Corporate capture of American democracy and its global consequences

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*

Sad to witness the continuous degradation of the language used by American President Donald Trump. It is unprecedented. The fact remains that Iran has bruised the megalomaniac ego of the occupant of the White House. Both Israel and the United States have rarely adhered to the rule of law they so often preach. The destruction and devastation inflicted on civilian infrastructure—including schools, colleges, research institutions, hospitals, power plants, and nuclear sites—in Palestine as well as in Iran is unprecedented and constitutes a war crime.

It is disturbing that President Trump is now threatening to push Iran into the “stone age” by targeting bridges and power grids. This is sickening, to say the least. The United States undoubtedly has the power to destroy, but throughout its 250 years it has repeatedly and ruthlessly attacked nations that refused to bow to its will. Few spoke out when Venezuela was targeted, emboldening Trump to declare Cuba, Iran, and even Greenland as future targets. It is time for all to condemn this behavior and ensure that the United States and Israel do not contemplate a nuclear strike on Iran to mask their military failures.

Israel, a country that has remained unchecked and brutal due to its invasions and killings of innocents—including children, journalists, aid workers, doctors, and intellectuals—over the past thirty years, enabled by open U.S. support and a spineless European approach, must be condemned and isolated. As for the United Kingdom, its political leadership has visibly declined, unable to take an independent stand against American belligerence.

Iran has demonstrated that when a society is united and proud of its roots and identity, it can withstand the mightiest of empires. This war has shattered the myths about Iran planted in people’s minds by corporate media and reinforced by so-called non-resident Iranians—cronies and supporters of the West-backed Shah—who dreamed of striking a “deal” with Trump to return and rule Iran. Their dreams are now shattered, and Iran has emerged stronger.

Trump believed he could go anywhere and do anything, convinced that Americans are the “greatest” people on earth, “God’s chosen people.” His language has been vulgar, laced with arrogance—the hallmark of American bullying diplomacy. The rhetoric of “warning” nations with sanctions and embargoes simply because they trade with countries deemed hostile is not the language of the 21st century. The collective West’s threatening and intimidating posture toward the Global South has been catastrophic for countries such as Cuba, yet their people hold their heads high. Even if the U.S. and Europe are “heavens,” people in our part of the world would sacrifice their lives for their motherland. That is what our forefathers did against the British Empire, and that is what people in Iran and Cuba are doing today. That is what Palestinians are demanding. We do not need to be slaves in your heaven; we prefer independence in our own land.

Iranians, showing determination to protect their sovereignty and independence, deserve our salute. Despite relentless Western propaganda, they remain rooted in their identity. The U.S. was once a nation of opportunity, a beacon of hope, with powerful soft power rooted in liberal democratic values and human rights. Today, however, fire-spitting priests at the White House are undoing the great constitution of their country. Democracies are being hijacked by powerful corporate groups who rely on loud priests to legitimize their misdeeds. Trump’s “deal” will not help the U.S.; it will only serve his cronies, further isolate the country, and make it deeply unpopular among the Global South. It is time for Americans to confront massive corporate influence over their political parties. The U.S. needs a party that truly represents minorities, African Americans, immigrants, workers, and Latin Americans—a party that respects the rights of workers, peasants, and indigenous people.

One sincerely hopes good sense will prevail and the American people will reclaim their nation from corporate cronies and religious fanatics. America will not be great through regime changes and chaos abroad but by focusing internally. Trump has already undone historic affirmative action policies through executive orders. His War Secretary has dismissed senior generals. This will lead nowhere. American misadventures in West Asia have brought only devastation and destruction; it would be better to let the region decide its own fate. Trump’s language of total destruction of Iran and its people is unbecoming of a U.S. President. The American people must rise and speak. The best course would be to heed the saner voice of Pope Leo and stop shielding Israel. It is time for an independent Palestine, recognized and supported by all, and for an end to the war with Iran—something that will not be possible without security guarantees from Russia and China.

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*Human rights defender

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