I'm just another American father. A friend and I in Sept 2002 wrote snail-mail letters to about 125 fellow Yale '64 classmates to see if we could get them to oppose Bush Jr.'s upcoming war. We got replies from about eight people, six of whom were already friends. And of course my wife and my two sons (then aged 16 and 12) demonstrated twice in San Francisco along with hundreds of thousands of others to stop the invasion of Iraq before it began. We know how effective that was.
And I remember gathering in Central Park, in Davis, California with candles to protest the start of the war the evening of March 19, 2003. One of the demonsrators was an Israeli who had gotten into some trouble in Israel because it objected to the invasion of Lebenon.
It's very discouraging, and of course all the American politicians and media types at the Superbowl and other venues manage to do is to "support the troops" and talk about how much they are suffering from various wounds and from post-gtraumatic stress syndrome. Of course I feel badly for those poor devils who were conned into going over there and fighting. But on the straight media NO ONE EVER ASKS WHETHER THE IRAQ WAR WAS WORTH IT....WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE FIGHTING TO RECOLONIZE THE MIDDLE EAST.
And now of course President Obama goes to Israel and kowtows to the great gods of Zionism and pretends that "progress" is possible towards a "two-state solution" while refusing to oppose the new settlements which continue to be planned and built.
I like your phrase "only pretend to be in the opposition" in regard to Tunisian "opposition parties. Reminds of the largest country in North American, between Canada and Mexico. Though Obama talked a good line and voted against Bush Jr/Baby Bush's war in Iraq in 2003,when he became president he went along and expanded the war in Afghanistan, continued the war in Iraq, and is starting new wars in Pakistan and Yemen and in various regions of Africa.
Both Reps and Dems are for the war party, for war all day and all year, every day and every year. Because it pays so well and keeps the dissident elements and the poor frightened sedated and entertained. As the late, great Chalmers Johnson kept reminding us starting with BLOWBACK in 1999....What an inspiration Chalmers has been; doing his most courageous work beginning in his late 60s, work which was almost a U-Turn from his "mainstream" careers "as a spearcarrier for Empire....."
Keep up the good work my friend. I check you out almost every day and tell others to do so.
I like your phrase "only pretend to be in the opposition" in regard to Tunisian "opposition parties. Reminds of the largest country in North American, between Canada and Mexico. Though Obama talked a good line and voted against Bush Jr/Baby Bush's war in Iraq in 2003,when he recame president he went along and expanded the war in Afghanistan, continued the war in Iraq, and is starting new wars in Pakistan and Yemen and in various regions of Africa.
Both Reps and Dems are for the war party, for war all day and all year, every day and every year. Because it pays to well and keeps the dissident elements and the poor frightened sedated and entertained. As the late, great Chalmers Johnson kept reminding us starting the BLOWBACK in 1999...Keep up the good work my friend.
Dan Berman, Davis California, working on a 2nd edition of my 1978 book DEATH ON THE JOB, in my "retirement."
In 1963/'64 Mississippi racists burned down dozens of African-American churches where there was a suspicion local church members were tied up to the civil rights movement. James Chaney, Mickey Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman were murdered when they drove up from Meridian to Philidelphia, Mississippi to check out what had happened with one of those churches.
My first job, as a voter rights worker, when I arrived in Meridian in late July, was to collect Mickey Schwerner's effects: clothes and books and CORE buttons, and send them back to his widow Rita in Brooklyn.
So burning houses of God is nothing new in this country. A documentary film called Neshoba (the town of Philadelphia is located in Neshoba County, Mississippi) has just been launched and included in-depth interviews with the lead Klansman who carried out the killing. (For more info. go to http://blog-aroundharlem.com/2010/08/13/film-neshoba-the-price-of-freedom/.
Keep up the good work, Juan Cole. I read our blog almost every day.
