Ship me off to Guantanamo: I've become a rogue person filled with misconceptions, negativity, and anger. This is not the America I want. This is not the America I expected. Based on the standards of this America, I'm the enemy.

I know I only have myself to blame for my illusions and for the path I've taken, yet surely the misinformation I learned as a youth extenuates circumstances. Misunderstandings about our Founding Fathers clearly added a great deal to my confusion about the real meaning of America.

I was thoroughly convinced our founders really wanted to identify our nation with liberty, equality, truth, justice, civil rights, humanity, dignity, integrity, progressiveness, and freedom. I actually thought America was supposed to represent the highest ideals and standards of democracy to the world.

I admit it now: I was wrong.

President Bush, however, truly understands the American way. He knows exactly what will be exported to the Middle East in the name of democracy.

Apparently, I don't understand America. I don't understand running the government as a business. I don't understand restricting civil rights, information, and social safety nets in order to enrich the already rich and to strengthen the already strong military-industrial complex. I don't understand placing the interests of business and property ahead of those of people. I don't understand not cooperating with other nations in protecting the world from nuclear proliferation, global warming, land mines, and war crimes. I don't understand an Environmental Protection Agency that contradicts its own name.

I just don't get it.

I must have gotten the notions about not participating in wars of aggression and not meddling in the internal affairs of other nations from Star Trek's prime directive or some such place, not from our Founding Fathers. I must have erroneously attributed a lot of ideals and values to our founders and to America from concepts derived from television, movies, folklore and elsewhere.

Popular culture can really play tricks.

History indicates our Founding Fathers predominantly intended to represent the interests of business and the land's wealthiest individuals, not those of average people. They chose much of their lofty language in order to attract more soldiers from the poorer classes for the revolution. They designed our government to exclude Native Americans, slaves, non-landowners, and women from voting and other rights.

It was Star Trek that envisioned a future when all people would unite and work harmoniously together, form an egalitarian federation, and strive for compassion, understanding, and human betterment - not our Founding Fathers. It was Star Trek that considered societies dominated by the desire for monetary gain and conquest to be primitive.

I must sort out my thinking.

When terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon President Bush accurately stated they had attacked symbols of democracy and liberty. I mistakenly thought they had attacked symbols of capitalism and militarism.

Invading Iraq was actually nothing new. America has fought many unprovoked preemptive wars against practically defenseless opponents. America has supported many unjust causes and has committed countless atrocities inside and outside our borders. America has long been about exclusion, not inclusion; capitalism, not human rights.

I've just been stubbornly clinging to a mistaken definition of America.

Many appear to agree with President Bush's definition. These are America's positive thinkers. They are for things: for our president, for whatever he wants, for war, for tax cuts, for big business, for money. They unselfishly sacrifice their own best interests to those of big business and America's most wealthy. These people side with winners.

They don't let facts erode their beliefs or become bogged down worrying about actual Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, international laws, collateral damage, or environmental destruction. They know humankind can adapt to any new world order or ecology.

They are America's true patriots. They understand this America. They understand that when Mr. Bush talks about democracy, he's talking about capitalism; when he talks about liberty, he's talking about military force. They get it.

Then there are those like me who are down on this America: the negative thinkers. They are anti-war, anti-media consolidation, anti-mountaintop mining, anti-clear-cutting, anti-pollution, anti-government surveillance, anti-privatization, anti-exploitation, anti-economic inequity, anti-social inequality, anti-this, and anti-that. These unfortunates are not happy people.

This negative bunch should be sent away along with me to Guantanamo without due process for refusing to accept the true definition of America and for thinking they can choose the America they want.

Maybe we'll even be able to create a better America there inside our cages.

Mike Bryan also wrote Liberals Suck At Sales and Mr. President, Please Attack Appalachia for Common Dreams. He can be reached at mikebryan@appalachiafirst.org

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