Mickey Z: Why I Hate America

[zengrifter]

Mickey Z: Why I Hate America

"Why do you hate America?" This is a remarkably easy question to provoke. One might, for instance, expose elements of this nation's brutal foreign policy. Ask a single probing question about, say, U.S. complicity in the overthrow of governments in Guatemala, Iran, or Chile and thin-skinned patriots (sic) will come out of the woodwork to defend their country's honor by accusing you of being "anti-American." Of course, this allegation might lead me to ponder how totalitarian a culture this must be to even entertain such a concept, but I'd rather employ the vaunted Arundhati defense. The incomparable Ms. Roy says: "What does the term 'anti-American' mean? Does it mean you are anti-jazz or that you're opposed to freedom of speech? That you don't delight in Toni Morrison or John Updike? That you have a quarrel with giant sequoias?" (I'm a tree hugger remember? I don't argue with sequoias.)

When pressed, I sometimes reply: "I don't hate America. In fact, think it's one of the best countries anyone ever stole." But, after the laughter dies down, I have a confession to make: If by "America" they mean the elected/appointed officials and the corporations that own them, well, I guess I do hate that America-with justification.



50 American Revolutions You're Not Supposed to Know
Reclaiming American Patriotism

Mickey Z (Author)

Since when was it unpatriotic to dissent? Why is it “un-American” to question our government’s policies? And how did the Far Right manage to claim the flag exclusively for itself?

A book that the country desperately needs, 50 American Revolutions is a concise, quick guide to the people and events in our country’s history that progressives and anyone not impressed by the radical Right’s warped version of patriotism can be proud of. Author Mickey Z begins with Thomas Paine’s revolutionary manifesto Common Sense, written anonymously as a pamphlet in January 1776 and read by every member of Congress, and goes on to highlight the most notable people and events in the history of the United States, right through to the families of 9/11 victims in the group Peaceful Tomorrows questioning the connection between the events of that day and the United States’ subsequent acts of aggression in Iraq.

In addition to concise essays on everything and everyone from the Bill of Rights to disability rights, Coxey’s Army to Public Enemy, Mickey also highlights important milestones along the timeline of the book, making for a complete picture of US history, good with bad.

As with Russ Kick’s ultra-popular 50 Things You’re Not Supposed To Know, 50 American Revolutions is perfectly sized for handbags and coat pockets (it’s the same size as a CD), and at less than $10, it’s a tremendous gift for anyone whose idea of patriotism needs some revision.

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A self-educated kickboxing instructor who lectures on foreign policy at MIT in his spare time, Mickey Z has been called a “professional iconoclast” by Newsday. TimeOut New York says he’s a “political provocateur.” To Howard Zinn, he’s “iconoclastic and bold.” The author of four books, most recently The Seven Deadly Spins: Exposing the Lies Behind War Propaganda, Mickey lives in Queens, New York.