We recently passed a milestone, which was not noted by our politicians and press, but is critical to understanding the world around us today. On April 6, 1967 - 55 years ago, Dr King delivered an address, Beyond Vietnam - A Time to Break the Silence. Although he was criticized by many, including some of his ardent supporters, Dr King remained steadfast in his opposition to the Vietnam War and US military intervention. He also drew the connections to the underlying features of American society.
In the speech he identified the pervasive presence of the “giant triplets” of racism, materialism, and militarism. He described the Vietnam War as “but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit.” This malady still persists in the widespread inequality and crippling poverty that pervade what is still the world’s richest nation, in the enormous gap between the "developed" countries and the Global South, and in our country’s continuing appetite for war to maintain US hegemony, whether waged directly or through proxies. From our halls of government to our compliant media there is a refusal to recognize this relationship of racism, materialism, and militarism, each drawing on and sustaining the others.
The US has long claimed the mantel of the "Empire of Liberty", first declared by Thomas Jefferson in 1780. In the next few weeks I will try to examine this claim, or, more accurately, justification, in light of our history. In the meanwhile, I have included a link, where you can hear (preferably) or read the entirety of Dr King's speech. Change a few of the names, and it could have been delivered on April 6, 2022.
https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm
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