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Nez Perce & White Bird: Origin of the Corporate Nation

Howell Hurst Uncategorized

Descending the astonishing high Rocky Mountains in Idaho toward the Pacific Ocean in California, one is abruptly stunned mute by a mesmerizingly beautiful small valley. Once it was home to the Nez Perce, the Native American tribe who had occupied it in relative peace for several thousand years. Today this valley is home to less than one hundred white farmers. They have named it White Bird.

On this spot began the war between the Nez Perce and the American Cavalry that culminated in the Nez Perce being relentlessly hunted down, ejected from their homeland, and forced onto a tiny reservation. This militantly-created suppression and domination of another people is an early example of a culture of violence that adheres to our nation. Honestly spoken, such a culture of violence adheres to all modern nations, since all historically exhibited similar militant cultures no matter what type of government they eventually established, or what they called them.

Winston Churchill has best documented our culture of violence’s ancient source in his fascinating four volume masterwork: “A History of the English-Speaking People.” The Nez Perce/White Bird reference simply documents the cultural mentality our nation assumed when it first started its exploration and exploitation of the geographic territory we now possess.

It is, culturally speaking, the origin of the concept of Corporation. Churchill’s historical examples and that of our ancestors thrived on the same cultural model of all modern nations in that, after 10,000 years of the development of homo sapiens, they assumed the right to militantly take from others what they found attractive and desirable. It is not a far stretch to assert that modern American-based multinational corporations, seeking profit above all other values, and still using militancy to achieve their goals, mirror this original mindset.

It has been called by many names. Manifest Destiny was used when we engaged the Nez Perce and replaced their entire ancient tribe with our own tribe. It is remarkable that we today honor both the militancy and the greed that have always driven our land and all others to become what they have become: what we call civilization.

I contend that such a mindset at this intersection of humanity’s past and future is at an end. And, rather, that such a mindset must be ended and replaced with a more mature and philosophically sustainable worldview by all peoples. I contend it must most certainly be replaced by the leadership and citizens of our country. How and by what, I will continue to explore in subsequent Blogs.

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