Once upon a time I was proud to be an American. Now, at the age of 55, I find myself deeply embarrassed to call myself one. The values we once stood for as a country: honor, justice, democracy and freedom, those which I grew up with believing were the sacred hallmark of our great nation, now gag in my throat. Where has it all gone wrong?

“When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When people fear the government there is tyranny.” Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826)

During WWII, our country was called to arms by our allies in Europe, who surely would have fallen to the dictatorship of Hitler, had we not stepped in and sacrificed the precious lives of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers in the name of freedom. Most are not aware nor have the courageous to know of the sinister strings that were pulled to orchestrate this War, and all others, from the 5th dimensional chest board play of a certain few. This however, is another story and one for another time.

“We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of… If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, it is now possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without them knowing it.” Dr. Edward L. Bernays – considered the founding Father of Public Relations. (1891-1995)

Hitler, the sadistic genius and megalomaniac, successfully enrolled his countrymen and the might of Germany’s industrial military complex in a methodically orchestrated mass genocide. Germany’s extremely disciplined soldiers, charismatically hypnotized by Hitler’s Aryan vision, were like an unstoppable machine, rolling over one country after another. The technological might of Germany’s army of tanks, ships, submarines, airplanes, rocketry, guns and ammunitions was quickly found to be faster, more powerful and lethal than that of America’s and our allies. Clearly, without the heartfelt conviction of our brave soldiers and their willingness to fight and die in the name of freedom and democracy, this war, and much much more, would have been lost.

“What good fortune for governments that think people do not think.” – Adolph Hitler (1889 – 1945)

In the wake of winning this epic War, the bell of freedom rang clearly around the world. It’s magnificent sound echoed in the hearts of Americans and in the souls of our young men. Wise sage, former soldier, and retiring President Dwight D. Eisenhower forewarned the American people of the dangers of having a standing army and of the Military Industrial Complex buildup. As prophesized, War, the unthinkable and horrific, had become profitable. A President’s wise warning had come to pass, falling unfortunately on the deaf ears of Americans, who naively still reveled in their triumphant victory and gift of freedom to the world.

“All Wars are fought for money” – Socrates (469 BC)

Life was good again. Things were safe and evil now put in its place. Our nation was strong. People were endowed with the belief of righteousness and a sanctimonious mantra of freedom. Every red blooded American felt it as coursed through our veins, never to be questioned. The strength our nation’s people had been great however, our military technology was found to be lacking. Vowing a new military readiness, over the next decade and a half, our government harnessed the creative talents of our manufacturing industry and produced from it, a new generation of technologically advanced weapons, including jet propulsion, rocketry and planet killing bombs. We had a new fleet of ships and submarines, faster stronger tanks, new jets and bombers, and the weapons to end all weapons, the Atom bomb and H bomb. We were ready.

“The means of defense against foreign danger have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people.” ― James Madison

Armed now to the guile and nowhere to fight, military manufactures soon discovered that the bountiful revenues that had once adorned their shareholders now yielded but a faint financial trickle. During times of peace, it seemed, military training maneuvers only generated small residual revenues in the forms of purchased fuel, bullets, bombs, and replacement parts. Newly built and purchased big ticket items like tanks, planes, ships, military transport equipment weren’t being destroyed, and didn’t after all, need to be replaced but every ten or so years.

“If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.” – James Madison (1751 -1836)

Coincidently, in the 60’s, we were told of a new brewing trouble and the freedom bell was rung again. A new enemy had arisen, this time, the political philosophy of communism. The word “enemy,” interestingly, comes from Latin and means “not friend.” Communism, we were told, through the media, was spreading like a worldwide plague. During this era few ever questioned the media relative to factual accuracy or suspected it to be any sort propaganda machine, America’s moral compass never pointed this direction, so we were told to believe.

“The conscious and intellectual manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. – Dr. Edward L. Bernays – considered the founding Father of Public Relations.

Having recently infected North Vietnam, communism was now, like a rabid dog, threatening to bite into the freedom of the South Vietnamese people and infect their lives. Our job, as global heroes and newly-self-deputized police of the planet, was to stop the spread of this infectious disease and at all cost protect democracy and freedom. Most importantly, we were to promote the vision of the American way, “freedom for all”. The time was ripe, thought those who pulled the strings of power, “ring the bell of freedom.”

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Article Originally Published Here: Huffington Post