Letters

READER/AUTHOR EXCHANGE – Re: “Outposts of the U.S. Surveillance Empire: Denmark and Beyond,” by Ron Ridenour

January 2, 2021

Alvin D Hofer wrote on December 10, 2020:

In his startling article entitled “Outposts of the U.S. Surveillance Empire: Denmark and Beyond,” December 10, 2020, Ron Ridenour makes the following statement:

Those two juxtaposing headlines show, perhaps unwittingly, a deep dilemma for Danes. Do they want sovereignty or rather to be lackeys for Big Daddy? Without having taken a poll, my guess is that nine out of ten would choose the latter.

I am writing to ask if the last several words of the quoted text are correct. Did Mr Ridenour mean to guess that nine out of ten (Danes) would choose the latter, that is to be lackeys for Big Daddy (the U.S.) rather than sovereignty?

Are the Danes, who read far more than do Americans, so uninformed about what the U.S. is doing in the world that they would accept the Danish FE’s (Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste, the Danish CIA equivalent) subservience to the American war machine?

I find that difficult to believe. Please confirm that the quoted text is what Mr Ridenour intended. Is the quote is correct, then why? Are most Danes concerned they would lose their jobs if their government did not bow to the U.S.? Is there another reason?

Author’s Reply

On Dec 14, 2020, Ron Ridenour replied:

Alvin, Thank you for your insightful and understandable doubt regarding my condemning view of Danes.

You are right, Danes are better informed, if they wish to be, than are U.S. Americans. Yet, as you read at the end of my article, a well-known politician (Naser Kadar, who comes from Palestinian/Syrian parents) doesn’t want to know what Denmark’s military and its intelligence agency do.

Danish mainstream media generally follow what CNN/NYT publish. Danish journalists covering the U.S. elections, for instance, are clearly behind Biden and they all “love the U.S. country and people.” Some of them even state such smilingly on TV. Nobody wants to hear that dark-skinned Obama conducted SEVEN WARS, upping Bush’s two wars.

So why are Danes so compliant? That would take a whole essay to explain, but briefly: they are indifferent (“ligeglad” in Danish). The vast majority are well fed, and feel secure that no one will attack them when they have the U.S. at their back. That there would be no reason to attack Denmark short of a world war seems to be irrelevant. Danes’ governments know better than to protest, else the U.S. would punish them. (See a forthcoming piece on how the Danes are behind every war the U.S. takes on).

Most Danes realize that Denmark profited from its colonizing/slavery and do not, therefore, want to confront that past, which is clearly seen on many monuments/statues/street names around the country, just like in England (“Great Britain”) France+++.

Most Danes voting for both right-wing and social democratic parties support a full stop of refugees from Middle East and Africa, and they do not protest when Denmark sends war planes and mercenary troops to kill people of color.

Why, again? When it comes down to it, I sadly must state, the vast majority of people worldwide are amoral in their values. Survival first, a well-paying job or business, second. Morality is way down the list. Just ask any Trump supporter or even “progressives” who vote for Democrats, who love killing people for profit, or ignore that fact, just as drugstore cowboys in the Republican party.

Sadly again, just ask 90-95% (I presume) Israeli Zionists what they think about murdering Palestinians, invasions against Arabic neighbors, murdering Mossad’s and CIA/Pentagon alleged enemies anywhere in the world. Why is Vietnam such a good ally with the United States Military Empire after its genocide against their people? Why did communist China help the U.S. and apartheid South Africa invade Angola, help the U.S. invade Afghanistan, and invaded Vietnam while supporting Pol Pot; and yet again help commit genocide, this time against Tamils in Sri Lanka?

It is all about wealth and power. Morality is something for sissies. This is the key anti-ethical message of “civilization,” of economic systems based upon private property, eventually developing into capitalism, and its extremist contemporary stage, that is, fascism. That was the message of fascist Europe and is becoming the current message of capitalism led by Wall Street/City/Jerusalem/Brussels.

Sorry to say, I’ve become a misanthrope. But that does not mean we can surrender to the greedy elite and their passive/complying masses! Else we too would be immoral.

Ron Ridenour

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