American Values, Valuing America: American Actions Determine the Future of America's Values

_{Image © Austin Cline
Original Poster: National Archives
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Over the past couple of years pundits have been making a big deal about so-called “values voters.” This label refers primarily to to conservative evangelical Christians who are voting for particular politicians on the basis of what they think their Christian doctrines require. The unspoken assumption is that their politics is driven by “values” rather than pragmatism or self-interest; others, by implication, must not be voting on the basis of values — religious, personal, universal, or otherwise.

There is nothing wrong with voting on the basis of values, even those which might appear to conflict with one’s self-interests. One can even argue that there is something very American about such an act because America is a “creedal” nation. Unlike other countries which tend to be defined by culture, race, ethnicity, and history, America is primarily defined by certain political, social, and ethical values.

It cannot simply be assumed, however, that those values traditionally associated with America are the same as the ones which conservative evangelicals, or the politicians they vote for, have in mind. Rather than focus on platitudes and campaign rhetoric, we need to look very carefully at what values are being exemplified by the actions of America’s political and religious leaders. For all practical intents and purposes, those are the “real” values which America stands for and which America’s conservative evangelical Christians are voting to defend.

The German newsweekly Stern has reported that Germany’s federal police (BKA) and foreign intelligence service (BND) found terrorism suspects are being tortured and beaten in an American concentration camp named “Eagle Base,” located in Tuzla, northeastern Bosnia. One suspect, 70 years old, was beaten so savagely in the head with a rifle butt that he needed 20 stitches. The Good American soldier was, according to the German report, “visibly proud” of his actions. I’ll bet that 70-year-old man doesn’t threaten anyone with his dentures again.

Documents which American soldiers had seized in raids were “extremely blood-smeared” and one of the German agents there compared the actions of American soldiers with those of Serbian war criminals: “The Serbs ended up before the international court in The Hague for this kind of thing.” It’s not surprising that rather than help in the interrogations, as they were originally sent there to do, they instead informed German’s federal prosecutor. The irony of all of this occurring in Bosnia should be enough to choke a horse.

When did this happen, last week? Last month? No, this was just two weeks after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. American soldiers were torturing and beating suspects — not convicted terrorists, just suspects — almost immediately after the attacks which George W. Bush treats as an excuse to ignore all boundaries of law, morality, and justice. None of this should be surprising and it’s not limited to concentration camps set up on foreign soil. Police right here in America will use truncheons, chemical sprays, and projectile weapons against peaceful protesters who are exercising their constitutional rights in a way that is inconvenient to the government’s corporate backers.

Did I say “constitutional rights”? Sorry about that, it’s an old habit that’s hard to break. Our “rights” are becoming more and more just “privileges” which the government hasn’t found a reason to snatch in the middle of the night. Our Constitution, according to our Leader, George W. Bush, is “just a goddamned piece of paper” and, according to Attorny General Alberto Gonzales, an “outdated document.” The concept of constitutional rights is no longer an American value under the current regime and it’s certainly not one which their collaborators and Kapos among the media elite are willing to openly defend.

Although it appears that the Germans here acted with some dignity and morality, the German government doesn’t get off the hook because they’ve been claiming that they’ve known nothing about secret American concentration camps except for what they’ve read in media reports. One Afghan formerly held as a suspect by the Americans has filed a lawsuit alleging that German special forces participated in his interrogations. An intelligence report reveals that the CIA offered German officials access to a German citizen they held if Germany quashed EU protests over secret CIA flights, prisons, and torture. Germany got access to the prisoner and EU protests died down. There is also currently a scandal developing in Germany over photos of German soldiers desecrating a corpse and playing with someone’s skull.

No one’s getting out of this with clean hands - everyone in the larger political and corporate power structures will end up with blood on their hands before it’s done.

The above image is based on an American World War II poster depicting what might happen if the Nazis were to win and America were to lose. Well, America won... but it’s not clear right now that things will turn out very different.

Don't forget to check out my own gallery of Christian Right Propaganda Posters. Two new posters were added this week. Don't miss my War on Christmas Propaganda Posters gallery as well.