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The New Becomes Old: the Historical Normalization of Sudden Madness

By Paul Street at Aug 18, 2007

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I am concerned about the speed with which many people can be convinced that astonishing recent injustice and criminality are normal and "just the way things are." It's amazing how quickly new atrocity can become old and normal for some.

One night last winter, I happened to be watching the Nightly News Hour on the "Public" Broadcasting System. I'd clicked late into a part where News Hour host Jim Lehrer was engaging columnists David Brooks and Mark Shields about a recent report making it clearer than it already was that the White House lied when it tried to connect Saddam Hussein's Iraq to al Qaeda and 9/11.

The revolting power-worshipper Brooks dismissed the "news" as irrelevant and ancient history. As far as running dog Brooks was concerned, the false premises on which the monumentally illegal and mass-murderous invasion of Iraq was sold was old news - "water under the bridge."

The basic fact, Brooks argued, is that the U.S. is in Iraq now, like it or not. Worrying about how and why it got there has nothing to do with solving problems in the present. Get real: we need to, you know, move forward.

To his credit, Shields observed that the Bush administration's Iraq war deceptions of 2002 and 2003 were recent and relevant history in a time when the White House was  trying to construct false pretexts for a potentially disastrous assault on Iran. Unacknowledged and unpunished past criminality has a nasty way of repeating itself.

When reporting the death of a local GI in Iraq, local television news teams (BTW Left media analysts should pay more attention to the local news) never mention the illicit and brazen nature of the U.S. invasion that took the soldier's life. The local "hero's" death at the hands of "hostile [Iraqi]forces" seems to have been unprovoked, as if it were perfectly normal and unremarkable for a formerly sovereign nation (Iraq) to be suddenly and criminally occupied by a distant Empire. By my observation, it's been like this on the local news from the beginning of the invasion.

Some of "our troops" are now facing "foreign fighters" in Iraq, the local newscasters tell us, suggesting that it is perfectly natural to understand the U.S. as a non-"foreign" force there. Viewers are expected to immediately equate the imperial U.S. presence in Iraq with legitimate national authority and the struggle against "external" aggression there. As if there is nothing remarkable about us suddenly seeing Iraq as an extension of U.S. territory. "These Colors Don't Run" from imperial conquest.  

It's nothing new - this suddenness with which Americans are expected and sometimes led to see the suddenly and provocatively unjust as the trans-historical normal. There are interesting domestic and historical precedents.

In his remarkable study Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism (NY: Touchstone, 2005), James Loewen shows how thousands of United States towns became all-white between 1890 and 1968. Such towns commonly went completely Caucasian after a terrible violent outburst in which all of the local jurisdiction's black (and/in some cases Asian, Latino and/or Native American) people were expelled. In many cases, blacks were lynched during the original ethno-racial cleansing.

It didn't take long, Loewen shows, for whites living in such towns to think that it is perfectly normal for a local jurisdiction to be all-white. "Almost immediately," one local historian cited by Loewen notes, "it seemed as if there had never been Negroes in Comanche County, Texas [where blacks were forcibly expelled in 1886] and within a month the only reminder...was a sign on the public well in DeLeon: 'Nigger, don't let the sun go down on you in this town."

In towns that go "sundown," Loewen finds, subsequent generations quickly come to see "all-white" institutions and lives to be "perfectly normal. African Americans come to seem unusual - abnormal - except on television" (Loewen, "Sundown Towns, p. 300").

It didn't take long.

Like it didn't take the residents of Illinois more than a few years to see it as "perfectly normal" that Native Americans had no legitemate presence in their state by the middle 1830s. In the spring of 1831, white American forces summarily expelled the Sauk Nation from the fertile forests and plains of western Illinois . The Sauk were told to move west of the Mississippi River , never to return.

