After reflecting on President Obama’s inaugural address, I come away not with the hope of change expressed by so many, but with disappointment and skepticism. I base this reaction on several of his statements that I found disturbingly reminiscent of Bush Administration policies and attitudes.
“Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.”
This is that same old “good against evil” mentality that has been used to promote the idea that we are engaged in a battle with unreasonable and sinister forces that are set, not against our policies and actions in the world, but against our very ideals. This argument negates the need for diplomacy, fairness, and justice in dealing with our opponents, and promotes the notion that war is the only solution.
“We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense…”
This statement conveys a belligerence that for the rest of the world sounds all too familiar. Worse, it excuses the interference in other nation’s economies and leadership that America has been engaged in covertly and openly for many decades. The phrase “American interests” has been used to justify assassinations, coups, violent incursions, support of brutal dictators and an enduring military presence in other nations, in order to sustain and defend “our way of life.” The message Obama gave to the world with this statement is that we’ll do whatever it takes to maintain our supremacy and feed our greed.
“…and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”
Obama made no mention of what those “aims” are, but the implication is that there is no political or social cause behind the tactics of “inducing terror and slaughtering innocents.” If the “war on terror” is defined simplistically as fighting those with evil aims, then the true cause of terrorism can never be addressed or defeated. Until the aims are correctly recognized, properly defined, and actively addressed, the only option is perpetual war.
“To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.”
The phrase “blame their society's ills on the West,” completely invalidates the very real concern of many people in other nations who’ve been severely impacted by our policies. It ignores the dire results of covert operations in Central and South America that enabled brutal leaders and militant groups to slaughter thousands of civilians, U.S. military invasions in the Middle East that brought pain and death to millions, and unconditional U.S. support of the Israeli occupation of Palestine which has caused the suffering of several generations of Arabs. It’s a sad fact that America has been the source of grievous “ills” for several dozen societies, and with one sweeping statement Obama shrugged off our responsibility to see that from now on, peace, justice, and freedom are served by our policies.
“To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
This is a perfect example of America’s unwillingness to admit any culpability for our support of corrupt deceitful regimes such as that of several Latin American countries, Saddam Hussein, the Saudi royal family, Egypt and Israel. It ignores the possibility that if we first extended our hand in a gesture of fairness and respect for human rights, the fists would naturally unclench
And finally; “We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth.”
With this statement, Obama reinforces the impression that we are an egomaniacal society that intends to continue to exert hegemony to maintain our perceived supremacy at all costs.
All in all, I don’t see any indication of a change in attitude toward the rest of the planet or a change in our foreign policy which might bring about the peace Obama claims to champion on behalf of America. With the above referenced statements, he keeps us on the same destructive and dangerous road that led to the events of 9/11.
No change, no hope.
.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
What If It Was Us?
To get an idea of what life must be like for the people of Gaza right now, try to imagine the following…
It’s been forty-two years since the U.S. lost the war with Mexico and they set up a military occupation in the territories of Southern California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Texas and Colorado. Mexican civilians have been moving in to these territories, building walled neighborhoods and Mexican only highways that destroy our homes and ranches, cut us off from each other, and strangle our economy. Those of us who weren’t driven out of the country in the 1967 military campaign are now penned in by high concrete walls and subject to checkpoints, curfews, closures, searches, and raids at the hands of the Mexican army.
The people of the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado are suffering from a terrible crisis. There are now over a million American refugees crowded into the area from Buffalo Valley to Independence Pass and from Missouri Heights to McClure Pass. The Mexican government has complete control of the Valley’s borders, and for the last eighteen months they have imposed a blockade, closing the airports and all roads into and out of the Valley, cutting off supplies of food, medicine and fuel which means our electrical, water and sewer systems don’t work.
Our children are starving and our sick are dying. But the Organized Resistance Movement is still alive. In fact, in a free and fair election we voted the ORM into power. ORM members are our police, fire, and government officials and help supply us with humanitarian aid, food and fuel. They are our lifeline. In addition, ORM has a military wing made up of 20,000 of our brave husbands, fathers and sons who fight to gain our freedom from the occupiers so we can form a state of our own, independent from Mexico, which some believe to be a futile hope.
A few weeks ago ORM’s military wing launched a barrage of rockets (smuggled from Canada) into the Mexican town of Agua Caliente - what used to be Glenwood Springs. No one was killed, but citing the right to defend their civilians from attack, the Mexican military began an aerial assault, dropping bombs on the Roaring Fork Valley for over a week, killing hundreds of residents.
They first destroyed the tunnels that are used to smuggle in food, medicine, and fuel to keep our people alive, and weapons to keep the resistance movement alive. Aspen Valley Chapel, Basalt High School and the Carbondale campus of Colorado Mountain College were bombed because the Mexican government claimed they were meeting places used by ORM to plan attacks.
Then they targeted our government facilities. All of our city halls have been destroyed as well as the homes of our mayors and town council members. When the home of Basalt Mayor Leroy Duroux, was demolished, he and his wife Janice were killed leaving behind their children Amy and Darren. Most of Aspen, Basalt, and Carbondale’s town councils have been killed along with their spouses and children, though miraculously, Aspen Mayor Mick Ireland escaped unscathed.
The Valley’s fire stations, police stations and police officer’s homes were bombed. Sherriff Braudis and Police Chiefs Pryor and Shilling and their families are all dead. Basalt’s Police Chief Ikeda narrowly escaped his home before it was bombed, but was killed when the car he was fleeing in was hit by a Mexican missile. During that operation, the Basalt neighborhood where Ikeda lived was destroyed. Twelve people were killed and forty more wounded.
