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Beyond the
Lesser of Two Evils
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Today's
Stories
December
4 / 6, 2004
Alexander
Cockburn
Politicize the CIA? You've Got to
be Kidding
December
3, 2004
Dave
Lindorff
Lie Then Escalate
Ben
Tripp
Fun With Boycotts: How to Shop in a
Time of Crisis
Joe
Allen
Murder in El Salvador: the Assassination of Teamster Organizer
Gilberto Soto
Matthew
B. Riley
Human Rights Court Fails Lori Berenson
Meir
Shalev
In the End, It is the Violin that Wins
Bob
Wing
The White Elephant in the Room: Race and Election 2004
Christopher
Brauchli
When McCain Bit His Tongue
Sasan
Fayazmanesh
The EU, the US, Israel and Iran
December
2, 2004
Tito
Tricot
No Justice in Chile: I'm a Torture
Survivor in a Country Where Torturers Still Run Free
Behzad
Yaghmaian
The Murder of Theo Van Gogh and Muslim Migration
Dr.
Susan Block
Lana and Me: Meetings with Remarkable Apes
Frank
/ Chowkwanyun
Liberalism and Its Bounds
Lee
Sustar
Standoff in Ukraine: the Bad v. the Corrupt
Patrick
Cockburn
Another Grim Record in Iraq
Mark
Engler
Seattle at Five
Michael
Donnelly
Something Stinks in South Bend: the Firing of Tyrone Willingham
Nate
Collins
The Bay Area Mall on an Ohlone Burial Grounds
Saul
Landau
The Assassination of Danilo Anderson
December
1, 2004
Phillip
Cryan
Associated with Whom? Rightist Bias
in Wire Coverage of Colombia
Dave
Zirin
What's the Matter with "Leon"?:
Budweiser's Racist Commercial
Ghali
Hassan
Iraq's Health Care Under the Occupation:
200 Children Die Every Day
Donna
J. Volatile
Beware Western Nations Threatening "Democracy"
Patrick
Cockburn
How Saddam Tried to Arm the Insurgency
Nick
Meo
Chemical War Over Afghanistan
Mike
Ferner
The Battle of Toledo
Mokhiber
/ Weissman
Shame and Determination on Global AIDS Day: 40 Million and Rising
Kathy
Kelly
Looking the Other Way: the Real Crimes
of the UN in Iraq
November
30, 2004
Jennifer
Van Bergen
The Veil of Secrecy
Toni
Nelson Herrera
Meeting Kurtz: When Art is a Crime
Paul
Craig Roberts
The Bush Delusions: Successful at Incompetence
Patrick
Cockburn
The Insurgency Strikes Back: There Are No Safe Havens in Iraq
Chuck
Munson
WTO Protests Five Years Later: Seattle Weekly Trashes Anti-Globalization
Movement
Adam
Williams
Citizenship Sold: Back to Business in Indiana
Gregory
Elich
A Dangerous Turn in the US Plans for
North Korea
Website
of the Day
Read Lynne Cheney's Lesbian Novel Online!
November
29, 2004
Dave
Lindorff
Blowback in Ukraine: The Hand of
the CIA?
Omar
Barghouti
"The Pianist" of Palestine:
Roadblock Concerto at Gunpoint
Mike
Whitney
The US Media and Fallujah: How to
Market a Siege
Uri
Avnery
The Abu Mazen Style: "Give Me
Some Credit!"
Matt
Vidal
Globalization and Economic Inequality: a Look at the Numbers
Patrick
Cockburn
An Interview with Iraq's Foreign
Minister
Alan
Farago
Sex Change and Salvation: God, Girly Men and Endocrine Disrupters
Justin
Huggler
Bhopal 20 Years Later
Antony
Loewenstein
How Australia Reported Arafat's Death and Legacy
Gary
Leupp
Ukraine: Poll Results Aren't the Real
Issue
Website
of the Day
Mosul: Images from a Kill Zone
November
27 / 28, 2004
Peter
Linebaugh
Torture & Neo-Liberalism with
Sycorax in Iraq
Alexander
Cockburn
What Happened to O'Reilly's Loofa?
