Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: “The Nation Needs A Revolution Of Values”

Richard S. Dunn – January 12, 2022

Every year at this time, the corporate media erroneously try to “sell” us on the idea that they are paying tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, by playing the same speeches year after year. Included in this “selling” is the attempt to sanitize and intellectually diminish his social activist stature by presenting him as just a “dreamer;” one who has these grandiose ideas of racial equality, without the ideas having any connection or relationship to objective social conditions. Even some Black media organizations join in this fallacious activity year after year which serves nothing more than the interests of the oppressor, and worst is an attempt to blunt the edge of the race and class struggle.

There are numerous speeches made by MLK, all of them not only intellectually profound, but also socio-economically analytical and politically piercing. They challenge the status quo; they expose the ideological and socio-political hypocrisy of these United States and calls the progressive forces of the nation into action; to work to create a society that fulfills the claims made in the Constitution and the Declaration of Rights. In this regard the speech made at the Riverside Baptist Church in 1967 entitled “Beyond Vietnam – A time to Break Silence,” is as poignant now in 2022 as it was in 1967. The speech is especially of import considering, the Biden Administration’s continued obsession and commitment to militarism and is an integral part of the United States “great power” chauvinism and narrow nationalistic hysteria and ideology of arrogance. An example of this arrogance and nationalistic hysteria, was seen in the January 6 2021, attempted coup in Washington DC by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump.

All across the globe there are irrefutable documentation of the United States’ interference in the domestic affairs of other countries, from destabilization, economic sanctions, military invasions, to assassinations. This reality was not lost on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He reminded us in that speech at Riverside Baptist church that, despite all the attempts to portray the United States as innocent and peace loving; the Country is the “biggest purveyor of violence in the world.”

This January 3rd marks two years since the assassination of Iran’s Major General Qassim Suleimani by the Trump Administration. The continued threats and increased sanctions by the Biden Administration, cannot be isolated from the historical context of the United States’ long documented history of demonization and intervention against Iran. The most notable is the CIA influenced and led overthrow and imprisonment of the progressive Premier Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953 and, the aftermath of the revolution of 1979 which overthrew the repressive, corrupt, and reactionary Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Mohammed Mossadegh nationalized the oil industry and was committed to creating social programs that would benefit the masses of Iranians. Mossadegh was overthrown by the CIA and replaced with the notorious Shah, who used the CIA backed and trained SAVAK  to take back the oil fields and murdered and tortured thousands of progressive Iranians. The overthrow of the Shah represented losing Iran as a cheap source of oil and with the ascendancy of the Islamic state’s commitment to self-determination, the United States never forgave Iran.

The continued hostility and threatening rhetoric towards Iran are aimed at diverting that country from pursuing a path of self-determination and thereby returning the country to the domination of monopoly capital. This has the direct result as Martin Luther King Jr. said to “make the side of the wealthy secure, while we create a hell for the poor.” The illegal and immoral sanctions against Iran is “an enemy of the poor” and “cruel manipulation of the poor” (MLK).

The current escalation of the conflict with Iran, the disastrous adventure in Afghanistan, and the invasion of Iraq have all contributed to the socio-economic devastation and political destabilization of the region, of which the masses are the unfortunate victims. Martin Luther King’s words resonate with poignant urgency, as we see the masses are “victims to deadly western arrogance that has poisoned the international atmosphere.” The assassination of General Qassim Suleimani, puts in jeopardy any future prospect for dialogue with any country where the United States’ influence and intervention are present, or where the United States has a conflict of interest. The perception will be that the US cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith. War is an example of a deeper symptom of the American body-politic; Dr. King refers to it as “the drum major instinct.”

It is no secret that Iran’s political influence in Iraq took root and flourished after the invasion, overthrow and ultimately the assassination of Saddam Hussein. This “brain dead” policy presented Iran with an opportunity to carry out sectarian desires and also worsen the sectarian divisions within Iraq itself, between Shia and Sunni Muslims. The release of leaked intelligence reports by The Intercept in association with the New York Times in November 2019 known as The Iran Cables, clearly reveals the extent of Iran’s involvement in Iraq’s political life.

