The virus that has infected the American mind

By Ken Hillman
Online Journal Contributing Writer

May 7, 2003—America, this society, its people have been exposed to a particularly deadly virus, one that has rapidly escalated and has infected the American mind with a debilitating disease. This formerly unknown virus has infected the majority of Americans with an insidious disease that does not attack the body, but instead, attacks the mind with an intensity that, thus far, cannot be rejected or even impeded. It has proven to be very deadly indeed.

After more than two years of study, from the elections of the year 2000 to the present, it has been determined that this virus was formed when the currently imbedded administration came into power—when it quickly initiated an agenda intended to eliminate important treaties with other nations, cancel many environmental regulations, reject global warming as useless thinking, condone corporate misdeeds, and then to decide that the world community of nations must simply cower and accede to its doctrine of preemptive military interventions.

Every virus must have a carrier or the virus cannot spread. In this instance, the carrier has clearly been identified as the corporate- controlled media, the majority of which have totally lost their credibility, integrity and journalistic soul. They have poisoned the American mind by their efforts to not only cloud America's vision and understanding of what is going on, but they have undertaken massive efforts to infect the American mind with misinformation. In effect, this virus takes seemingly intelligent minds, paralyzes them and tunes them into only one frequency that gives them just one message—the message broadcast every moment of every working day that trumpets the call for America to wage war against any nation that we may wish to invade and occupy for whatever reason we deem necessary. And, very cleverly, ties that aim directly to the need to avenge 9/11.

The people of America sense that something is terribly wrong. They try to focus on what has happened to them, but this sickness has ravaged their minds, rendered them immobile, unable to rise up and speak out with their real feelings—and only allows them to exhibit their flags on their homes, their cars, their lapels. They sometimes hear that America has now become the most hated nation in the world for the unjustified and immoral destruction of the nation of Iraq, but their ability to reason continues to be clouded by the corporate-controlled media.

During these mind-controlled times, I have to ask this question. Is there any cure for this virus that threatens our very future existence and that of the entire world? Can we in the Progressive movement come up with any form of cure, do we have the motivation; can we come up with the ideas and the drive needed to defeat this insidious disease? So far, many progressive writers and websites have tried very valiantly, but have not yet succeeded; they have been impeded time and time again by the money, power, and influence of the corporate-controlled media. And we have watched as the subservient Democratic Party and its leaders have shown no backbone whatsoever and have caved in completely to the powers that now rule Washington.

Speaking of coalitions, a term that is now completely worn out, is there not some sort of progressive coalition that can and will rise up in a coordinated effort to develop such a cure? Is there not this assembly of great talent that is standing in the wings just waiting to be formed and organized into a tremendous voice that will use the Internet, together with other venues, in ever more innovative ways to develop some kind of "serum," some new method to kill the infection of the American mind?

I need not mention the many qualified potential leaders and coalition members by name. They are well-known writers on progressive websites, newspapers from all over the world, many gifted writers with much energy and a grasp of what has happened to our country, this government and the people themselves. These are the voices of journalistic honesty, integrity; voices that are very powerful, will never be silenced and are the patriots of modern-day America. Just like Thomas Paine, they can be the difference between a nation thrown into chaos and division as compared to a nation of informed Americans that suddenly discover that they can be healed if they just listen and understand that a cure is possible.

I refuse to accept the current sickness of the American mind, the disease that has infected it, or that we progressives simply cannot stand up and defeat the ultra-powerful mass media that, like a pitbull, has Americans in a giant vice grip of its powerful jaws. Thus far, we have been like many doctors in exerting great efforts to treat the symptoms of a disease. Now it is time that we realistically acknowledge the symptoms but concentrate all future efforts on getting to the root problem—to find the way to free the American mind, knock out the incessant calls to imperialistic objectives and bring America back to logical, clear thinking.

But how to do this? How can we establish some sort of effective coalition? What will be our game plan? How long will it take to free the American mind? Right now, we do not have these answers. However, some one person or a group of patriots must step forward. I have no idea who or what entity that might be, but I can think of a lot of potential candidates whose writings I read every day. Someone out there who reads this and who has been thinking about a similar objective will know that it is time to provide the leadership that will lead to the necessary cure.

And now, we wait for that leader, or leaders, to emerge and ignite a creative movement to treat the sickness, cure the American mind and bring back the real America. TwoThousand-Four is rapidly approaching. There is no time to be lost. We must rid America of this terrible disease by making a wholesale change of the administration currently in place in Washington. The initiators of this virus that was spawned in the inglorious year of 2000 must be voted out in the greatest landslide in American history. The prescription for the cure includes the Internet, the Progressive movement and its great and growing voice. But to be really successful, it must involve others outside our own Progressive family.

There is a group and a man of influence who will, undoubtedly make a great difference in the 2004 elections. Ralph Nader and his Green Party are often credited with giving Bush the win in 2000 (ratified, of course by the state of Florida and the Supreme Court). Mr. Nader may run again in 2004 and, if he does, we will probably see the same result—or he and his party can somehow rise above their dislike and differences with the Demos. He can be a true American patriot and refuse to allow the current madness to continue. He does not have to align himself with the Demos, all he needs to do is not be a candidate. To step aside knowing that, in doing so, one can have a tremendous positive impact on the future of America and, no doubt the world, would be the greatest form of patriotism.

When I speak of a progressive coalition and how it might start a great movement to dethrone the current selected incumbent and his band of imperialists, could it be that such a group of very dedicated, influential progressives might, collectively, use their widespread influence on Mr. Nader and the Greens? Mr. Nader's most recent writings indicate that he understands that this nation has undertaken a radical change in policy and direction, and he is now speaking out against it. If there could be a meeting of these minds to mutually address the critical issues before America, the result could be a new coalition of the truly willing and able that finally destroys this extreme virus that controls the American mind.