I'm just another American father. A friend and I in Sept 2002 wrote snail-mail letters to about 125 fellow Yale '64 classmates to see if we could get them to oppose Bush Jr.'s upcoming war. We got replies from about eight people, six of whom were already friends. And of course my wife and my two sons (then aged 16 and 12) demonstrated twice in San Francisco along with hundreds of thousands of others to stop the invasion of Iraq before it began. We know how effective that was.
And I remember gathering in Central Park, in Davis, California with candles to protest the start of the war the evening of March 19, 2003. One of the demonsrators was an Israeli who had gotten into some trouble in Israel because it objected to the invasion of Lebenon.
It's very discouraging, and of course all the American politicians and media types at the Superbowl and other venues manage to do is to "support the troops" and talk about how much they are suffering from various wounds and from post-gtraumatic stress syndrome. Of course I feel badly for those poor devils who were conned into going over there and fighting. But on the straight media NO ONE EVER ASKS WHETHER THE IRAQ WAR WAS WORTH IT....WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE FIGHTING TO RECOLONIZE THE MIDDLE EAST.
And now of course President Obama goes to Israel and kowtows to the great gods of Zionism and pretends that "progress" is possible towards a "two-state solution" while refusing to oppose the new settlements which continue to be planned and built.
So it goes.
Prof. Juan Cole:
I like your phrase "only pretend to be in the opposition" in regard to Tunisian "opposition parties. Reminds of the largest country in North American, between Canada and Mexico. Though Obama talked a good line and voted against Bush Jr/Baby Bush's war in Iraq in 2003,when he became president he went along and expanded the war in Afghanistan, continued the war in Iraq, and is starting new wars in Pakistan and Yemen and in various regions of Africa.
Both Reps and Dems are for the war party, for war all day and all year, every day and every year. Because it pays so well and keeps the dissident elements and the poor frightened sedated and entertained. As the late, great Chalmers Johnson kept reminding us starting with BLOWBACK in 1999....What an inspiration Chalmers has been; doing his most courageous work beginning in his late 60s, work which was almost a U-Turn from his "mainstream" careers "as a spearcarrier for Empire....."
Keep up the good work my friend. I check you out almost every day and tell others to do so.
Dan Berman,Ph.D. Davis, California
Prof. Juan Cole:
I like your phrase "only pretend to be in the opposition" in regard to Tunisian "opposition parties. Reminds of the largest country in North American, between Canada and Mexico. Though Obama talked a good line and voted against Bush Jr/Baby Bush's war in Iraq in 2003,when he recame president he went along and expanded the war in Afghanistan, continued the war in Iraq, and is starting new wars in Pakistan and Yemen and in various regions of Africa.
Both Reps and Dems are for the war party, for war all day and all year, every day and every year. Because it pays to well and keeps the dissident elements and the poor frightened sedated and entertained. As the late, great Chalmers Johnson kept reminding us starting the BLOWBACK in 1999...Keep up the good work my friend.
Dan Berman, Davis California, working on a 2nd edition of my 1978 book DEATH ON THE JOB, in my "retirement."
In 1963/'64 Mississippi racists burned down dozens of African-American churches where there was a suspicion local church members were tied up to the civil rights movement. James Chaney, Mickey Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman were murdered when they drove up from Meridian to Philidelphia, Mississippi to check out what had happened with one of those churches.
My first job, as a voter rights worker, when I arrived in Meridian in late July, was to collect Mickey Schwerner's effects: clothes and books and CORE buttons, and send them back to his widow Rita in Brooklyn.
So burning houses of God is nothing new in this country. A documentary film called Neshoba (the town of Philadelphia is located in Neshoba County, Mississippi) has just been launched and included in-depth interviews with the lead Klansman who carried out the killing. (For more info. go to http://blog-aroundharlem.com/2010/08/13/film-neshoba-the-price-of-freedom/.
Keep up the good work, Juan Cole. I read our blog almost every day.
Dan Berman, Davis, California