Tonight I had the misfortune of watching a few minutes of the O’Reilly Factor. I used to like Bill O’Reilly, I even read his book, which I thought offered many sensible social theories. But tonight Bill was discussing Harry Belafonte’s poorly selected remarks about Colin Powell, and he claimed that despite Belafonte’s assertion that he was first and foremost an American and has the US’s safety and prosperity always in his heart he is un-American for opposing the Bush administration and he is despicable for expressing it publicly. Granted the particular comment, which I won’t repeat, was improper, but O’Riley was not overly concerned with the comment itself; he was upset with the “dissenters.” It was all he could do to stop from spitting on the ground after saying the word. In his two-dimensional view anyone politically opposed to Bush’s ham fisted, saber rattling, foreign policy is a traitor, plain and simple. The whole thing stinks and it’s an epidemic across the nation. Its not the super-nationalism that most concerns me it’s the rejection of dissenters, frequently without cause. Haven’t these people ever heard of the loyal opposition? We’re not traitors, in fact many of us are just as concerned as the so-called patriots. And, it’s no help that the Democrats are cowards too concerned with re-election to stand up for their principles, if they actually have any.
The Bush philosophy, the philosophy much of this country has rapidly embraced is, “Either you’re with us or you’re with the terrorists.” That’s complete bullshit. I love my country and I’m sure as shit not going to side with extremist maniacs that killed thousands of its innocent civilians. But I’m not going to side with the two faced, hypocrites that have killed and subjugated innocent civilians either. And I don’t subscribe to the philosophy that all the good the US has done in the world somehow cancels out the bad. But, even though I won’t close my eyes to the injustices my country has perpetrated, it does not mean I’m un-American. It means I want to recognize problems and search for solutions to better protect my country. The same as Bush claims to be doing. My problems and solutions just differ from his.
I don’t believe it’s a matter of contention that the US has always had its finger in the Middle East pie along with the rest of the developed world. The worst despots, tyrants, thugs, criminals, and megalomaniacs in the world are ruling the Middle East and most of the third world for that matter. Imperialism by world superpowers spurred by oil or other resources, physical or political, have put them there. The Cold War can take some of the blame but simple economics were always a part of the equation. While he was Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once said, “Oil is too important a commodity to trust to the Arabs.” And I get funny looks for saying that oil is a factor in the War on Terror. A Greek historian, Thucydides, once said, “The strong do as they will in world affairs, while the weak suffer what they must." Therefore only nations of equal power treat each other justly and only because they must. That isn’t right and it should be outlawed. If the superpowers had any scruples whatsoever, any concern for human rights, justice, fairness, or morality they would give the UN the executive force to make its legislation more than just hollow ideals on paper. But, the major nations will never support such a thing, why give the UN the power to take precedence over their sovereignty? Why in the world would the US or any other nation take responsibility for crimes it has and can continue to get away with? Why allow Kashmir, Tibet, Taiwan, Palestine, or any other nation striving for independence beat the system. They are the weak and for the foreseeable future they will, “suffer what they must.” I think it would take a catastrophe greater than 9/11 to make a difference in international law. That in no way implies I want such a thing to happen just that I see no other way drastic reform of the UN system and authority will occur.
I’ve heard the counterpoint that not only was imperialism a necessary and accepted political tool for powerful nations during the time when most of the regime changes were taking place, but that without a secured flow and price of oil their economies would be in constant jeopardy. My rebuttal is, “We made our bed and now we have to sleep in it.” Those nations made choices, some worse than others, and like it or not we are now faced with the consequences of those choices. The sins of the father have come to bear. These terrorists are a symptom of a culture pushed to its breaking point by the intervention of foreign powers. The US claims they are simply violent, power mad, jealous, hate mongers, and refuses to own up to any wrong doing despite all the evidence against it (cite.) Until we do the terror attacks are only going to get worse. Attacking Iraq won’t solve anything. In fact it will most likely result in the fiercest guerilla attack yet from the radicals. Not because they care so greatly for Saddam or Iraq, but because they won’t stand for further hypocrisy for the sake of Arab oil.
Bush’s only strategy it seems is show he is being proactive in the War on Terror. Americans are divided on whether we should attack preemptively, but according to Gallop poles around 80 percent consistently show support for “some kind of action.” At the same time he can deflect attention from his insane deficit spending scheme that failed under Reagan, his conflict of interest in handling corporate malfeasance, and possibly help the economy by quadrupling oil production in Iraq, which is stifled by sanctions. What Bush doesn’t realize is that Islamic radicals are not going to take it sitting down. These people are pissed off for many reasons but the core of it all is that their civilization is impoverished and repressed and the US played a part in creating that fate by placing the necessity of oil above the values of democracy, freedom, and liberty we proclaim to the world. The other superpowers aren’t blameless either. GB, France, Germany, Russia, China and every other nation that relies on oil was playing for power in the Middle East. The Islamists themselves aren’t off the hook either. They fail to realize that their cause will never gain credibility in the West if they cannot maintain a moral authority that appears well beyond them at this point. They would do well to learn the lessons of Ghandi and MLK Jr.
Ultimately, I believe the radicals have to be made an example of and tired in the ICJ to show that civilian murder can never be seen as a promising political tool. Next, the monarchs and despots have to be removed by the UN on the grounds of human rights violations to their populations and the peoples of those lands must finally be permitted self-determination to institute any form of government they see fit, provided it is peaceable and embraces some form of rule of law and constitutionality. Its unfortunate, but I don’t have to tell you how unlikely this scenario is. Who knows if the American people will ever come to grips with the depths of the sordid misdeeds of their CIA and the Western world in general. They’ll go on waving their flags, reading their newspapers, congratulating themselves on our superiority, and lamenting the world’s bitter and petty jealousy. The bliss of ignorance, is it even my right to try and take it from anyone? Probably not, and its doubtful I could change their minds even if I tried. All I ask is that they do me the courtesy of recognizing that dissenters can be patriots, but even that simple request is offensive to them.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
As for now, I’m just waiting for the shit to hit the fan.
