Why America Feels Like it's Been Ruled by a Foreign Occupier

As Obama takes over the wreckage this country is in, one can't help but feel like something alien to America has been controlling it these past eight years. The wave of emotion that has erupted with the election of Barack Obama reminds me of the Allied victory in France in WWII. After a long foreign occupation in which foreign German interests occupied the agenda of France, French governance would once again be representing the concerns of it's populace. That hope seems to pervade America after it's long neocons occupation. Here are a few of the parallels that I see.

- American Public Opinion Has Been Ignored

Polling has consistently shown that the American government pursues an agenda far to the right of American public opinion. For the slight margin of victory that Bush had in both elections he won, the sweeping changes he pursued illuminate his disregard for the sizable chunk of our society that disagree with him.

When Dick Cheney was questioned on ABC about whether the fact that two thirds of Americans were opposed to the Iraq War had any influence on decision-making, he basically said that the American people get to make their input every four years and after that they can be ignored. The government is there to represent the people and now that it seems like that is returning; joy is understandable.

- Core American Values Overturned

America fought a revolution to have its opinions represented by it's government. That has faded in Bush's term. America set up the UN after World War II to set up international law and put an end to military aggression and imperialism. That went out the window. Habeas Corpus was inherited from England where it originated in the 12th Century. Bush in that sense has embraced the morals of the middle ages. Along that line, America reinstituted the use of torture. England discontinued its use in the 1600's Frederick the Great ended it in Prussia in 1740, Italy in 1786, France in 1789, and Russia in 1801. Besides moral reasons, the practice was written off as ineffective in terms of yielding useful information. This administrations moral conduct is clearly alien to the values of most Americans.

- Basic Infrastructure Neglected

Bridges, roads, and environmental standards have degraded these past eight years. What could be of more interest to a population than the upkeep of these vital elements of society? Clearly the vital interests of the population did not matter. You would have to be completely foreign to what America is not to see it, as basic infrastructure degraded tremendously in Bush's tenure.

- National Resources Diverted Overseas

If you study any foreign occupation, one common thread would be that national wealth would be diverted into foreign lands. While American healthcare, education, and infrastructure languished, we dumped billions of dollars into Iraq and pursued an otherwise aggressive and destructive foreign policy across the world at large at tremendous cost.

On top of that, national debt doubled the past eight years. It's like America lost a war, suffered an occupation and had to pay a 5 trillion dollar indemnity. We're in a similar position to France in 1870 or Germany in 1919 in that our common interests have been ignored, we've pursued an aggressive foreign policy to our own detriment and we are now deeply in debt.

- Propaganda Tuned Up

Bush took the stance of a foreign occupier in his governance- rational argument would never win the minds and hearts of the masses so crude propaganda such as Fox News was trotted out to scare and paralyze America into obedience. The same quest for obedience through misinformation and crude scare tactics are the same you see in the totalitarian governments from South America to Asia that have brought nothing but misery to their own people and the world at large.

Comments

[sunnyjane]

Let's not forget No Child Left Behind as one of Bush's failures. This program was ill-conceived and poorly carried out, to the detriment of the rest of America's children and their school systems.

Bush is leaving us with a lesser America, our infrastructure, our national debt, and loss of standing in the world.

It's no wonder people are depressed, poor, and frustrated, and are embracing the new Obama administration.

We must support our new President. It's gonna be painful before it gets better, but it WILL get better. There IS hope.

[dollardream]

....and let's not forget CHENEY, RUMSFELD, WOLFOWITZ, ROVE, PERLE and Kristol. These neocons have been waging an ideological battle since Bush 41 and the Gulf War. After 9/11, when George W. needed a worldview, these men were waiting at the helm to give him one. All of these men had nothing but utter contempt for anyone who did not stand with them -- which I dare say amounted to more than half the American population. That we have allowed these people to rape and pillage this country of its resources for THEIR causes, is DESPICABLE. Thousands of American men and women have died over the last 5-1/2 years --- and for what?

Absolutely, people have been feeling as if we've been invaded and occupied ourselves. For the first time in twelve years, people have voted overwhelmingly FOR a candidate. I would like to HOPE that America has learned from her mistake..... but, I just don't know.

