Do you believe that America is a dominant player in world affairs? Do you believe that the US is the primary force behind aggression against and oppression within Muslim lands? I’m pretty sure we all agree on that.
It therefore becomes important to understand on what basis the US makes its policies; what influences the decision-making process? Who controls the government? Because, very quickly you will see that the government is not so much an independent body dedicated to the national interest, but instead, a subordinate instrument of private power dedicated to their exclusive interests.
The US government is comprised of three branches; the executive, legislature, and the judiciary. The executive and legislative branches are elected, and the judiciary is appointed by the elected officials. In order to be elected, politicians have to campaign; in order to campaign, they need money. Because all elected officials are subject to specific terms, and elections are frequent, this means that they are, essentially, always campaigning, and always needing money.
This need for money shapes the nature of their campaign platforms; the issues they highlight and the policies they advocate. In other words, they talk about what they need to talk about, and support what they need to support, in order to ingratiate themselves to their financial contributors. Political discourse, therefore, is largely fixed by the people with money. The more money you have, the more your views will prevail. Once elected, because, again, politicians are perpetually campaigning for re-election, officials will work to fulfill the agendas of their contributors – not the agenda of the electorate.
All of this is taken as a given in the US. Everyone knows it. You may know it too, but oddly, it does not seem to impact our overall understanding of policy nor our strategies of resistance. US policy, both domestically and internationally, is an expression of the will of business; the will of the rich. And the rich are truly global citizens, with no national patriotism or loyalty; they transcend nationality, and their interests are not tied to the interests of any state. If we are logical people, we would pay attention to this, and direct our struggle for justice against those who actually control policy, rather than merely against the instruments through which they enforce it.