PATRIOTISM: WAIT ONE DAMN MINUTE

PATRIOTISM: WAIT ONE DAMN MINUTE

By Fahim A. Knight-EL

This writer grew up in an era and attended public schools where between 8:15am and 8:30am every morning the principal of the various schools I attended would come on the public address (PA) system and recite “The Pledge of Allegiance” over the intercom and it was mandated that each student had to stand and place their right hand on their heart and turn towards the U.S. Flag which hung in every classroom and recite The Pledge of Allegiance. “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all.” and verbally recite this along with the principal. We also had to sing "My Country, ‘Tis’ of Thee.” This writer can not say that over the many years of going through this morning classroom ritual that it made me any more or less patriotic. I would later come to understand that this was an early form of conditioning our young impressionable minds, but even back then in elementary school I was questioning why we had to stand each morning to recite these words over and over again. My teacher would only say that we were Americans and it was important that we demonstrate patriotism and loyalty to our nation at all times.

“Patriotism: Wait one Damn Minute;” there is a lot of debate evolving around the question of Patriotism because initially Senator Barack Obama refused to wear the American flag on his coat lapel. Some have come to criticize Senator Barack Obama for initially not wearing the American flag on his lapel as though this outward symbol is the definitive determination in assessing one’s patriotism. This writer does not think one’s patriotism can be measured or properly assessed by an outwardly symbolic association. Obama as of late and from time-to-time has been wearing two flags, the United States and Israel. But wearing the Israeli flag on his lapel, is not viewed as anti-American. However, suppose Senator Barack Obama pinned a Palestinian flag on lapel; he would be deemed as being to cozy to a foreign enemy and would be rebuked for demonstrating poor judgment and he would be labeled unpatriotic.

Senator Obama has repeatedly said over and over that he is not a Muslim or follower of the religion of Islam. This writer takes him at his word and sees no reason to doubt his faith tradition. However, what bothers me is this unspoken notion of knowing that he is Christian creates this false sense of comfort—that it makes him more humane, just, trustworthy, loyal to America’s ideology and many thinks being a Christian would make him more patriotic and suitable to be the United States Commander-in-Chief, than if he was a Muslim. The New Yorker Magazine July 21, 2008 issue has a cartoon caricature of Senator Obama dressed in traditional Islamic garb and his wife Michelle Obama dressed like the former Black Panther Party members Assata Shakur, Angela Davis or Elaine Brown in the 1960s revolutionary Black Power struggles in America. These are clear examples of the arcade prejudices that permeate America’s history of bigotry and discrimination. The underline assumption is that Muslims are less patriotic than Christians, but why hasn’t the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) entered and injected some type of litigation on behalf of American Muslims. This writer knows why, they are legal arms of the Cabal and they to view Islam as the enemy.

This writer can recall under President Clinton’s Administration, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed (the son of Elijah Muhammad) on January 20, 1997, he read from the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an, at the Presidential Inauguration Day National Prayer Service. But recently Freshman Congressman (D-MN) Keith Ellison who is a Muslim and was elected to the House of Representatives from Minnesota in 2007 caught pure hell because of his religion. The discriminatory charge was led by a racist Congressman from Virginia named Virgil Goode who took issue with Congressman Ellison desiring to use the Holy Qur’an in a private swearing-in ceremony. This is why I have a problem with this patriotism talk, America is not in a moral position to judge or entertain the question of patriotism.

This writer considers himself to be a Conscientious Objector to war; in particular unjust wars such as the invasion of Panama, Grenada, Somali, Vietnam, Haiti, Falklands, Iraq, etc., People always ask me, do I support the United States troops in Iraqi? My answer, is always an emphatic no, because those who control the media and the thinking of the people desire for us to separate the U.S. Troops from those decision makers. The arm forces are the most vital arm in carrying out U.S. Foreign policy and securing its imperialistic positions around the world. This writer, in good conscious can not separate the tool from the brain-trust; although the tool (rank and file soldier) has no idea that they are fostering the political, economic and social objectives of individuals such as the Committee of 300 that do not share in their sentiments of patriotism.

