’ that employs biased judges and<\/span><\/p>\r\n promotes\r\ninequality; and the ‘land of the free’ that demands<\/span><\/p>\r\n compliance\r\nand imprisons a huge<\/span><\/p>\r\n number\r\nof citizens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n * \r\n<\/span>* <\/span>*<\/span><\/p>\r\n Part\r\nTwo argues that the United States’ ills stem from a single<\/span><\/p>\r\n disease:\r\nthe ‘IHO syndrome’—a unique concept that offers an<\/span><\/p>\r\n extraordinarily\r\npowerful way to interpret American society.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Part\r\nThree picks up where most other books about America<\/span><\/p>\r\n leave\r\noff: it lays out a radical plan to ‘cure’ the nation. Rather<\/span><\/p>\r\n than\r\noffering policy prescriptions for government, the plan<\/span><\/p>\r\n contains\r\npractical actions that readers inside and outside the US<\/span><\/p>\r\n can\r\ntake to remedy America’s ills and tame the empire.<\/span><\/p>\r\n * \r\n<\/span>* <\/span>*<\/span><\/p>\r\n America—love\r\nit or leave it. Or learn to fix it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n The\r\nAuthor\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/b><\/p>\r\n Julian\r\nNinio has at least two things in common with President Bush: an American\r\npassport and a Harvard MBA. <\/span>He has tasted various versions of the\r\nAmerican dream -- as a California flower child, as a derivatives trader, as a\r\nhigh-tech executive, and as a start-up CEO. Julian also speaks about the US with\r\nthe perspective of an outsider: partly educated in France, where he was born, he\r\nhas traveled around the world several times and spent half his adult life in\r\nJapan and Australia. He now lives in Sydney and has recently become an\r\nAustralian citizen.\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\n","contact":"","link":"http:\/\/www.ihosyndrome.com","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"From Melbourne's largest newspaper. \r\nThe American people didn't know its troops abused prisoners in Iraqi jails. Ignorance. Officials who knew pretend they didn't know. Hypocrisy. To excuse the perpetrators, parents of soldiers say their kids were forced to follow orders. Obedience. Read on...\r\n","numcomment":1,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2004\/05\/110869.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}