[Susej]

On Sept. e|even, our gov. was over thro wn by a group of th ugs

[idelthoughts]

• What a great therapeutic read! To see all the facts of what has been done to the American people and this country in print lets us out here that knew they would do this to our country from 2000 know the end of our collective nightmare is coming to an end. This should be required reading for all citizens.

[Georgiadude]

I can see why one could feel as if our country has been controlled by alien leaders and that we should have hope for a brighter future, but I fear that the new administration is limited, for unknown reasons, to actually do what is necessary to stop the decline of the "American standard of living" for the sake of globalization and free trade.
In my opinion, the current remedies being administrated to our economy are simply attempts to continue the steady, gradual erosion of our standard of living, the status quo, with the goal of achieving economic polarity among the working class of our planet, which in a sense if I am correct, should not lead us to believe that we will feel any different in four or eight years hence, than we felt this autumn.

[rf-hawaii]

You are a pessimist.

The final removal of Bush is cause for optimism. Much has been damaged and broken. There is reason to believe things can be repaired, and that dedicated and capable people are doing so now.

[MarkInEugene]

Good leadership can do amazing things. We've had the worst leadership this country has ever seen in the last 8 years. Let's wait and see.

[whatsthatsound]

This is a brilliant article, but the sad truth is that it only tells half the story. There are millions of Americans who now feel that the occupier is coming IN, not going out! I talked to my friend in Columbus; he's ecstatic that Obama won but says most of his friends and relatives are pessimistic, to say the least. The actual numbers were 51/48, remember. Many (dare I say ignorant?) Americans are more afraid of the black man with the odd name than of the administration that deflated this country like an inner tube.

[metalpipe]

They'll get over it.

[LeaderofMen]

Laughable. You may now move to France.

[roblabrousse]

We have to wait and see.Give him some benefit of the doubt. Bush got the benefit of the doubt 2x's. And it was obvious he was an ignorant, careless louse. At the outset Obama has at least been constant, calm and articulate and thoughtful. We elected a man not God to be president. Can't you just hold off the speculation for awhile?

[youknowwhat]

Our government was taken over by a bunch of well funded criminals. They used elected republican representatives and some democrats as their enforcers.

[FormerReaganite]

You know how you get that awful disgusting feeling when you carelessly
break something? An event which could have been easily avoided, if you
had taken your time to be conscientious and thoughtful? Well I wonder
if Bush has that feeling, having driven this country into the ground.

[Osmona]

The sick and sad part of ALL of this is Bush and his supporters (because he still has many) do not believe they did ANYTHING wrong. If we as a people do not keep the republicans out for the next 30 years of so (preferably forever) they will tear down whatever Obama and his successors build.

THEY ARE CRAZY!!!!!! I believe the Republican party is a Cult.

[dave1967]

Agreed. My conservative friends still believe that Bush had the right idea. They also believe, without concrete evidence to back up their beliefs, that Obama will increase their taxes (because he is a Democrat, and *that* is what Democrats do) and be weak on national defense.

Funny thing is that these people are otherwise extremely intelligent. But no current evidence will surpass the evidence that they believe will come in the future to show them to be correct.

I have tried to demonstrate to them that they were wrong about Bush for the past 8 years (to which *some* will admit, while still saying that he had the right ideas), and are wrong about Obama. But no-one seems to let facts get in the way of their emotions.

[rf-hawaii]

The Cult of Fox News.

[S1m0n]

If that's how you're feeling, imagine how Iraqis are feeling about the Bush years.

[1lalady]

George Bush is the worst president this country has ever had. I hope after he leaves office the american people doesn't let him forget it. No one wants to publish a book about him .His presidential library he is planning ,I hope no ine goes to it. When he leaves office I hope when he is ever mention again it is to be as a comics' monolog. He deserves to be ridicule at ever chance. I hope the american people show their dispize for him.He deserves it.

[lomamonster]

Incredibly good summation, and thanks!

[MarkInEugene]

"For the slight margin of victory that Bush had in both elections he won, the sweeping changes he pursued illuminate his disregard for the sizable chunk of our society that disagree with him. "

This is precisely why he will go down in history in the minds of a majority of American's as the worst President ever! Never in my entire life have I ever felt so totally ignored by my government. And never in my entire life have I felt so humiliated at what was being done in our name. It truly did feel like a fascist state in which I was powerless to help curb the loss of those pillars of democracy, such as due process, judicial impartiality, our right to privacy, three equal branches of government sharing in governance, our wise separation clause and our world class scientific research.

