Written by Rick Ruffin   

Donghae, South Korea, 2010


When Obama was elected, I almost threw all my files away. I thought that with this charismatic African American leader at the helm, things would probably change and I could forget the past. I could, if you will, forever turn my back on an unparalleled era of political hubris, private sector greed, and government intransigence. But I was wrong.

I almost threw away the article “Pair waterboarded 266 times by C.I.A.,” which I found in the IHT. Since Obama had promised to prosecute those connected with torture, I knew I wouldn’t need that one anymore. Obama has decided to “focus on the future,” and forget about the past. But, ironically, there are many of us who believe that we can only move forward once we have resolved the problems of the past. Once again, I was wrong.

I almost threw away my thick, “American Taliban” file, and with it calls by Pat Robertson to have the leader of Venezuela assassinated. I thought I would no longer need it. But recent cries for the assassination of Julian Assange by our brave leaders tells me we have yet a long way to go to restore honor and dignity lost during the Bush years.

I almost threw away the accounts of U.S servicemen stomping on Korans and trying to flush them down toilets, but I didn’t. And with recent attempts by a crackerjack Florida preacher to host a “Koran burning,” I’m glad I didn’t. One can see that America is still a far cry from practicing religious tolerance.

I still have the articles detailing how U.S. General Boykin claimed his god “better than” the others. I still have the articles detailing how serviceman Charles Graner, between periodic poundings of Iraqi prisoners, handed out bibles. And I have several pieces proving that the U.S. military prosecutes soldiers who refuse to believe in god.

I almost threw away lots of articles chronicling how John Yoo and other “law makers” tweaked the books to make waterboarding legal. I almost threw away the editorial “The Torturer’s Manifesto,” published in the NYT. I almost tossed the piece written by Scott Shane detailing how the CIA used doctors not to help prisoners, but to “legally” interrogate people to within an inch of their lives. But I didn’t. And this is good, because it appears the U.S. is going to be in the terror and interrogation business for a long, long time.

I almost threw away the article with the headline “The Assault on Reason,” and scores of poll results showing Americans don’t really believe in science, er, evolution. I almost threw it away because, I thought, with Obama at the helm, we would be entering the Age of Reason. But I was wrong.

And I almost threw away the article, published in the online version of London’s Times, “American wants it all - life, the Universe and everything,” because with Obama at the helm, I was certain we that we would soon witness the death of American hubris. But I was wrong. The recent Wikileaks release is all too clear evidence that America STILL wants to control the world.

I almost threw away the article “American Fascism Is on the Rise,” which I found on Truthdig. I almost put “14 characteristics of fascism,” which I downloaded from oldamericancentury.org, in the round file. And I also kept “Fascist America, in 10 Easy Steps,” by Naomi Wolf.

I almost threw all these articles away because I was positive that Obama would lead us away from fascism, but I was wrong. Just ask anyone who has been unduly fondled by TSA, or unnecessarily followed by the FBI.

I almost threw away the article: “Bush: God told me to invade Iraq,” published in Britain’s Independent. But I didn’t. I can keep it as proof that you can commit a litany of grave crimes and get away with it, as long as you are, or once were, “Leader of The Free World.”

I almost threw away all the articles detailing the horrible toll the stock market crash has taken on the American middle class, and how the bankers ruined the country. But I didn’t. Obama ran to their rescue and bailed them out, and now they are poised, coming off the richest quarter in U.S. history, to repeat the process all over again.

Nothing has changed, now has it?