Here in a third world Latin American country, the American way of life amounts to images of fast-food chains and the military assistance given to tyrants all over the world. It's the free trade agreements the US wants to impose on third world governments. It's the brutal invasion of Iraq.

But hurricane Katrina gave an even clearer image of what the American way of life means, when the rich could flee the area and the poor were left to wait for the storm. While those in the flooded New Orleans spent days on rooftops or crammed into the convention center, many members of the Bush administration continued on vacation. Instead of leading the rescue efforts to save people, a large portion of the U.S. National Guard was busy backing the death and destruction caused by the invasion of Iraq.

Greed and individualism are not only negative character traits of some individuals, they are now the motor of our society. The flourishing of the so-called free market is more important than the well-being of the people. The right to wealth given to giant companies by that free market allows them to contaminate the environment, causing global warming while the U.S. government won't sign environmental protection treaties.

When U.S. interests are at stake, any measure can be taken, any war can be waged, at any price of human life. Tremendous sums of money are spent daily to kill and destroy in Iraq, however the budgets for health and education don't grow. This is the American way of life in practical terms. Ironically enough, President Bush insists that we won't let terrorists destroy our way of life. Remembering the suffering experienced in the aftermath of Katrina and the blatant indifference many politicians demonstrated to the people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, one should wonder why anyone would want to defend that way of life.

Lori Berenson is now serving the 11th year of a 20-year sentence for collaboration with terrorism.

Read by Aura Bogado in English and Spanish, January 31, 2006.