by James Glaser
April 23, 2002

America is the home of the free and the land of the brave. I don't doubt that. It happens though, a person starts to write about American Foreign Policy and they start to think that represents America. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In every community in our country, good things are being done everyday, by people giving their time and efforts to help their fellow citizen. Some times they are even helping non-citizens. American Citizens are like that and it is really a shame that our government hasn't picked up on that goodness of it's citizens and made that the focus of our foreign policy.

Most American people believe that we as a country are out there trying to give the poor of the world a chance for a better future through Democracy. Americans believe that we are on the side of those freedom fighters, those that work with the poor, and those that are looking for justice the world over.

Baby Boomers always think of the USS HOPE, that white hospital ship that traveled the world over bringing medical attention to the poorest of the poor. We all think of all the good that the PEACE CORP does the world over. We all just know that our Foreign Aid is going to help those poor starving children, no matter where they are.

American churches do wonderful things with the money that their members so selflessly give. There are groups that help victims of torture and those going through a famine or any of a multitude of natural disasters. Americans are doing good works the world over.

One would think with all the good we are doing, the world would love us and the truth is they do. What the world has learned to hate is our American Government and our American Corporations, who hand in hand are the worlds greatest terrorist, bar none. No amount of good works by the American people can ever over come the terror inflicted by these two most powerful entities.

American Corporations have virtual slave labor camps all over the globe. Many, though locally owned are only in existence to create goods for sale to our corporations. Those very pious corporations will deny any responsibility for the conditions that the poor have to work under, but they are unwilling to share any more of the profits, so that these suffering people can live like humans.

Our Government in Washington, not only supports the dictators and royalty that oppress billions of the poor we also fight any move to stop the use of land mines that kill and maim tens of thousands world wide. And you know what? Those poor and suffering peoples the world over know that it is our government doing it. Right this very minute our government is working to block a move to strengthen an international treaty that outlaws torture. Hey I had a hard time believing that too, but Washington says that it would be against our constitution and that the forth amendment prohibiting "unreasonable searches and seizures" meant it could not allow foreign prison inspectors to go where they pleased.

Well wake up Washington! That is the reason we have been bombing Iraq for eleven years. They didn't want our people to inspect for weapons where ever they wanted. We say Iraq is hiding something. Well the world wonders what we are hiding now, when it comes to torture.

We have a country filled with really good people that are just now waking up to the fact that our Government and Corporations have been slandering our good name with their actions. Americans are now realizing that their tax dollars are not being used to bring Democracy to the world, but to keep the old criminal factions that "play ball" in power.

America has become slow at change, but with the new education that is slipping through the cracks because of global communications and the Internet, dirty little secrets can no longer be kept hidden.