For more than half of my life I’ve been compelled to investigate the source of inequality, suffering and oppression in America. As a teenager who had lived in an assortment of different environments, none made such a strong impression on me as living on the south side of Chicago. There, my experiences led me to question the true nature of the American way of life. In my search for truth I discovered that my conditioning to that point had been designed to make me apathetic to human suffering by training me to act only in my own interests. Through deeper introspection I discovered what could only be described as an inherent desire for fairness and equality, and it is this feeling which has guided my life’s work for almost twenty years.

Since that time my experiences as a student, educator, and organizer have shown me that my pursuit to fight social apathy, political corruption and racism are mere symptoms of a scourge which all of us are endangered by today. The source of virtually all discontent in America stems from a long-standing policy of empire enacted over two hundred years ago, the most recent chapter of which is currently being written in the Middle East. It is this most American of ideals which threatens to destroy us today, as the financial crises many of us are experiencing first-hand are fundamental consequences of America's imperial policy.

The need for change is evident after identifying the consistent, unflinching pattern of imperialism in our history. Just as our founding fathers understood, no Revolution can begin without first understanding the past, for it above all else can reveal the true source of suffering in a given era, country or civilization. It is this fact which compels me to write.


 

360 Publishing