Over the winter of 1831-1832, white settlers moved into Saukenak, a marvelous Indian village that in the 1760s "contained about ninety multifamily lodges made of planks and covered with bark. Those dwellings," notes historian Kerry Trask in his remarkable book Black Hawk: The Battle for the Heart of America, "were nearly all organized along straight, wide streets, and the whole settlement [explorer Jonathan Carver remarked]'appeared more like a civilized town than the abode of savages.' Carver also observed," Trask writes, "their expansive, well-tended fields in which they raised large crops of corn, beans, and melons. The people there, he noted, enjoyed a quality of life well above subsistence, and their community, said Carver, was 'esteemed the best market for traders to furnish themselves with provisions, of any within eight hundred miles of it'" (Trask, Black Hawk, pp. 28-29).

The old Sauk warrior Black Hawk and a few thousand of his followers had the audacity to see their sudden expulsion as abnormal and unacceptable. When they returned to their home village - which they saw as the "center of the world" - in the spring of 1832, U.S. authorities immediately designated them a "hostile" band engaged in an illegal "invasion." In early August, all but a small number of Black Hawk's surviving followers - including a large number of women, and children - were butchered without mercy in and along the Mississippi River beneath Bad Axe, Wisconsin. Under subsequent treaties and orders, Native Americans in general - Potawatami, Fox, and Winnebagos as well as the Sauk - were removed for all time from the rich earth of northern Illinois. "The Black Hawk War," notes Chicago historian Robert Spinney, "effectively ended the American Indian presence in both Chicago and Illinois " (Robert Spinney, City of Big Shoulders: A History of Chicago [DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University Press, 2000],p.28). Few people who subsequently lived in Illinois found it unusual or unjust that First Nations people no longer inhabited the lush black soils of the Prairie State .

It had taken only a few years to banish the Sauk from their longstanding homeland and to mark them as illegal "Invaders" - "foreign fighters," as it were - when they tried to return to plant corn in the village at the center of their world.

On hundred and seventy one years later, the United States would employ Black Hawk attack helicopters in the illegal invasion of Iraq (many if not not all the American Empire's helicopters are named after conquered North American Indian cultures). Dominant homeland media would portray resistance to that invasion as strangely and even neurotically opposed to the perfectly normal U.S. occupation of their land. This is pretty much how the Sauk's resistance to their expulsion from Illinois was portrayed in the dominant white media of the early 1830s.

The Black Hawk Helicopter, for what it's worth, is manufactured by The Boeing Corporation. Boeing is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, a city whose spectacular 19th century expansion was predicated on Indian Removal in the early 1830s.

The old Sauk warrior's name is attached to a tool of a provocative and unjust invasion that U.S. authorities rushed to frame as a new-normal fact of life.

Black Hawks have fallen from the skies over Baghdad as the United States War Chiefs have tried to normalize a possible assault on Iran and make the criminal seem ordinary.

The scariest question today is whether the American people have been irrevocably conditioned to see the apparent irrelevance of their views - the majority of U.S. citizens have long opposed the occupation of Iraq and oppose an attack on Iran - as part of the "the way things are." The authoritarian Cheney-Bush administration has been banking for some time on the notion of post-democratic citizen irrelevance. "So what if the majority opposes our policies?" the Deciders say, figuring that the people have been permanently relegated to the margins of politics and policy. They think they are living in a world where the last risk has been taken out of democracy and imperial plutocracy is free to reign with glorious impunity.

This is their concept of the new normal - a world in which the fate of U.S. democracy becomes something like that of the lost Sauk Nation, consistent with the living historical dance of Empire and Inequality at home and abroad.

 

Comment On This Blog Post  See All Comments (18)

Person

re the problem

By Kissenger, Clark at Sep 10, 2007 21:34 PM
maggie, I, (we) do not care if the whole middle east becomes shia. you are very free to practice your religion without being bombed for doing so. It is widely believed that the reason for war in the ME relates to the control of OIL that exist under the arab-persian foot; this american war is not a religious war, its is mainly controlled by capitalist forces wich would deprive your people and maintained them in a state of poverty because american ideolgy restrict or enrich arab people to a few.. as for god, if any faith I ever had it vanished when bombs fell on innocent iraqi people; as well i dont think God need war or need to be rescued and amid arabs courage, you need all the help to survive and be rescued.. peace with you.