Patriotism is defined as “a proud supporter or defender of his or her country and its way of life.” Patriotism is imbued in the poor and the ignorant while the rich and super Elitist is the beneficiaries of war that is fought by the proletariat in order that Elitist may continue reap the spoils of war from every corner of the earth. The DeBeers, Henry Kissinger, Rothschilds, and Rockefellers they do not believe in American patriotism or any other nation’s patriotic viewpoint. Their definition of patriotism do not allow room for critical evaluation and assessment of America’s social order and there has always been an internal movements to stifle debate; because true debate would prove to be counter productive to their goals and objectives. American patriotism is structured upon lies, half-truths and deceptions in order to inculcate the deepest sense of loyalty, fidelity, devotion, etc., to their schemes and condition the masses to never question their motives, which are based on the accumulation of wealth and power by any means necessary.

The Elitist of the United States has sold America to foreign interest—Asian Nations such as China and Japan virtually owns our country because our nation is for sell. Where is the patriotism in preserving the United States future for future generations? What is so patriotic about declaring war on the innocent and tiny nation of Iraq? In order to flex our military might while we steal Oil from the defensively people of Iraq and claim we are making the world more safer for democracy. How is murdering innocent people in Iraq considered to be patriotic? The war activist Cindy Sheehan is more of a patriot than most Americans because she openly opposed Bush and his unjust war; she stood as a voice of dissention. The American definition of patriotism is both hypocritical and double standard. President George Bush has repeatedly lied to the American public and he has U.S. Flags and other governmental symbols all around him and in my opinion, he is displaying patriotism without morality which is just like symbol without substance. President Bush has not lived up to the solemn Oath that he swore to on the Holy Bible, to up hold in 2000 and 2004.

The entire United States Congress and the President should be charged with treason and sedition for violating various aspects of the United States Constitution; for example, taxation without representation is tyranny; these governmental rogues and political gangsters don’t give damn about welfare of its citizens. They do not represent the interest of the American people, but champion the interest of a small and powerful Elitist Circle. I guess it is patriotic for the United States Government in 1913 to have surrendered our monetary system over to private bankers (Central Banks) in essence; the Federal Reserve Act is unconstitutional along with Internal Revenue Service. How many of these good American patriots have the audacity and political courage to propose a bill in Congress to repeal and rescind this demandable act? Those that control the printing of our currency and determine the national and international interest rates and the valuation or devaluation of our monetary system have a stranglehold on all of humanity including over those who are top level elected officials.

Patrick Henry said "give me liberty or give me death" surely taxation without representation is tyranny. Their patriotism is to the twelve Central Banks—that rules the entire planet: 1. Rothschild Bank of London, Rothschild Bank of Berlin, 2. Chase Manhattan Bank of New York (Rockefeller) Chase National bank of New York (Rockefeller). 3. First National Bank of New York. 5. Hanover National Bank of New York. 6. Goldman Sachs of New York. 7. Kuhn Loeb Bank of New York. 8. Lehman Brothers of New York. 9. Warburg Bank of Hamburg Warburg Bank of Amsterdam. 10. Lazard Brothers of Paris. 11. Israel Moses Seif Banks of Italy. 12. JP Morgan.

It was President Bush just a couple of years ago who was looking to sell the rights to the United States Ports over to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). How does this motive line-up with patriotism? After 9/11 the so-called terrorist were supposed to have been Middle Eastern Arabs; yet Bush was looking to turn over one of America’s most vital and strategic geographical regions of costal sovereignty to the Arabs, although some thought this move could have posed a serious security breech and compromise of America’s national security. This move sounded like a political contradiction—after-all he and the media had characterized the Arabs and Islam as being synonymous with terrorism.

President Bush since 9/11 had initiated all types of repressive legislation and actions under the banner of Homeland Security. He beefed up United States Boarder Patrol operations and United States Customs. The eastern seaboard is one of the regions of the country where imports and exports are received and moved across international waters. President Bush in desiring to sell U.S. Ports to this Oil wealthy Islamic State because he is bosom buddies with these reactionary monarch Arab governments and more importantly he felt comfortable with this proposition because he knew the real culprits behind the 9/11 hoax and understood best that they were not Arabs. This writer learned in middle school social studies classes that dissent was constitutional, but this writer can recall right after September 11, 2001 all debate was stifled in which academicians, activists, intellectuals, etc., were not allowed to critique or criticize the United States Government and the events evolving around 9/11.

