Tears For America

Gray Wolf, 2010

In 1980, I visited my friend, Tammy Hall, in Brooklyn. I was an uninformed

Reagan supporter at the time. Tammy introduced me to 78-year-old David
Weiss, a Guggenheim-award winning documentarist for his film No Vietnamese
Ever Called Me Nigger, and, a Trotsky socialist. I was headstrong, young-hung-
full-of-anything-but-brains, and I pitched Reagan to David. He looked at me,
smiled, and said, You're young; you're intelligent; you have a good future ahead
of you. It is time that you begin to study your country a little closer, and, expose
yourself to some truth. Here is what I subsequently learned:

1] The two-party democratic system in the U.S. is actually a closed,

one-party system - read: two rival football teams within one high
school. The high school is the ruling class, dictating all policy from
behind the curtain (read: shadow government) through
whichever individual they place in the presidency, all the while
leading the working class to believe that their votes elected their
front-man in the presidential office.
2] At any one given time, the U.S. is covertly involved in 10-plus wars
- unbeknownst to its tax-paying citizens - often funding both sides
of an individual war - read: divide and conquer, steal the resources - oil,
natural commodities, etc. (1940's-1960's: U.S. in Central and
South America, 1960's-1980's: U.S. in Asia and Vietnam, 1980's-now: U.S. in
Middle East.)
3] Since the 1940's, the U.S. has covertly supported the rise of every
dictator or despot known to the world. Once the dictator is in
position, the U.S. loans them money (through CIA operatives,
appropriately called economic hit men) in order to develop their
country, infrastructures, etc. - knowing that the dictator will not be
able to make good on the loans. Then, the U.S. enters, removes the
dictator (that they positioned in the first place) and removes all
natural resources for private U.S. enterprise and profit, leaving
the nation and its people destitute - no resources, raped lands, no
economy, volatile and unstable skeleton government (1940's-
1960's: U.S. in Central and South America, 1960's-1980's: U.S. in
Asia and Vietnam, 1980's-now: U.S. in Middle East.)
4] In 1786, the ruling class of the U.S. made a pact that they,
and, their successors would strive - at any cost - to become the
imperialist power of the world. Every administration thereafter
(Republican, Democrat - doesn't matter) has had covert operatives
placed behind the scenes to continue the fulfillment of that pact.
Over two-hundred years later, the U.S. is now the imperialist power
of the world. Broke, but, the imperialist power of the world.
5] The Great Depression, and all subsequent recessions - like October,
 2008 - was planned and implemented by the ruling banking families
of the world, now known as the Bilderberg Group. They have been
behind the creation of every economic environment leading to
recessions, and, depressions. The Rockefeller family actually tripled
their wealth within seventy-two hours of the Crash of '29 - the
Rockefellers being part of the Central U.S. Bank and founding
members of the Federal Reserve. This redistribution of wealth re-
occurs every time the U.S. or global markets go into an intentional
downspin.

So, learning all of this created a major inner conflict for me. How do I reconcile
myself, the American Dream, my family's history of character, and, hard work?
How do I reconcile the images of Norman Rockwell that I loved so much, and,
deeply resonated with as a child? Here is what I now accept: the American
people were a hard-working, community-building people - full of character and
immigrant history. Nonetheless, they were not aware of what their government
was doing for over two centuries. The government encouraged the American
Dream – and, we liked it - who wouldn't?! What we didn't know was that our
dream was actually funded by someone else's nightmare. People ask me if I miss
the U.S. I tell them that I miss the land... it is a most beautiful land. I tell them that
I miss my community, the rural people, the native indigenous - as they are the
last to carry the dying soul of America. Beyond that, it is a dead, spiritually
bankrupt nation. Beyond that, it has too much history of dealings that I classify -
reluctantly - as evil.

I cannot forget - won't forget - what I experienced as a child observing my

grandparents - their culture, their dreams. I remember visiting their new suburban
home – Grandma gardening in her polka-dotted sun-dress and heels, Grandpa
grilling steaks on the patio – his spicy racist and anti-Semitic remarks livening the
dialogue at the dinner table. I cannot forget - won't forget - what I experienced as
a child observing my parents - their culture, their dreams. I remember Dad
teaching us Swing dance in the living room, while Mom kept the big-band LP’s
spinning on the console just before we all climbed in the Cadillac and headed out
for dinner at the country club. I cannot forget - won't forget - what I experienced
as a child observing my nation – its melting-pot culture, its immigrant dreams.
The heart, and, the soul of it, was true. But, the rest of it was a government-
promoted illusion, like Rosy the Riveter - merely a patriotic, propagandist poster
motivating the people to work just a little bit harder. We Can Do It!

So, today my eyes are open – thanks to David Weiss – and, I grieve the loss of
the illusion of the American Dream. Those of us gathered around her bedside as
she labours to breathe her last breath, look up at each other, and, silently
question - What will we do when she’s gone? It has been a very difficult illusion
for me to bury, as it has been so woven into my foundation. The loss brings me
to tears. And, I – like the many who have been raised on that hopeful, fresh, and
prosperous dream - am not alone. I do not cry alone.