By Dallas Darling From WorldNews.com

The Egyptian military overthrew their president, not the people. Dave R. Palmer, a U.S. Army Lieutenant General of the American Revolution, warned about this dangerous precedent back in 1794. Reflecting upon the Declaration of Independence and America’s new form of government, which eventually transpired into a codified document, he wrote, “The Constitution of the United States was written by fifty-five men-and one ghost.” The ghost was that of Oliver Cromwell, the archetypal militarist on horseback who raised an army and toppled a king, and then justified the king’s beheading in order to save the English Parliament. But what followed was a tyranny far worse than any that had ever existed under English kings.(1)

Like the U.S., Egypt’s ghost is its military rulers and army. Its armed forces, much of it supplied and trained by the U.S., has played a major role in shaping Egypt’s so-called democratic transitions. Starting with the battle of El Alamein in World War II, U.S. militarists realized Egypt’s important geopolitical location. Later, Egypt would become only second to Israel for military aid. Away from media cameras showing mass protests, from 1981-2002 $70 billion worth of armored personnel carriers, tanks, helicopters, anti-aircraft missiles, fighter jets, and surveillance systems was delivered to Egypt. Corruption, human rights violations, and series “state of emergencies” imposed by both military and civilian rulers has not yet dissuaded American military aid.

But again, a ghostly military has always ruled the U.S. In the Declaration of Independence, even enlightened ideas were conjoined to militaristic language. Every democratic revolt has been crushed by either a state militia or national army. A symbiotic relationship has also existed between the armed forces and other structures of violence: economical, political, or social. Corporations have depended on military rulers and armies, and vice-versa, for continental-global expansionist aims. Presidents, politicians and political parties have used wartime service and wars to stage initial and second-term military coups. Societal ideologies of Manifest Destiny, Social Darwinism, American Exceptionalism, and Global War On Terror has been implemented with military hubris.

A similar but larger specter is haunting the world. Behind global capital and market economies, or neo-liberalism, is a ghastly military hegemony. The World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, NATO, even the international rule of law, are often times reinforced by U.S. armed forces and their military rulers. Nations pursuing alternative systems are punished by economic sanctions. If economic sanctions fail, U.S. military intervention follows, as was-and still is-in the cases of many ongoing conflicts around the world. Some understand this ghost and are resisting U.S. proxy-like military institutions and wars that have been imposed in their country.

Egypt’s freely elected president, Mohammed Morsi, was issued an ultimatum to leave by military generals. When he refused, armed forces placed him under house arrest and then disposed of him on a military helicopter. He is in an unknown location where he will be questioned for the death of eight protesters during clashes. Adly Mansour, Egypt’s chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court, has been sworn in. This military coup, the ghost of Oliver Cromwell and his armed forces, was encouraged by the U.S. President Barack Obama told President Morsi that the U.S. was committed to Egypt’s democratic process and does not support any single party or group. Like the U.S., it is obvious that it supports Egypt’s ghost-a military party and its professionally trained and armed group.

Even though the U.S. claims it will cut-off military aid to any nation that stages a military coup, only in the U.S. is Egypt’s armed coup presented as a “democracy promotion.” President Mansour proclaimed: “The revolution must continue…it must stop producing tyrants.” A tyrannical specter already exists, though, known as the Egyptian military and its rulers. The people of Egypt recognize this, including how such a violent and armed institution can use vital resources while robbing important educational and employment opportunities and basic needs. As for the U.S., its people have been militarily assimilated, unconscious of military coups and military rule. This is easy to do when militant language is concealed in humanitarian ideals and with the concepts of liberty and freedom.

The U.S. has just promised Egypt’s military $1.3 billion more in military hardware. Meanwhile, Egyptian military rulers and troops have opened fire on demonstrators who were calling for the restoration of President Morsi, and who were shouting “down with military rule. Egypt can never have a democracy until it gets rid of its ghost, until its military is transformed and used for defense against external aggression instead of internal democratic and popular movements. Is the same true for the U.S.?

Oliver Cromwell and his New Model Army is still cursed in many parts of Ireland. In many portions of the world today, the same can be said about the U.S. military and its rulers.

Dallas Darling ([email protected])

(Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An A-Z Reading on Conscientious Political Thought and Action, Some Nations Above God: 52 Weekly Reflections On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism in the Context of John’s Apocalyptic Vision, and The Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith, Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace. He is a correspondent for www.worldnews.com. You can read more of Dallas’ writings at www.beverlydarling.com and wn.com//dallasdarling.)

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