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Person

The problem

By Kissenger, Clark at Sep 10, 2007 07:28 AM

...with so many "liberals" in the West is that they don't take the side of justice due to their love of us "muslims" but due to their hatred of the far right.

You will not find your way out of that either you see.

There is only one way out of this and it is the truth but folks like Fredrick don't like the truth of Islam and most likely Mr. Street, neither do you.

It is unfortunate but all the same, we are the victors and are promised that victory over and over and over.  Yes, we have to suffer for a long while to achieve that victory but trust me, it is worth it.

Amir Ali ibn Abi Taleb, the Commander of the Faithful and forefather of all Shia said (may Allah be pleased with him):

"Acquire wisdom and truth from whomever you can because even an apostate can have them but unless they are passed over to a faithful Muslim and become part of wisdom and truth that he possesses, they have a confused existence in the minds of apostates. "

http://www.al-islam.org/nahj/

In other words, even the "good guys" like you have knowledge but due to your failure to understand the creation, it will be of no use to you either.  Our knowledge of the West however is incredibly useful to us.  And I would hope that one day, we would protect you and anyone else who recognizes the wrong from the right (in politics) because you meant well.

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Person

It is common, not uncommon

By Kissenger, Clark at Sep 10, 2007 07:09 AM

You are mistaken if you think this society is practicing a new norm.  It has always been a characteristic of societies who lose their way to act in ways that alarm the good in that society...like you because you have noted it.

This is what Ali ibn Abi Taleb (pbuh The Lion of Islam, the Gate to the City, Commander of the Faithful) said:

"When a community is composed of honest, sober and virtuous people, your forming a bad opinion about anyone of its members when nothing wicked has been seen of him, is a great injustice to him. On the contrary in a corrupt society to form good opinion of anyone of them and to trust him is to harm yourself."

This is supported in the Quran as "good people for good and bad people for bad."

Birds of a feather flock together, You know a man by the company he keeps, etc etc etc.

The problem in the US is such however that there are "two sects" to which one can belong:  Democrat and Republican (if they hope to have any say in the way the country is ruled).  When both of those are bad...then what does one do?

Our party.  That's what I think and the propaganda machine knows that and makes the suggestion emanate from "your worst nightmare" aka Usama bin Laden. 

Peace

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Person

Response to Mr. Ed

By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 22, 2007 19:14 PM
But Mr. Ed, the question was childish.  It did not merit a response.

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Person

Paul, you never did answer

By X, Mr. at Aug 22, 2007 17:10 PM
Paul, you never did answer the question. Do you want to be an elite? If your answer is no, which I suspect it will be, do you simply want to lead the revolution until the revolution takes over? Doesn't that mean you're an elite? God, the war inside your head must be brutal.

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Person

Smart

By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 22, 2007 00:14 AM

Hey Mr. Ed, I'm guessing by your name and by the content of your message that you don't do so hot in the thinking department.

Yes, public speaking makes one an elitist. Right. So does thinking you have an idea worth expressing on paper and/or from a  podium. Good non-threatening non-elitists sit mute and never speak out.  They don't voice opinions or talk back to the masters.  They are properly obedient and quiet while the better sort who so effectively run the world in our best interests ---- you know, people like George W. Bush, John Roberts, Robert Gates, Rupert Murdoch and Dick Cheney ---- go about their business unimpeded by eltists like yours truly.

And just to make sure everybody knows they don't think they have enlightened thoughts, they give themselves names like "Mr. Ed."

"The star of the show, Mister Ed, was not just any horse. To the amazement of viewers, he was able to talk - and this got his owner, Wilbur, into all kinds of trouble! Whenever mischievious Ed used the telephone or got out of his stable you could be sure that hilarious drama would never be far away!"

"Ed, you see, was not content with just being a horse. He wanted to do everything that humans could. So he flew an airplane, gave a birthday party, drove a delivery truck, met celebrities and even rode a surfboard."

