The United States of Lies and Deceit

Nations crumble when the people distrust the government

I wasn’t interested in politics, economics, or geography in my early twenties, but when I moved to Barcelona in 2004, Bush W. waged war on Iraq. Anti-American sentiments raged throughout Spain, and the enormity of US intervention prompted protests in nearly every major European city. I was an American idiot, and I could not hide my ignorance or my accent.

A lie can travel around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots — Mark Twain

Young Americans pledged allegiance and learned patriotic fairytales. We breezed over slavery and made feathers out of construction paper to acknowledge First Nation heritage. In the computer lab, we discovered westward expansion through an Oregon Trail simulation, and when our wagon wheels needed fixing, Native Americans kindly assisted. We are the kids of America.

Indoctrination began before we could question the narrative, and today, many adult Americans don’t want to admit the bad guy is us. Sugar-coated history is more pleasant than the truth, and we like to believe we’re heroes. Unraveling a lifetime of utter bullshit would necessitate realizing everything taught to us was a lie, and that’s a large nut to swallow. So, many Americans know absolutely nothing but a fabricated story.

Lies only travel so long and so far, and vaccination rates and government distrust strongly correlate. Americans know something is awry, and patriotism is dead. The January 6th mob’s anger wasn’t wrong, but their reasons weren’t right, and we don’t discuss political discontent. Out of sight, out of mind, and swept under the rug with everything else Americans endured over the last few decades. Amnesia is strictly American.

Desert Storm, the War on Terror, Russiagate, Pizzagate, Oxycontin, Flint, mass shootings, corporate bailouts, extreme inequality, more mass shootings, and Bush speaking at the 20th anniversary of 9/11 are routine, but every country has its problems. We pretend or flat-out don’t know the FBI encouraged us to rat on each other, and the NSA isn’t surveilling us. Besides, the US can’t be that bad — look at all the immigrants flocking to the place… It’s not because the US destabilized their governments.

Pop quiz! Why do Americans love capitalism yet fear socialism and communism? Answer: the US government and corporate media told them to. Every American distrusts the government, but not every American suspects the cracks begin at the foundation, and disbelieving capitalism’s benefits is un-American. Our emotions restrict thinking, and we’d lose our identity if we overthought.

We behave like a suspicious spouse who knows our partner is cheating but doesn’t want to know because that would alter our entire life, and we aren’t ready for a divorce. Instead, we’re jealous and skeptical of each other, but none of us have it better. Well, the one percent do, but maybe they deserve it because they work harder. After all, innovation would cease if it weren’t for these magnificent minds, and where would we be then?

In the glass is a half-full perspective; we’re halfway to figuring out our government lies to us. At least there’s that. Unfortunately, our half-empty heads dissuade us from realizing we’re on the same team, battling the same opponent. We’re all American idiots. Just ask the rest of the world for reassurance or look around. Our country is unraveling at the seams.