Fred
Gardner
Ashcroft v. Raich: Medical Marijuana and the Supreme Court
Kathy
Kelly
What We Can Control
Diane
Christian
The Other Cheek: "Empire Doesn't Analyze, It Acts"
Gary
Leupp
One More Neocon Target: South (Yes, South) Korea
Lenni
Brenner
Equality and Rights of Return: Jefferson Instructs the New York
Times
Ron
Jacobs
Death Squads and Iraq's Elections: the Mysterious Murders of
the AMS Clerics
Joshua
Frank
An Interview with Kevin Zeese on Nader, Kerry and the ABB Crowd
Toni
Solo
The Murder of Danilo Anderson
Saul
Landau
Fallujah, the 21st Century Guernica
JoAnn
Wypijewski
Matthew Shepard Case 6 Years Later: Why Hate Crimes Laws are
No Cure for Homophobia
Justin
Taylor
Empire's Lawless Opportunities
Amos
Harel
The Case of Captain R.
Walter
A. Davis
Tabloid Justice
Stephen
Hendricks
God's Kind of Men
Poets'
Basement
Albert, LaMorticella and Ford
November
26, 2004
Peter
Feng
Gavin Newsom: Man or Machine?
Greg
Moses
It's the White Vote, Stupid
Liaquat
Ali Khan
The Devil's Work: Bush's Minority Appointments
Michael
Mandel / Gail Davidson
Why Bush Should Be Banned from Canada: a Memo to the Ministry
of Immigration
Dave
Lindorff
Nation of Sheep, Turkey of an Election: Urkrainians Show the
Way
Gary
Corseri
When Black Friday Comes...
Paul
Craig Roberts
Whatever Happened to Conservatives?
Website
of the Day
Iraq Pipeline Watch
November
25, 2004
Willliam
Loren Katz
Giving Thanks to Whom?: "Thanks
to God We Sent 600 Heathen Souls to Hell Today"
Mitchel
Cohen
Why I Hate Thanksgiving
Mike
Ferner
An Uncommon Mom
November
24, 2004
Gila
Svirsky
License to Kill: the Example of Violence
is Set by the State
Winslow
T. Wheeler
The
Other Mess in Congress
Christopher
Brauchli
The Company He Keeps: the Syndicate of Tom Delay
Dave
Lindorff
Double Standards on Exit Polls: Hypocrisy Sans Irony
Ron
Jacobs
The Occupation of Iraq is the Root of t he Problem
Ken
Sengupta
Witnesses: War Crimes in Fallujah
Diana
Barahona
The Final Holocaust or Why I Voted for Ralph Nader
John
L. Hess
Safire the Shameless
Jason
Leopold
Did Harvard Hire (Another) War Criminal?
Jeffrey
St. Clair
The Mark of McCain: the Senator Most Likely to Start a Nuclear
War
Map
of the Day
Now and Then: 2004 v. 1860
November
23, 2004
Forrest
Hylton
Bush and Uribe at the Beach
November
22, 2004
Dave
Zirin
Fight Night in the NBA: Selective Outrage
in Detroit
Paul
Craig Roberts
On to Iran: We Won't Get Fooled Again?
Michael
Mandel / Gail Davidson
Why Bush Should be Banned from Canada
Kathie
Helmkamp
Our Son: a Marine Who Won't Kill
Ken
Sengupta
The Triangle of Death: "This is Now the Most Dangerous Place
in Iraq"
Mike
Whitney
Greenspan's Hammer
Roger
Burbach
Why They Hate Bush in Chile
Website
of the Day
Fed Up with Government Lies and Corporate Spin?
November
20 / 21, 2004
Alexander
Cockburn
The Poisoned Chalice
Todd
May
Religion, the Election and the Politics of Fear
Abbas
Ahmed Ibrahim
The Horrors of Fallujah: a First-Hand Account
Kevin
Zeese
Mishandling Nader
Landau
/ Hassen
After Arafat
Tom
Barry
The Vulcans Consolidate Power: The Rise of Stephen Hadley
Fred
Gardner
Pot Shots: Ask Dr. Todd
Justin
E.H. Smith
Triumph of the Will: the Sequel
Carl
Estabrook
Where We Are Now
Gary
Leupp
Imperial History-Making vs. Reality-Based Thought: a Dialogue
Dave
Lindorff
Apocalypse Soon
Jenna
Michelle Liut
Plans Colombia and Patriota: Wanton Wastes of Money, Manpower
and Lives
Mickey
Z.
The Granma Moses of Radical Writing: an Interview with William
Blum
Greg
Moses
The Same Old Struggle Against Imperial America
Sharon
Smith
Abortion Rights and the Election: What Now?
