From: j t 
Subject: [change-links] STRANGE VALUES, DENIALS&A FEW TRUTHS
To: CP Communist-Party@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 18:53:31 +0000 (GMT)
Reply-To: change-links@yahoogroups.com

The proverbial line has been drawn in the sand and President
George W Bush has told the world "either you're with us or
you're against us." It's a catch-all sentiment that is
taking hold. Which side are you on, ours or the terrorists?"
"It's that simple", I've been told on the streets!

The mainstream view is that the forces of barbarism have
declared war on the bastion of democracy. George Bush boldly
declared: "They hate our freedom, our freedom of religion,
our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with one
another", yet wonders not why, if this were so, the Statue
of Liberty, the White House or the Lincoln memorial was not
attacked on 11 September. Why the Pentagon and the WTC - one
a symbol of America's global military reach, the other a
symbol of US economic prowess?

Of course there is much missing from Bush's assertion that
Islamic terrorists are simply jealous as hell of the
democratic freedoms "enjoyed" in the US. The simple truth is
that throughout the Middle East, indeed the world, the US
has, despite its alleged support for movements towards
democracy and greater freedoms for all, generally hampered
provisional steps in the direction of democratisation whilst
it has increased its support for despotic regimes such as
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Morocco.

Israel, for instance, gets 40 percent of all US overseas
aid. Meanwhile Israel is in breach of six UN resolutions and
continues oppressing people in Palestine. During Jordan's
despotic and repressive rule in the 1970s and 80s, US aid
for the Amman regime was enormous. Then when Jordan decided
to oil the cogs of its political machine in the 1990s, that
aid was vastly reduced and for a while suspended.
Similarly, aid to Yemen was cut off within months of that
unified country's first "democratic" election. In recent
weeks, when it was discovered that Qatar's satellite channel
Al-Jazeera was beginning to sound a little "pro-democracy",
upsetting regional dictators, broadcasting images of the US
bombings and airing bin Laden's now famous video, it was
Colin Powell who demanded the channel be closed down,
insisting it fostered "anti-Americanism".

When it comes to Middle Eastern peace, the US's actions have
ensured that the region is as unstable as ever, cocking a
snook at UN Resolution 687 which calls for region-wide
disarmament - which would also mean an end to Israel's
nuclear capability – and at the same time selling $60
billion worth of arms to Middle Eastern country in 10 years
(80 percent of all world arms exports to the Middle
East). Israel, by the way, receives $3 billion in US
military aid on the pretext that it is defending itself from
its Arab neighbours – those same neighbours the US has
armed to the teeth.

Writing in the Guardian (29 September), Artundhati Roy goes
a little further. "Could it be", she asks, "that the stygian
anger that led to the attacks has its taproot not in
American freedom and democracy, but in the US government's
record of commitment and support of exactly the opposite
things, to military and economic terrorism, insurgency,
military dictatorships, religious bigotry and unimaginable
genocides?"

None of which surprises socialists. We are well attuned to
the machinations of the elites of powerful countries as they
seek to promote the interests of their corporate
backers. Though it is no easy task for the uninitiated, we
urge our fellow workers to be as vigilant as ever.

To believe the arguments of the likes of Bush and Blair is
to disarm yourself intellectually - for it is at times like
the present, when the media is dancing to the tunes of
governments, when the trumpets of jingoism, patriotism and
reaction are sounding, that we need to be fighting the war
of ideas.

http://communities.msn.com/realworldsocialism