The duplicity of this nation and its politicians never ceases to amaze me.

We criticize Russia for the Crimean return to its former country even though the people voted for it and then we support and help a small opposition group attempting to overthrow a government in Venezuela that was elected by a majority.

We always seem to put our interests above those of the peoples of the countries that are in turmoil. We scream foul play at Russia's threat of intervention in Ukraine calling Ukraine a sovereign country but then invade Iraq and Afghanistan because we were attacked. We invade Panama when we think our interest in the Canal could be threatened. We cannot have it both ways.

Senator Diane Feinstein screamed bloody murder and strongly supported the NSA against the Snowden leaks, calling Snowden a traitor (which in my opinion he most assuredly is not) and then screams even louder when she finds the CIA with the support of the NSA is spying on her and her Senate colleagues… even more duplicity. Having said that, I think she should be outraged at the CIA cover up of torture and the spying on the Senate.

And carrying duplicity further we are among the biggest critics of governments that are guilty of human rights abuses but have a look at the following facts about how the U.S treats its citizens.

1, We have the world's largest prison population., 3.2 million behind bars, 760 inmates per 100,000 residents. We have 5% of the world's population but house 25% of its prisoners and we are one of very few countries in the world that still has the death penalty.

2, United States prison conditions are considered among the worst of all civil nations, overcrowding, overuse of solitary confinement and we lead the world in incarceration of senior citizens. Making prisons money-making entities as in the U.S. may have some influence on this.

3, Youth offenders are tried in adult courts and sentenced to serve time in adult prisons. Most other civil countries feel this is counterproductive to the safety and potential rehabilitation of youths.

4, The impoverished have an inordinate disadvantage over those more affluent when it comes to criminal justice.

5, African Americans account for 13% of the population yet make up 41% of the population of state prisons and 44% of the federal prisons.

6, Labor rights: Americans lag far behind other nations in terms of minimum wage and benefits.

7, Health care. We spend more and give less than any other industrialized nation; the Affordable Care Act, although somewhat of an improvement is still far away from providing health care to all Americans. Republicans in 21 states have refused to expand Medicaid for low-income residents.

8, Security concerns. There are still over 150 Guantanamo detainees being held indefinitely without charge. And the NASA illegal spying coupled with Obama's kill list of American citizens without trials does not exactly make us the land of the free.

9, How we treat non-citizens is not exactly stellar. Deporting over 2 million by the Obama administration and making it a felony to help save the lives of those attempting to cross the border illegally. Illegal or not they are human beings.

10. Women's rights: Republicans in 22 states enacted 70 different restrictions on access to abortions.

So when we think of ourselves of the "Land of the free and home of the brave" perhaps we have some introspective thinking to do.