This reality in no way gives the United States the right to usurp power in a sovereign country unless you are an occupying force intent on coercing its people to conform to your customs and values. By doing so, the intent is to keep “in line” any country that strays away from or attempt to stray from the United States’ perceived status of moral and ideological superiority. Monopoly capital is eager to fulfill its domination designs in Iran; it does not care about the regional or international ramifications; the oil must be returned to the oligarchy and capitalism is not willing to pay for it. Iranian self-determination must be derailed at all costs.

The corporate media as the spokespersons of monopoly capital are not interested in factual and objective reporting; they are not capable of critical-thinking and are steeped in “intentional ignorance” as one broadcaster terms it. The information on these and other critical social issues is available, but in order to whip up support for the ruling class’s hegemonic actions and ideology, they mislead and attack all those who give a scholastic presentation of the issues or ask the right questions. They along with the ruling class are the real enemies of the people. They ignore the direct relationship between the enormous Defense Budget of $752.9 billion (www.defense.gov./cj) and socio-economic issues; the intervention in the domestic affairs of other countries, and the constant attack and roll back of social programs that help the poor and working class.

Monopoly capital and the forces of reaction are now more desperate to overthrow the popular and progressive movements that have come into ascendancy recently in Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras, and the overwhelming return to power of the Maduro Administration in Venezuela. Dr King reminded us that “these are revolutionary times…men are revolting against those systems of exploitation and oppression.” He implored us to support those progressive movements struggling for peace, democracy, and social progress.

The only deterrent to this reckless and militaristic foreign policy is for the United States to study and implement the admonition of Dr. King. “ If we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a Nation must undergo a radical revolution of values…we must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society.” This will not happen spontaneously; it begs for the organizing of the working class and all oppressed peoples into a united force with a clear and sustained agenda of activism for liberation and social upliftment.

The “revolution of ideas” is for a restructuring of the national and world economy, to break the back of monopoly capital, and its dominance over peoples’ socio-economic and political life.

The “revolution of ideas” is for a drastic reduction in the military budget; the “revolution of ideas” is for the dismantling and removal of the military bases located around the world. The “revolution of ideas” is for the cessation of involvement in the domestic affairs of other countries including support of reactionary and despotic regimes, and political movements. The “revolution of ideas” is for an end to  economic and political destabilization, including illegal and immoral sanctions with the intent of forcing regime change.

The “revolution of ideas” is for an end to the militaristic obsession of the “great power” ideology, that scoffs at national and international laws, and lends itself into invading and occupying sovereign countries. The “revolution of ideas” is for the withdrawal of financial and material support for Israel and its illegal genocidal occupation of Palestine. The “revolution of ideas” is for the withdrawal of all US troops from foreign territories. The “revolution of ideas” is for the corporate media to print and broadcast the facts regarding domestic social justice issues and international conflicts; cease to engage in deception and lies in order to shape public opinion in favor of reactionary policies.

This 55th year of that immortal, profound and challenging speech by Dr. King, encourages all lovers of peace, working class democracy and social progress to not only listen but study the speech. It is not only a study in critical thinking but a call challenging us to activism; it was a speech that was boldly honest in its look at the status of the United States on the world stage, and also unashamedly anti-imperialist. It perfectly analyzed, made the link, and showed the inter-connectedness between a reckless, militaristic and interventionist foreign policy and the socio-economic disparities within the Country.

The next time these social pacifists even those who are Black, and the corporate distractors come with the “dreamer” fallacy, refer them to the 1967 speech at Riverside Baptist Church. It will enlighten their obvious ignorance and give them a lesson in working class sociology. “Silence is betrayal…tantamount to complicity “ (MLK).

Richard Dunn can be reached at: contact@makingitplain.net