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Person

Cultural Hegemony

By Evans, Mike at Aug 21, 2007 20:42 PM
What I remember of Gramsci is his idea of Cultural Hegemony. Those are hard bonds to break especially here in Canada where the idea is we are all a bunch of altruistic peace-keeping do gooders. Maybe the majority of people are that way but certainly not the institutions. Lately I've been thinking if it would not be better to have some kind of devolution to some kind of "utopian" sort of agrarian or hunter/gatherer society. The idea of that always seemed specious to me but it seems with the inevitable ecological collapse that awaits us we'll end up that way regardless. No matter the transformation it's sure to be rough. Faith-based optimistic revolutions not with standing.

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Person

Hey Paul, I'm guessing by

By X, Mr. at Aug 21, 2007 20:29 PM

Hey Paul, I'm guessing by your leftist ideals that you're against the idea of "elites" and "elitism." In your picture it looks like you are giving a lecture. I'm guessing from your writing that in your lectures you "enlighten" people as to the ways of the world and try to show them the "correct" way to view things.

Doesn't that make you an elite or want to be elite?

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Person

re : pessimism of the intelligence, optimism of the will

By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 21, 2007 09:54 AM
The key for a revolution here is education and explain that there is alternatives to the absurd downfall of species.. A lot of people becomes angry at the disparity between rich and poor; the poor are looking for solutions; the rich are building walls to separate them. This masse of poor is growing like a light eradicating the over darkness of empires; this darkness will extend to its limit and will be no longer able to contain the light and awakening of the poor there will be a greatest of all revolution.

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Person

pessimism of the intelligence, optimism of the will

By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 21, 2007 09:21 AM

Thanks Mike. The brilliant Italian Marxist  Antonio Gramsci --- who had some experience with fascist counter-revolution ---  said this in 1921: "Our pessimism has increased, but our motto is still alive and to the point: pessimism of the intelligence, optimism of the will." 

Intellectually we know things don't look good but emotionally and perhaps even spiritually we have to proceed on the basis of faith in the peoples' capacity for democratic transformation.  It's romantic and faith based - an existential decision to de-emphasize the crystal ball and to make rather than predict history.

 

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Person

revolution

By Evans, Mike at Aug 20, 2007 18:40 PM

I personally am pessimistic about any sort of revolution happening in America beyond that of a fascist nature.

I enjoy your blog very much and find your views very insightful it's always a pleasure to see the vitriol it attracts from those on the crazy right who always seem to reinforce your point anyways.

 

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4938

what to do with them....

By Geoffreyh55, Geoffrey at Aug 20, 2007 16:21 PM

It blows my mind how they can think like that. Try being the only one in your entire family that doesn't think like that. I've been trying to preach to them all since I was 15 and have gotten nowhere.

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Person

re speaking of trolls

By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 20, 2007 09:48 AM
Sk, I recall an article on znet where the unabomber made mention that in today's time jobs do not require high level of knowledge or skills but rather require blind obedience ( this is not quote words for words).. Star Bucks employees fall in this category. Although joining union may secure some benefits, union by itself has become corporations and are defended as such by the legal o make establishment. When employees rights and the duty of fair representation becomes an issue; The authoritarian legal system,( Labour Boards and the rest ) can make any wrongful decision as much as nullifying the duty of fair representation to the detriment of employees as long as the wrongful intended ruling appear reasonable.. I worked "inside a union", I learned the in and the out on how money can be diverted to the benefit of the elected and families and friends; I can assure you that unions need to be reformed as well.. Should a revolution happen, this form of corruption we call unions that enriches the top should be outright outlawed. Also where would be the need for crooked union bosses in a parecon society? You are a pareconeer or know parecon better than I do, you may be better placed than me to answer this question.

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Person

what to do with them after the revolution.

By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 19, 2007 18:30 PM
We could have them prosecuted in Iraq.. :)

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Person

btw, speaking of trolls

By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 19, 2007 14:27 PM

btw, speaking of trolls (discounting the spammers), look what regular joe/janes have to say about their employer, Starbucks at youtube:


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I get entry-level pay, I'm just a barista, and yes, I feel a lot like a partner.