Ron
Jacobs
Sandwiches and Car Bombs
Ben
Tripp
Raising d'Etre: Finding Money in Hollywood These Days
Richard
Oxman
Basketbrawl Two Pointer: Iraq Rules!
Gilad
Atzmon
Politics and Jazz
Poets'
Basement
LaMorticella, Albert, Ford, & Anon.
Website
of the Day
Voice of the Forest
Hot Stories
Alexander Cockburn
Behold,
the Head of a Neo-Con!
Subcomandante
Marcos
The
Death Train of the WTO
Norman Finkelstein
Hitchens
as Model Apostate
Steve Niva
Israel's
Assassination Policy: the Trigger for Suicide Bombings?
Dardagan,
Slobodo and Williams
CounterPunch Exclusive:
20,000 Wounded Iraqi Civilians
Steve
J.B.
Prison Bitch
Sheldon
Rampton and John Stauber
True Lies: the Use of Propaganda
in the Iraq War
Wendell
Berry
Small Destructions Add Up
CounterPunch
Wire
WMD: Who Said What When
Cindy
Corrie
A Mother's Day Talk: the Daughter
I Can't Hear From
Gore Vidal
The
Erosion of the American Dream
Francis Boyle
Impeach
Bush: A Draft Resolution
Click
Here for More Stories.
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Weekend Edition
December 4 / 6, 2004
(Text to a Talk I Never Gave)
Holiday
Greeting Card
By
RON JACOBS
As everyone here knows, this is the
season of peace and good will towards men (and women). Even
if we weren't raised in the Christian tradition, this season
of Xmas is part of our mythology here in the US. As for myself,
I was raised in that tradition-as a Catholic, matter of fact.
So, as the season of advent unveils itself, please bear with
me for a few minutes as I explore the foundations of the story
that informs this time of the year in our so-called civilization.
Schoolchildren are told that
this is a time of peace, yet the government in Washington wages
war. We are reminded that it is a time of love, yet our propaganda
machine preaches hate towards those who disagree with the "American"
view of the world. This is the time when many in the United
States pray for the US soldiers stationed around the world instead
of insisting that they come home. It is a time when our children
remind us that the season is really about family and caring,
while Washington's policies destroy families both here and overseas
with their focus on conquest and domination. The December holidays
and the weeks leading up to them (known as advent in the Christian
and pagan tradition) are a time that our culture sets aside for
thinking about a prince of peace who was born in abject poverty,
while all around us are the symbols of our lust for material
things-a lust that ultimately leads us to make war on others
to satisfy our greed.
I'm not asking people to give
up their holiday. That would be pointless, misplaced, and ignored.
But, how do we celebrate it? Is this season all about presents
and self-gratification and the rest of the world be damned?
Is it a feast of self-righteousness and an assumption that we
deserve the wealth and riches we have? If that's what this holiday
season is for you, then what I'm going to say next won't be in
the spirit of your holiday.
Last month I saw a photo from
Iraq that I can't get out of my mind. It wasn't particularly
gruesome and there was no blood in it, although there have certainly
been plenty of those kinds of photos coming out of that war-ravaged
country in the past year and a half. It wasn't of a headless
torso or an armless child, nor was it of a wounded soldier with
a look on his face that asked: "What the hell happened?
This isn't what I expected when I joined the Guard?" No,
it was a photo of three young Iraqi girls, perhaps around ten
years old, wearing the little t-shirts like ten year old girls
wear at every shopping mall in the United States. One of the
girls had extremely curly hair and blue jeans and the other two
had longer, straighter hair and were wearing those pants that
look like running pants (you know, they have a pair of stripes
running down the outer seam and a slight flare at the bottom).
All three of them were watching a vehicle of some sort burn
on the street behind them. Except for that burning vehicle the
photo could have been taken on a street in almost any US city
or town.
That's why I can't forget that
photo. Because it brought home to me how much more alike than
different the people that our military are killing, torturing,
and otherwise destroying and oppressing really are. Those three
little girls could have been your daughter and two of her friends.
Or your little sisters. Their parents could be you or me.
The street they were standing on could have been the street you
park your car on. The lives being destroyed by the government
in Washington and the military it commands could be our lives
with only a minor twist of the fates.