This writer understood that the nation was mourning and trying to come to grips with the so-called 9/11 tragedy, which represented a lost of life and property, but the media had worked the ignorant masses into a frenzy and they became the first line of defense in this recent era of patriotism. The United States Flags were selling like hot cakes; I am quite sure the U.S. Flag makers and manufactures—probably were not American companies (many of the flags did not have the trademark made in the USA), but somebody made huge sums of money off the United States citizens emotionalism, which was disguise in patriotism.

Scholars were afraid to assess and evaluate lest they be called unpatriotic; thus, there were CNN, CBS, FOX News, ABC, NBC, BBC, etc., that were interviewing well known talking heads who perhaps had a differ of opinion but could not offer a dissenting opinion after 9/11 because of fear of being labeled unpatriotic. President Bush and the United States Government for close to two years functioned with minimum criticism and opposition which allowed him to circumvent the United States Constitution, reconstruct foreign and domestic policy—imposed many reactionary Executive Orders—Bush in fact rearranged the entire world while the American people were wrapped up in the sentimental values—passionately called patriotism. This writer equates patriotism with a sedative drug, it put the American people to sleep and they wouldn’t feel the pain after awakening to find out that their nation had been hijacked and truly American democracy had become something of the past. If the Truth be told Paul Warburg and the boys in the early 1900s started this erosion of democracy over one hundred (100) years ago.

President Bush literally transformed the United States into a TOTALITARIAN GOVERNMENT (this concept is far removed from patriotism—Bush should have been crowned with a new title DICTATOR BUSH) and post 9/11 the United States Constitution became a second tier document which was replaced by the United States Patriot Act (interpret to mean you have no rights). This is what happens when an inordinate amount of propaganda is allowed to make inroads and impact a society without critical opposition and Bush did not allow himself to have an alter-ego and he hid behind patriotism. The U.S. Congress was also duped, they rubber stamped during this time of so-called crisis the majority of Bush’s foreign and domestic policy initiatives. Many of them believed after 9/11 that the United States was in crisis and they had to show forth their patriotism by agreeing and passing legislation in support of the Bush Administration.

The United States Government since 9/11 has equipped itself with some powerful arsenal—the United States Justice Department just have to label you an Enemy Combatant and from that moment you have no legal rights; moreover Bush’s repressive acts and legislation were more aimed at the American people more so than the so-called foreign terrorist and as we were applauding the rounding up of so-called Arab radical militants; it never occurred to us that the intended victims would eventually be the American people. You all remember Timothy McVeigh, the good American boy that spearheaded the bombing of the Okalahoma City Federal building in 1995 killing over one hundred eighty people and destroying property; he had been trained in the U.S. Arm Forces. McVeigh declared himself a soldier and a patriot. How does McVeigh’s theory of patriotism equate with the U.S. Government slant of patriotism?

McVeigh had reasoned that what was lacking in America was “patriotism” and he blamed the U.S. Government for eroding the rights giving to all Americans in the “Bill of Rights” and he believed the U.S. Constitution should be interpreted from the basis of original intent. This writer can recall the media initially blaming the Nation of Islam which is headed by Minister Louis Farrakhan as possibly having involvement in the Okalahoma City Federal building bombing. Although the Black Muslims had no relationships with so-called foreign Islamic extremist or homegrown extremist; it did not matter because in the government’s mind, the Nation of Islam’s controversial teachings since 1930 made them a prime suspect, as a possible dissident group potentially capable of either directly or in directly desiring to see America brought to her knees. However, the Black Muslim had no history of using violence against the United States Government.

The media then began to focus on so-called allege Middle Eastern Arabs as their suspects because surely the Arab Muslims had an ax to grind; after-all the U.S. Government had armed and financed the Zionist State Israel to the detriment of the Palestinians in particular and the entire Islamic world in general. When the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Alcohol Tobacco and Firearm (ATF), U.S. Marshal’s Service, etc., they were shocked to find out that their suspects were white and American. They could not imagine that this level of anti-American dissention existed internally in our nation and worst yet McVeigh had no relations with any of America’s foreign enemies. The Okalahoma City Federal building bombing sought of speaking caught America with her pants down and without the proper legal and military structure to deal with these high levels of anti-American sentiments.