I feel very close with management on multiple levels
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree. I am ALL about unions, and very active in such things. I started at starbucks and right away I recognized that we didnt even need a union, because we are treated so well. If there is any issue at all, we all feel comfortable talking to our Assistant Store Managers, our Store Manager, even our District Manager and above. We're all partners, we're all in this together, and we are NOT treated badly.

 

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Person

The madness of America and its crazy right

By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 19, 2007 13:53 PM

I went to Dunkin Donuts today for a medium coffee. I thought it was lattes I had to stay away from (cops eat donuts and leftists sip lattes). The scariest thing in the city (I'm in Chicago for a bit) today is neither Ming nor Osama but rather the F-22 and a few other roaring birds of empire. This lovely hardware of global democracy export is screaming and dipping across the corporate skyline (with special dips by the Boeing HQ along the river) because global Chicago is having its annual air and water show, when millions converge on the lakefront to feel some close up shock and awe at our inherently benevolent weapons of Arab- and Pashtun-murdering mass destruction (please see two articles [with grisly photographic evidence included] by Marc Herrold on civilian casualites in Afghanistan, site of the supposed "good" part of the state terrorist war on terror - article 1 and article 2).

One of the Chicago news stations (WLS) tonight is going to run a half hour film review of the air show.  The review is titled "Top Guns." 

NorthsideMarty is right that Guliani says that.  I saw Rudy (The Official Presidential Candidate of 9/11) Guliani talking to an Iowa town hall yesterday on C-Span.  Some lady told him the Iraq War hadn't "accomplished anything."  He went off on this rambling rant the central point of which was that the main thing the war has accomplished is keeping us safe at home by focusing "terrorists'" efforts on fighting us in Iraq instead of right here in the streets of America.  Basically 3700 US GIs and 700,000 Iraqis had to die so we could supposedly stop another 9/11 (3000 dead).

What an unmitigated asshole Guliani (who has made an outrageous economic - not just political -- profit off 9/11) is.

But the shit that large numbers of U.S. citizens believe on the right is just mind-boggling.  Marty is just a drop in the bucket - there's millions more dangerous morons where he comes from.

A nice old proto-fascist lady called in C-Span today to complain that Hillary Clinton is a bad candidate  because "Hillary's philosophy of SOCIALISM was proven to be a failure in the Soviet Union." 

She thinks Hillary Clinton is a Marxist Lenninist.

The lady is also pissed because she read (in one of her travel magazines) that Bill Clinton visited the Ho Chi Mihn Memorial in Vietnam (this took place in late November 2000).  This was terrible, she felt, because "the Vietnamese killed a lot of our boys during the Vietnam War." 

Imagine that --- we illegally invaded their country on the side of their corrupt aristocracy and dictatorship and savagely killed 3 million Indochinese (1962-1975) and they dared to defend themselves, resulting in a considerable though much smaller U.S. body count. Those nasty Vietnamese! 

This is how millions of people think in this country.  I have no idea what to do with them after the revolution.

  

 

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Person

So, how was your cappuccino

By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 19, 2007 11:40 AM
So, how was your cappuccino at the local coffee shop this morning, Paul? One trusts you didn't run into minions of Ming the Merciless--or his incarnation du jour on your way (I recently rented a Flash Gordon episode and couldn't resist that one!).

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Person

Something Really New

By Marty101, Northsidemarty at Aug 19, 2007 00:36 AM
Here's something new that wasn't old: Islamofascists  you support because of your ZNet anarco-anti-Semitism  murdered 3000 Americans on 11 September '01. Bush may be a moron but like Rudy G's  been saying at least he took the fight to the Middle East so you and your fellow cappuccino guzzling book writers don't have to meet Osama's minions on the streets of America. The heroes die so you guys can be free to type and prance to your heart's content.  I feel bad about those Sunset towns but I'm glad they cleared the way for Chicago.  And you know they did name their hockey team after old Black Hawk.

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