[IMC-US] The "USA" Label for the New Site

[Andy Pyle]

I raised an objection to the USA title at the IMC caucus meeting at the AMC that was more
of a gut reaction than an analysis, and there was also objection from my fellow
Clevelander Kris.

My somewhat existential objection was based simply on the fact that I was tired of hearing
USA! USA! USA!.

Actually my objections run far deeper and I want to apologize for not being more
thought-out and political during the caucus, I was kind of taken by surprise.

The question is a POLITICAL question and not a question of technique and I think we have
to put the politics in command of the tech aspect.

The Question is "What is the USA and Who Gets To Decide?"

As the US Gov't occupied and incorporated by force various pieces of territory it took
into itself various nationalities  which became oppressed nations.... some would say
internal colonies.  I believe in the right of self-determination for these nations and
don't think the US gov't should have the right to tell Indymedia that "what it says goes"
as far as determining what is "The USA"

I am not going to try to rank in order of importance or validity of analysis the national
territories occupied by the US: Hawai'i, Puerto Rico, Occupied Mexico (California, Texas,
Arizona.......), the lands of the Navajo, Dakota, Iroquois, Cherokee....., and what some
call New Afrika, the former slave states containing the "Black Belt",  known for its rich
productive soil (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and
Louisiana.  I am simply going to use Hawai'i as an example.

Would Hawai'i belong under a "USA.Indymedia" site?  Here is an occupied country of its own
nationality which was forcefully seized by the US military and incorporated as one of the
50 States.  Even the US Congress has apologized for this act, although they have not
offered to give it back.  Would you include a Hawai'i Indymedia under "USA Indymedia"??
To do so would be to ratify the seizure and occupation.  Under the present schema which
just includes cities and regions, the question doesn't come up.  But under the USA (!)
schema, it does.

And how about Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta.......  Its a can of worms.

Let us contrast ourselves to the evil French political theorist Chauvin who made his mark
as a rabid nationalist and gave rise to the epithet "Chauvinist".

This question of self-determination is not for Indymedia to decide. It is a question of
principle. It is for the peoples of the oppressed nationalities to decide. We are living
in a prisonhouse of nations-the phrase is from Lenin- and should stay away from the
great-nation chauvinism that the USA.Indymedia title implies.

Pick another title.