Meditation on the American Mirror: A Nation of Myth and Hypocrisy

 

Meditation on the American Mirror: A Nation of Myth and Hypocrisy

America, from its founding, has been a paradox—a nation proclaiming itself a beacon on a hill, shining with the light of liberty, justice, and equality, while casting long shadows of conquest, slavery, and exploitation. The mirror of America’s self-image has always been distorted, not by accident but by intent. It is a nation unwilling to confront the ugliness of its origins, preferring instead to craft a myth of moral superiority and exceptionalism.

From the beginning, the conquest of the American Indians and the enslavement of Africans were foundational to America’s rise. Yet, these atrocities were either ignored or justified by the narrative of progress, manifest destiny, and divine favor. The soil upon which cities and institutions now stand is rich not only with the promise of prosperity but with the blood of those who were massacred, displaced, or subjugated. The labor that built America’s infrastructure—its railroads, plantations, and ports—was stolen from enslaved men, women, and children. These realities were never reflected in the polished mirror of America’s self-image, for that mirror was deliberately fogged with pride and self-deception.

The Twin Phenomenon: Myth and Reality

This evasion created a dual America: a mythical nation of moral people governed by objective laws designed to preserve life, liberty, and property, and the reality of a nation whose wealth and power were built on graves and chains. These two Americas existed side by side, their contradiction ignored by those who benefited from the myth and endured by those who lived its reality.

The Civil War, often viewed as a reckoning, exposed this rot but did not cleanse it. Even after the bloodshed, America refused to truly reckon with itself. Slavery was abolished in name, but its spirit persisted in sharecropping, segregation, and systemic racism. The promise of Reconstruction gave way to the terror of Jim Crow. The mirror remained distorted, reflecting a nation that claimed to have overcome its sins while continuing to live in them.

The Banks and the Industry of Image Making

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a new kind of exploitation took root: financial exploitation. Banks, which had always thrived on conquest and extraction, found new ways to create wealth from nothing through the manipulation of currency and credit. The establishment of the Federal Reserve in 1913 cemented this industry of image-making. The dollar became not a reflection of tangible value but a fabricated symbol of power, backed by the illusion of trust rather than substance.

By the 1920s, the hollowness of this system began to reveal itself. The stock market crash and subsequent Great Depression were not just economic crises but existential ones. Americans, for a brief moment, glimpsed the truth of their nation’s fragility and corruption. Yet, rather than reform, the nation doubled down on the narrative of greatness. From the 1930s onward, a massive campaign to remake America’s image began—one that proclaimed democracy, strength, justice, and fairness, even as the country’s actions betrayed those ideals.

The Global Mirror: War and Hypocrisy

America’s attempt to project strength and virtue reached its peak in World War II and the post-war era. The country cast itself as the defender of freedom, the liberator of the oppressed, while dropping atomic bombs on Japanese cities, devastating civilian populations, and later waging brutal wars in Korea and Vietnam. These actions, justified by the rhetoric of democracy and security, were reflections of a nation desperately trying to reconcile its self-image with its actions.

Then came the ultimate act of hypocrisy: August 15, 1971. When President Nixon severed the dollar’s tie to gold, even the pretense of monetary substance was abandoned. America’s currency became a pure fabrication, its value sustained only by belief—a fitting metaphor for a nation that had long sustained itself on myths rather than truths.

A Nation in the Mirror

Today, America is a nation that fears the unvarnished mirror. It clings to the myth of its past while feeding on the lifeless corpse of its promise. It is not a good country; it is a hypocritical one. Its people are not virtuous; they are vain, cowardly, and small-minded. They claim strength but are overweight and sedentary. They claim intellect but refuse to read or learn. They mock anyone with the courage to tell them the truth, dismissing voices of honesty as threats rather than opportunities for growth.

The greatest problem in America is not its institutions or leaders but its people. The mirror reflects a society that has lost its self-respect and self-esteem, choosing instead to cover its flaws with propaganda, fraud, and corruption. The gap between what is claimed and what is true has widened so much that the reflection no longer resembles reality. The industry of image-making infects everything—law, economy, media—creating a nation of illusions.

The Call to True Reflection

The way forward is not through further fabrication but through honest reflection. Americans must stop seeking affirmation in the mirror and start using it as a tool for self-assessment. Just as a man who desires health cannot achieve it by plastering an image of abs over his mirror, a nation cannot achieve justice by passing laws that deny the truth.

To restore itself, America must reject the myths that sustain its hypocrisy. It must confront the ugly truths of its past and present. This means rejecting fiat currency and fraudulent financial systems, defaulting on unjust debts, and refusing to participate in industries that thrive on deception. It means suing corrupt institutions, standing up to unjust laws, and peacefully refusing to comply with systems of oppression.

The Spiritual War

This is not just an economic or political battle; it is a spiritual war. Those who participate in the industry of image-making—lawyers, judges, police officers—must be confronted with the truth of their actions. When they enforce unjust laws or perpetuate harmful systems, they must be shown the emptiness of their souls. Peaceful non-compliance is the most powerful weapon in this fight, for it forces the oppressor to see themselves in the mirror of truth.

This moment of confrontation, the Greek anagnorisis, can lead to redemption or destruction. For some, it will inspire change and growth, as they recognize the harm they have caused. For others, it will lead to self-destruction, as they cannot bear to face the truth of their hypocrisy. But for the virtuous, this moment is vindication—a testament to their courage and integrity.

Conclusion: The Mirror of Justice

The mirror does not lie. It reflects who we are and what we must become. Let this be a call to humble ourselves, to see ourselves accurately, and to do the hard work of becoming what we wish to see. America cannot be a just nation until its people live justly. It cannot reflect truth until its people embody it. Only then can the mirror of America shine with the light of justice, not as an illusion but as a reflection of reality.