I'll remember the last 8 years as a time of fanaticism, destructive ignorance, ignoble grandstanding, and shameful demagoguery wholly unbefitting this great country.

[Business]

Pounding on Bush what about Franklin Roosevelt: Our 4 term dictator (12 yrs 3 month term before died) Did any of you look in a history book? Back then, journalists and the media called him a FASCIST

Guantanimo on steriods: FDR and his Japanese internment camps. 100,000 people in terrible conditions

[Takae]

I was about to post something similar. Many of these imprisoned Japanese people were American. They lost everything, too. Their companies, homes, and many more.

"This administrations moral conduct is clearly alien to the values of most Americans."

Scratch "most", otherwise Bush wouldn't have been voted in twice, Nixon was forced to retire, but no one tried to push for that with Bush as well, and McCain, who largely supported Bush's agenda for years, having such a number of voters in this election.

Americans - indifferent, ignorant, blind eye, or misinformed - should be partly held accountable as well. I remember when Bush launched the so-called Iraq war, so many were very vocal with their support for it. Whoever disagreed with the war was hit with "You're with us or you aren't with us" or "you're unpatriotic".

[kothian1]

and it's worth a mention that FDR won all four elections LEGITIMATELY. It wasn't his fault that no term limits existed at the time.

[Tom Payned]

FDR didn't choose to be at war in WWII, unlike Iraq.

I don't recall stories of FDR authorizing "enhanced" interrogation techniques or rendition, as he was aware the same thing could be done to our soldiers.

While I agree the internment camps were a horrible blight on our country, I don't recall any stories of people being stripped, stacked on each other, threatened with dogs, undergo sleep deprivation and extreme changes in temperature in short periods of time all designed to disorient and break them.

FDR inherited a economy that was destroyed, not a growing economy with a shrinking deflect like Bush did..

FDR didn't create the collapse of the financial sector, he inherited it.

FDR didn't oversee the largest job loss in modern history.

FDR didn't destroy America's standing with our Allies.

FDR didn't leave office for someone else to clean up his mess.

[Bahramerad]

If only Americans had realised the gravity of their situation and had supported their president in the time of wars instead of spreading discourse and fatalism we would not be such an economic mess that we are right now!

[rf-hawaii]

Discourse is what democracy is all about.

Democracy is supposed to be noisy.

[anniegirl9]

If anything, I think Bush pushed us as close to a Feudal system as America has ever known. A king claims his authority as Devine rule and subjects receive protection from the crown by willfully giving up their own freedoms to support their king.

Bush has all but claimed his presidency as God granted. He and his followers believe that the most important job of the president is to keep Americans safe, and that we must relinquish much of our civil liberties to be granted that security.

Iraq has been Bush’s Crusade. As he stated when he made the decision to invade, he sought council in “a higher Father.”

Furthermore, in a Feudal system, the masses pay taxes disproportionally to keep the monarchy and his circle of lords in the lap of luxury.

We have seen the largest shift of wealth from the middle class to the wealthiest portion of our society in our history during the past eight years.

And then there's that whole torture thing which just smacks of dungeon lore. No, I think Bush took us a lot further back than WWII.

[larazon]

Admit it. This was fas-cism masquerading as neo-conservatism: The media propaganda. The mind control. The t0r-ture. The secrecy. The lies. The exclusion of public opinion. The alienation of dissent. The illegal, SANITIZED war. The Pa-tri-ot Act. FI-S@. The "nation building" errr... imperialistic grab for oil. The unilaterial bullying. The intimidation of political en-emies (ex. Plame and the U.S. attorney firings) and on and on.

[mlrlmsw]

Agreed. I hope that Obama/Biden go after Bush/Cheney for the torture legacy, at least. And, if we're lucky, they will be charged with war crimes by the international community who will no longer have to deal with them. If nothing else, they will hopefully get their punishment in the afterlife (if W's Christian view of Heaven/Hell proves true). One can hope.

[rf-hawaii]

It's Obama/Biden's job to get the country going again. Not prosecute the evildoers.