The staging of 9/11 was strategically and tactfully crafted by some sophisticated minds that desired to ensure that the U.S. Government would have all the legal and military tools at her disposals to deal with all foreign and domestic enemies and there would not be any legal or political obstacles in their way in defining their enemies and bring them to American style justice. Perhaps McVeigh was a U.S. Government agent and all the said events were orchestrated by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) these type tricks are not above or beneath them. There is book authored by Ralph W. McGhee titled, “Deadly Deceits: My Twenty-Five Years in the CIA.” and McGhee wrote about the dirty tricks of the CIA. All of this could have brought us to 9/11 and the U.S. Patriot Act and the question of Civil Liberties, which we gave the U.S. Government a blank check to do what ever she pleases in the guise of National Security.

Many do not understand that these are dangerous times that we are living and this writer does not mean because the Western Governments have spooked us into believing that Arabs and Islam are our enemies. But I am here to tell you that our own government is our enemy and the one you should fear. This writer knows that some of this may come across as being unpatriotic WHAT EVER THAT MEANS, but someone must be willing to SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER. Bush has galvanized various agencies from law enforcement, academicians, legal professionals, etc., in order to study the concept of homegrown terrorism—from the social science perspective, as well as, to better understanding U.S. Jurisprudence and law relative to United States citizens committing acts of terrorism against the United States Government.

The homegrown so-called terrorist concern is centered on the U.S. Government failure to admit that Islam has developed and evolved as a major ideological religious school of thought in Christian America and has taking root throughout the United States, which is being disseminated pursuant to an enculturation process taking place amongst native born African American Muslims and their relationship with Middle Eastern Muslims. The religious bond they share transcends race and class (Islam as a religion seems to be the glue that holds these two distinct cultures together). Black Americans represent one of the largest non-Middle Eastern Islamic blocs in the United States and many of them each year are making Hajj to Mecca, Saudi Arabia and starting to visit other Islamic nations and societies. In some instance, there has been a forged alliance between Middle Eastern Muslims and African American Muslims. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency after 9/11 started all types of covert and overt surveillance aimed at monitoring Islam and Masjids across America, in particular in cities like Newark, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Detroit, Michigan, New York City, San Francisco, California, Washington, D.C., etc., where there were large Middle Eastern and African American Muslims attending the same Masjids.

The United States Government has seen many Black Muslim sympathizers identifying with so-called Militant Radical Islam and who have become willing recruits for Militant Islam and joining their declaration of Jihad against the West. This writer in the past has heard Imam Jamil Abdullah EL-Amin (formerly H. Rap Brown of the Black Panther Party and former Chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) deliver Jumuah services (Friday’s Congregation Prayer) in Atlanta in which he had a serious command of the Arabic language and their was a synthesizing of a bridging of cultures taking place under the banner of Islam between foreign Muslims and African American Muslims.

Imam Jamil AL-Amin (H. Rap Brown) was a target of the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover’s Cointelpro (U.S. Government Counter Intelligence Program) of the 1960s and 1970s because of his revolutionary activism during the turbulent Civil Rights era in the United States. He was charged and convicted of murdering a Cobb County Police officer in 2002 and is presently serving a life sentence at the Supermax Penitentiary in Colorado. Many believe that the FBI Cointelpro was ongoing and Imam AL-Amin was a victim of U.S. Government complicity. There are other high profile Imams like Imam Siraj Wahhaj, an African American Muslim who is well respected both in America and the Islamic world.

Look at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and other Federal Bureau of Prisons and military holding sites where innocent Muslims who are prisoners of war, but are being denied legal counsel and is not protected by our laws, as they are written in the United States Constitution or being allowed to come under international law as it was written in the Geneva Convention. Many of them have not even been formerly charged; their situation is a travesty of justice. Some of these Muslim/Arab prisoners are being illegally tried in U.S. Military Courts and U.S. Federal Courts without the benefit of international jurisprudence relevant to their legal status—PRISONERS OF WAR. It is extremely difficult for me to accept Bush’s view of patriotism in lieu of the injustices. Why hasn’t House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers done more to demand justice for the Muslim prisoners of war that are being housed in the belly of the beast?

Fahim A. Knight-EL Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight-EL can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com.

STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
Fahim A. Knight-EL