Our medical facilities have little medicine or electricity, so after pressure from international humanitarian groups, the Mexican government agreed to send in some medical supplies, but it isn’t enough to treat the thousands of wounded people, with more coming in every day.
We were already weakened from the blockade, now our infrastructure is destroyed, our government officials and public servants have all been murdered. Over five-hundred of our friends, family and neighbors have been killed, and as Mexican tanks and troops advance into the Roaring Fork Valley, we know we’re in for more death and destruction. But what can we do? We’re a hopeless people, fighting a hopeless cause. We have no tanks, no anti-aircraft guns, and no planes with which to repel the onslaught of Mexican military might. We can’t even send our women and children to safety outside of the Valley because we’re penned in like defenseless animals ready for slaughter.
The world’s leaders are turning a blind eye. They say it’s our own fault for electing the wrong people. We’re on our own. But we vow to fight to the death for our freedom, for our dignity, for our right to live on our own land, because despite forty-two years of foreign occupation, we are still proud Americans…
Please for the sake of people just like us, in towns just like ours, who love their children as much as we do, call or write your government representatives today, including president-elect Obama, and tell them that you want America to stand up for the lives and rights of the Gazan people. Demand that Israel end this bloody siege now.
.
It’s been forty-two years since the U.S. lost the war with Mexico and they set up a military occupation in the territories of Southern California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Texas and Colorado. Mexican civilians have been moving in to these territories, building walled neighborhoods and Mexican only highways that destroy our homes and ranches, cut us off from each other, and strangle our economy. Those of us who weren’t driven out of the country in the 1967 military campaign are now penned in by high concrete walls and subject to checkpoints, curfews, closures, searches, and raids at the hands of the Mexican army.
The people of the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado are suffering from a terrible crisis. There are now over a million American refugees crowded into the area from Buffalo Valley to Independence Pass and from Missouri Heights to McClure Pass. The Mexican government has complete control of the Valley’s borders, and for the last eighteen months they have imposed a blockade, closing the airports and all roads into and out of the Valley, cutting off supplies of food, medicine and fuel which means our electrical, water and sewer systems don’t work.
Our children are starving and our sick are dying. But the Organized Resistance Movement is still alive. In fact, in a free and fair election we voted the ORM into power. ORM members are our police, fire, and government officials and help supply us with humanitarian aid, food and fuel. They are our lifeline. In addition, ORM has a military wing made up of 20,000 of our brave husbands, fathers and sons who fight to gain our freedom from the occupiers so we can form a state of our own, independent from Mexico, which some believe to be a futile hope.
A few weeks ago ORM’s military wing launched a barrage of rockets (smuggled from Canada) into the Mexican town of Agua Caliente - what used to be Glenwood Springs. No one was killed, but citing the right to defend their civilians from attack, the Mexican military began an aerial assault, dropping bombs on the Roaring Fork Valley for over a week, killing hundreds of residents.
They first destroyed the tunnels that are used to smuggle in food, medicine, and fuel to keep our people alive, and weapons to keep the resistance movement alive. Aspen Valley Chapel, Basalt High School and the Carbondale campus of Colorado Mountain College were bombed because the Mexican government claimed they were meeting places used by ORM to plan attacks.
Then they targeted our government facilities. All of our city halls have been destroyed as well as the homes of our mayors and town council members. When the home of Basalt Mayor Leroy Duroux, was demolished, he and his wife Janice were killed leaving behind their children Amy and Darren. Most of Aspen, Basalt, and Carbondale’s town councils have been killed along with their spouses and children, though miraculously, Aspen Mayor Mick Ireland escaped unscathed.
The Valley’s fire stations, police stations and police officer’s homes were bombed. Sherriff Braudis and Police Chiefs Pryor and Shilling and their families are all dead. Basalt’s Police Chief Ikeda narrowly escaped his home before it was bombed, but was killed when the car he was fleeing in was hit by a Mexican missile. During that operation, the Basalt neighborhood where Ikeda lived was destroyed. Twelve people were killed and forty more wounded.
Our medical facilities have little medicine or electricity, so after pressure from international humanitarian groups, the Mexican government agreed to send in some medical supplies, but it isn’t enough to treat the thousands of wounded people, with more coming in every day.
We were already weakened from the blockade, now our infrastructure is destroyed, our government officials and public servants have all been murdered. Over five-hundred of our friends, family and neighbors have been killed, and as Mexican tanks and troops advance into the Roaring Fork Valley, we know we’re in for more death and destruction. But what can we do? We’re a hopeless people, fighting a hopeless cause. We have no tanks, no anti-aircraft guns, and no planes with which to repel the onslaught of Mexican military might. We can’t even send our women and children to safety outside of the Valley because we’re penned in like defenseless animals ready for slaughter.
The world’s leaders are turning a blind eye. They say it’s our own fault for electing the wrong people. We’re on our own. But we vow to fight to the death for our freedom, for our dignity, for our right to live on our own land, because despite forty-two years of foreign occupation, we are still proud Americans…
Please for the sake of people just like us, in towns just like ours, who love their children as much as we do, call or write your government representatives today, including president-elect Obama, and tell them that you want America to stand up for the lives and rights of the Gazan people. Demand that Israel end this bloody siege now.
.
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