D'Escoto: "[They are] Possessed by the Demons of Manifest Destiny"

Democracy Now reminds us of the Ronald Reagan that WASN'T all that genial at times.

People in the US have been so conditioned--so caught up in the MYTH--of our innate goodness that they can't see--or refuse to see--the very serious game of realpolitik we engage in throughout the world. I'd just as soon leave Reagan out of this for the most part, but he's front and center to the myth: the faux cowboy and television program 'man's man.'

George W. Bush, while lacking any of Reagan's so-called "charm," plays the same game, although a bit more consciously. Hence, the photo-ops at Mount Rushmore, etc. etc. The idea is to craft Bush as the embodiment of "real American" for public consumption. Then, while pundits and other such reptiles hog our television screens and wax piously about whether or not his latest effort at public speaking is sufficiently "presidential," (i.e., more of the myth), the REAL business of government--the upward flow of wealth to the already wealthy, the savaging of as many third world nations as we can integrate into the global economic system, and the brutality in the Middle East (with attendant contracts for the cronies)--continues unabated. The pundits get paid, the public is supposedly satisfied, and life goes on. The death of a Reagan figure offers the opportunity to further inculcate the myth into the popular culture, while simultaneously casting aside the less savory elements of our national character (not to mention the less than noble elements of Reagan's own character).

Unfortunately, our myths clash with the reality of our government's ACTIONS. Failure to note this will ultimately lead to failure generally. While it might not happen for some time, be assured that when this country DOES have its great fall, there will be plenty of folks throughout the world that will seem remarkably unsympathetic--because they've seen and suffered from the reality of this country's actions. Far from being the beneficiary of "American Largesse," they've in fact been victim of American hegemony.

We shouldn't forget that.