It's hard to reconcile being an American and what America is perpetrating on the rest of the world

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It's hard to reconcile being an American and what America is perpetrating on the rest of the world.

The idea of "patriotism" has become so distorted criticism of what we're doing is considered "unpatriotic". In an earlier time one would imagine being asked, "What are you some sort a Commie"?

Thankfully those days are over. Then again with the current nonsense "If you see something, say something" one guesses it's "terrorists" now under beds instead of Communists.

Looking at today's corporate MSM it's hard to believe but during the time of "Watergate" the Washington Post engaged in real investigative reporting, a newspaper that unraveled the caper and contributed to Nixon resigning.

Of course that paper has descended into nothing more than a neo-con rag, a pathetic enabler and complicit abettor to our illegal wars most blatantly "Dubya" Bush's invasion of Iraq in 2003 under the false pretext Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

As for the so called "nations newspaper" the New York Times has joined the Post as a distributor of propaganda that mirrors the state run organs of the worst authoritarian regimes.

The Times distorted the February 2014 events in Kiev Ukraine refusing to call the overthrow of legitimately elected President Viktor Yanukovych a coup, regurgitated the US government's rendition of the downing of the Malaysian MH-17 airliner in July of that year blaming the Russian backed separatists when all subsequent evidence points to the neo-Nazi post coup regime being behind this false flag operation. Then earlier joining the "chorus" denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin for illegally annexing Crimea while denigrating the popular referendum of the people there opting to join the Russian Federation.

This is dishonest reporting, blatant distortion of the facts, omissions-intentional?- completely misrepresenting the intent of a supposed free press in a democracy whose job is to be skeptical of the government and hold it accountable.

But whatever watchdog function of the government by our corporate media has ceased to exist. Yet that media remains the primary source of the "news" the public sees and hears.

"My country right or wrong" may still be embraced by some but only fools would accept the propaganda notion of our doing "good in the world" as if all the coups, assassinations, wars, occupations, extraordinary renditions, indefinite detentions, torture and killing of innocents is done to "keep us safe".

As if the terrorists and terrorism wasn't something concocted as the new "enemy" replacing "communism" after the demise of Soviet Union. Then conducting an endless global war on terrorism all to justify the outrageous unnecessary defense spending that feeds the insatiable maw of the military/industrial complex.

So as a citizen of this country- at least somewhat informed of the machinations we are committing in the world- there are times it feels surreal being in the midst of or in close proximity of those seemingly obsessed with an electronic device in front of their face.

One thing seems for sure such "activity" does provide the perfect distraction of never having to look at much less think about all the terrible actions we are perpetrating in the world.

If that wasn't the original intent to create massive distraction in this way it sure turned out that way.