AMERICA LAND OF THE FREE propaganda used to fool the people ?

This is a repost, due to extreme views locking down the thread. This is NOT an attack on America, it is a genuine piece, please read it with an open mind and watch the video before forming any views. I would hate for it to be pulled down again when there is lots of info to digest here.

The leaders of the United States of America are proud to present the picture of being the foremost bearers of human rights, Yet Amnesty International has long called for the USA to have a greater respect for human rights.

If the United States claims to be the beacon for human rights promotion around the world, then it only makes sense that it must be subject to detailed analysis and criticism itself.

Human Rights Watch has reported that the United States “have made little progress in embracing international human rights standards at home.”

In fact In Amnesty International's report, they pointed out that there were many cases of torture and ill-treatment in prisons and jails, where“[a]buses included beatings and excessive force; sexual misconduct; the misuse of electro-shock weapons and chemical sprays; and the cruel use of mechanical restraints, including holding prisoners for prolonged periods in four-point restraint as punishment. Many reported abuses took place in isolation units or during forced removal of prisoners from cells (‘cell extractions’).” Also there is the Death penalty, and the innocents who are sometimes killed as a result.

Police brutality in the US has been a known problem, mainstream media do not report much on the police brutality involved to silence the dissenters, US corporations also have been heavily criticized for supporting regimes that abuse people's rights, or even employing local militias and militaries to violate people's rights.

There is no evidence that the US authorities have prevented a single crime with this policy, just more victims.
United States is the only industrialised nation that ‘views health care as a privilege, not a basic human right.
In what is the second most hazardous industry to work in, after mining, agriculture is the most hazardous for children. Human Rights Watch reports how the US fails to protect child workers.

That is not to say that other countries do not have problems with their policies I am Just highlighting some of the reality of the US's human rights situation, versus the rhetoric that it portrays to its citizens and others.

Land of the free...home of the world's largest prison population.

Originally posted by Merlin Lawndart
Land of the free...home of the world's largest prison population.

Prisons that provide cheap labour for corporations..... Disgusting !

Propaganda has always been used to fool the people in the United States.

It's why there are news networks like MSNBC and FOX NEWS and why there is so much "left vs right" in the USA that you really don't see in other countries.

In most other countries, people don't tend to draw lines in the sand, people tend to talk to each other about the big issues, unafraid that if a person in the chat group has an opposing view that they won't shoot them as part of the argument.

In the USA, almost every single issue boils down to far right vs far left positions, and civil discussion has become nearly impossible.

This is due to massive amounts of propoganda from both sides of the spectrum, on almost every issue available.

A recent use of propoganda to fool the people was the so called "close" election between Romney and Obama. Romney never really stood a chance in the electoral college, but the news media of all sides kept telling people how close the national vote was in order to keep them watching. If they'd have just said "oh, Obama has a 50-80 vote lead in the electoral college" right from the start, people would have just turned the news off.

Propoganda also keeps the viewers on the 24 hour news cycle. It used to be that we got all the news we needed at 6 or 10pm in 30 minutes, now, the networks have to keep people interested 24 hours a day.

We were free once. Then greed and power swept through our system in the form of lobbying buying the rights of our population with hookers and luxuries. We are slowly being drowned by a heavy hand that sneaks in new laws and provisions while our eyes are fixated on false issues of left and right. The corruption is so wide spread you would be hard pressed to find an offical who is not completely owned by corporation or special interest. If we vote them out it is to no avail as the next official will be funded and their for prepaid by the same coporations and interests as the one he will replace.

The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda.

Link

The USA has never been the land of the free.

The level of freedom you have/had depends on your gender, race, and net worth.

America is the greatest nation in the world. Regardless of what you believe. Don;t like it? then no one is making you live here. You are free to choose where you want to go and how to live. There will always be differances of opionion formed by those on the left/center/right. Does everything they say and do agree with you? No of course not. However just laying flat blame that its a conspiracy, propaganda, or something else all together does not solve the problems.

In america you have the freedom to write your congressmen and let them know how you feel about whatev ever the current topic of conversation is. Reach out to others to explore their own ideas and help them see your side of it as well. But just laying a blanket blame is not going to solve anything one way or the other.

One of the worst abuses of human rights is the prison industrial complex. Because it's an abuse that directly affects lives for the worse, and in many cases completely ruins lives. It's one of the most disgusting, racist & corrupt aspects of the system -- Big pharma and the prison owners in bed with government.

The entire system in general is pervaded by this corruption. Money. Power. Threats. It's a pathocracy run under the guise of a democracy.

reply to post by Kadmiel


Aw, are you hurt because someone dissed America?

Get over it. The best thing you can do is criticize your own nation. The world isn't lollipops and gummi bears.

It's only the "land of the free" for foreigners. They don't know any better. They're there to make that money, and finish doing what they were doing, in their homeland. America, is more like the "free as you're told to do".

reply to post by blaenau2000


Your title makes it sould like the US of A is a giant roach hotel created to entrap us then WHAAAP. lol

well, maybe it is lol.

Forgive me but, why was the last thread taken down and why are Americans taking such offense to the truth here?
I honestly don't think the OP is taking a jab at the US, at least that's not the way I see it.

Despite what Amnesty International has to say about the USA's behavior, this exact same video could be made about Canada, Europe, etc...