Actually, when you think about
it, it is our lives that are being destroyed in Iraq. Certainly
not in the same way that the lives of Iraqis are being destroyed,
but in a fundamentally deep and unalterable way, our lives are
not the same as they were before our government embarked on this
mission to remake Iraq in our own image. From the moment Washington
decided to try and control the destinies of the Iraqi people
so many decades ago our country has been complicit in the oppression
and murder that decision has required to continue. In the past
several years it has only gotten worse. The killing has intensified
and our complicity has grown deeper, no matter how much denial
we practice. Saddam Hussein was our man in Baghdad for as long
as we wanted. Now we have Iyad Allawi. Allawi and over 150,
000 troops to force our way on the Iraqi people. They can call
it democracy and they can call it free, but the truth of the
matter is unless the Iraqi rulers must do Washington's bidding
or they lose their power. That is the message of the Pentagon,
the White House, and the Congress. And it is the message no
matter who has been in any of those buildings-Bush, Clinton,
Reagan, whomever-they have all had the same agenda. Domination
and control. Power and profits.
It's time for us to decide
if that is our agenda, too. If it is, then we can just go on
with our lives. Denying to ourselves and our children the price
the rest of the world is paying for our comfort and denying to
ourselves and our children the price we are paying as human beings
for our relative wealth and comfort. We can forget those three
young girls living in a war zone that our government created
and is determined to continue-even expand if it deems it necessary.
We can forget those girls' relatives who have been killed and
maimed by the machinery of death our tax dollars pay for. We
can forget the destruction of our own society's economic safety
nets; safety nets that keep the poor and elderly from becoming
even more so. Safety nets whose monies have gone to pay for
that illegal occupation and war that those Iraqi girls must face
daily. We can forget the young men and women of our country
who find themselves in Iraq either by choice or because of the
economic draft that our military uses to take working class and
poor young people into the military. Yes, we can forget them
until they come back dead or wounded. Then we can give them
a purple heart or a military funeral and fill them and their
relatives full of lies about honor and freedom before we forget
them again. And send others to take their place.
Or we can decide that Washington's
agenda of war, occupation and conquest is not our agenda, no
matter who is running the show. If this is what each and every
one of you here decides, then it is time to do something about
it. It is time to give up a night at home or a meal out and
spend that time and money helping us work to end the war and
get the US troops back to the US now! It is time to do more
than complain about the fools in Washington and act on those
complaints. It is time to join with thousands of your fellow
citizens across the country on January 20th, 2005 in Washington,
DC, San Francisco or elsewhere and call for an end to the occupation
of Iraq. It is time to send a message to Congress and the White
House: End the occupation, bring the troops home, and cut off
all funding of the war. Do it for those three young Iraqi girls.
Do it for yourself and your children. Do it sooner rather than
later.
Ron Jacobs is author of The
Way the Wind Blew: a history of the Weather Underground,
which is just republished by Verso. Jacobs' essay on Big Bill
Broonzy is featured in CounterPunch's new collection on music,
art and sex, Serpents
in the Garden. He can be reached at: rjacobs@zoo.uvm.edu
Weekend Edition
Features for November
27 / 28, 2004
Peter
Linebaugh
Torture & Neo-Liberalism with
Sycorax in Iraq
Alexander
Cockburn
What Happened to O'Reilly's Loofa?
Fred
Gardner
Ashcroft v. Raich: Medical Marijuana and the Supreme Court
Kathy
Kelly
What We Can Control
Diane
Christian
The Other Cheek: "Empire Doesn't Analyze, It Acts"
Gary
Leupp
One More Neocon Target: South (Yes, South) Korea
Lenni
Brenner
Equality and Rights of Return: Jefferson Instructs the New York
Times
Ron
Jacobs
Death Squads and Iraq's Elections: the Mysterious Murders of
the AMS Clerics
Joshua
Frank
An Interview with Kevin Zeese on Nader, Kerry and the ABB Crowd
Toni
Solo
The Murder of Danilo Anderson
Saul
Landau
Fallujah, the 21st Century Guernica
JoAnn
Wypijewski
Matthew Shepard Case 6 Years Later: Why Hate Crimes Laws are
No Cure for Homophobia
Justin
Taylor
Empire's Lawless Opportunities
Amos
Harel
The Case of Captain R.
Walter
A. Davis
Tabloid Justice
Stephen
Hendricks
God's Kind of Men
Poets'
Basement
Albert, LaMorticella and Ford
|