The
Poet's Eye
commentary by Lightning Rod
the Poets' Eye is skeptical
without being cynical, innocent
without being naive and
critical without being
judgemental
Independence Day
07-05-04
It was July 2, 1776 that John Adams thought would be celebrated by future
generations of Americans as our Independence Day. Writing to his wife
Abigail Adams on July 3, 1776:
"The Second Day of July 1776 will be the most memorable Epocha,
in the History of America. . . . It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and
Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations
from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever
more."
The colonies voted on July 2nd and adopted the resolution, introduced
by Richard Henry Lee, of Va and John Adams, of Mass. declaring independence
from Great Britain:
"Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought
to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance
to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and
the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.''
On July 2, 1776 the United Colonies of America officially became the United
States of America.
But it was not quite that simple. The Declaration of Independence was
not signed on the 4th of July or July 2nd. It was not signed until August
2, 1776. The journal of the Continental Congress records that "The
declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table
was signed." One of the most widely held misconceptions about the
Declaration is that it was signed on July 4, 1776, by all the delegates
in attendance.
On the 28th of June, 2004, official sovereignty passed from the Coalition
and US Occupation Forces to the 'interim government' of Iraq, two days
before the advertised date of transfer on the 30th. So, on which of these
days will Iraqis celebrate their Independence? I suggest that any celebration
on either of these dates would be premature.
Although the United States of America declared its independence in 1776,
REAL independence was not achieved until we escorted the English out of
our country in 1781, after four years of war.
The Poet's Eye can see a similar path of progress for the Iraqis. When
the costs of America's imperial adventure in the Mid-East become obvious,
both in terms of money (vis a vis 18 billion siphoned directly from the
public coffer into the pockets of Halliburton, et al) and the particular
and tragic young lives wasted in this colonial war, we will do the same
thing the British did in America in 1781. We will cut our losses and run.
Bushco thinks it has a franchise on democracy. The trouble is that their
version of democracy is really corporate oligarchy. This is witnessed
by the fact that in the upcoming presidential election the two major candidates
will spend in excess of half a billion dollars to secure a job that pays
only 400,000 a year. Is there something rotten in Denmark?
The truth is that there are vast financial gains to be had from owning
the office of President of the United States. Of the eighteen billion
dollars appropriated for the reconstruction of Iraq, I'm sure some will
be spent on bricks and mortar and pipes and power lines, but the majority
of it will go into the pockets of Bushco, Inc. by means of specious, uncompetitive
private contracts. It's a good business, the Presidency.
The Poet's Eye sees fireworks studding the sky on the Fourth of July.
It is a rightful celebration for the idea of casting off oppression and
occupation. I wonder how they will celebrate independence in Iraq. And
when?
Ragged Old Flag
by Johnny Cash
"And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land.
And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin,
But she's in good shape for the shape she's in.
'Cause she's been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more."
Lightning
Rod
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