I think anyone who's spent a fair amount of time here on ATS knows this we've all seen the videos and articles.. So why are some so offended?

reply to post by ShadowLink


"truth" is subjective to the person telling it. While the US may have issues with human rights, it does not try and force convert the world to its standard. The international community has forced converted the US to its standard and is trying to do do to the rest of the world. The US is NOT trying to save the world, like any European country is not.

We are being singled out while ignoring the rest of the worlds international players.

Why has this thread not talked of China´s BLATANT human rights violations, or others? If the "truth" was to showcase the worst violators of human rights, Why is the US set as a prime example when it doesn't execute its own people for not following a totalitarian government, doesn't persecute religions, doesn't massacre people for land their people then move into (conquest in the strictest of definitions-Tibet), The US also doesn't have political prisoners incarcerated under horrible conditions for being of a certain political ideology.

Then there is the rest of the world outside of the US and China that has done, does and will do FAR worse.

We dont appreciate being singled out when there are AMPLE ENOUGH sources for examples beyond our borders of egregious human rights violations. Do they get a free pass for not falling under the bias of the OP?

It is dishonest and simply causes discord among allies. We at least have oversight. We at least have TRIED to respect human rights. We at least HOST many human rights group in our own country.

So I am sorry. Your little "fairness" issue is not about fairness. You want a crap slinging festival without interruption. Thing is it supports ignorance which goes against the motto of ATS. It paints a FALSE picture and hides the actions of others who might be as guilty if not more of what the OP is supposedly concerned with.

If the OP wanted to showcase how terrible human rights violations are then he could have done justice to his supposed interest by picking a better example than a first world country that has in many occasions spear headed the human rights movement. He wanted to dig into the US is all.....that is why he fails at portraying "truth".

It is anti American propaganda.....and so is entirely BS......

I've posted very benign responses discussing articles of police brutality or government corruption on mainstream media sites and I've found that they will not even give you a warning if they don't like your post. They just delete it, delete your account or block your IP. Often they will even disable article discussion when they don't want people criticizing government when they're caught doing misdeeds.

Most who operate dying newspapers just don't have a clue that they still have enough name recognition to build a great community driven websites around their paper, but instead they delete accounts of those who views they don't agree with and will not even acknowledge you if you attempt to contact them. That is why they are dying and places like ATS are growing.

Originally posted by Kadmiel
America is the greatest nation in the world. Regardless of what you believe. Don;t like it? then no one is making you live here. You are free to choose where you want to go and how to live. There will always be differances of opionion formed by those on the left/center/right. Does everything they say and do agree with you? No of course not. However just laying flat blame that its a conspiracy, propaganda, or something else all together does not solve the problems.

In america you have the freedom to write your congressmen and let them know how you feel about whatev ever the current topic of conversation is. Reach out to others to explore their own ideas and help them see your side of it as well. But just laying a blanket blame is not going to solve anything one way or the other.

Forgive me for rolling my eyes a little at posts like this on here. Whilst America and American Freedom are undoubtedly great things - and certainly worth being thankful for - I've never really received a decent explanation of how American Freedom is unique or 'freerer' than most other developed nations.

Exactly how is your average American more free than a Brit? Or an Australian? Or a Frenchman? Or a German? Or an Indian? Or a Canadian? Or a Norwegian?

Of course, there are plenty of people who don't enjoy the freedoms that many do - and that truly breaks my heart - but I genuinely can't understand how Americans, subject to law and state, are any more free.

Follow their logic.

Land of the free.
Freedom is God given.
Remove God.
In God we trust.
Freedom is economic.
Pay to play.

reply to post by zedVSzardoz


The point of this thread went completely over your head. It wasn't to point out the worst violator of human rights but to show that America isn't as great as we say it is. We all know China is one of the worst human rights offenders, but at least they are open with it. Here in America the violations are more subtle, but they still exist. Also you used a straw man argument deflect the op by showing an example of a much worse country then here then making it seem like because there is a worse government we shouldn't denounce this one.

There are major problems with this country and until you and the rest of the sleeping populous wake up and realize this, we can start working to improve things. Also America DOES try to force its ideals on others. Why else do you think we have troops stationed all over the world? Stop fooling yourself.

reply to post by Krazysh0t


Over my head?

more like I DONT AGREE. So obviously people who dont agree must be dumber than you. huh. Yes, bias free. Problem solving is what this is.....

America isn't as great as we say it is. We all know China is one of the worst human rights offenders, but at least they are open with it.

Who says? You should mention who exactly you are talking about. All people? All Americans? Also, China is not exactly open. They dont let you walk around with cameras if you also happen to have a press ID to accompany them....

There is no point to this thread. YOU might as well be open with it and just say: I "rant" about this or that thing I dont like about the US.

reply to post by zedVSzardoz


No where did I say or suggest that anyone who doesn't agree with me is dumber than me. You are putting words in my mouth. All I am saying is that you presented a strawman argument by suggesting that because China is one of the worst offenders of human rights then we shouldn't talk about America's offenses. This is like saying that we shouldn't incarcerate thieves because we should be incarcerating murderers. It doesn't make sense. The op never suggested that we are one of the worst offenders of human rights, only that because we try to act like the model of human rights, we should improve our systems so we don't look hypocritical.