“It's like bombing Sicily to try to beat the Mafia“
So I've received a few emails telling me that because I'm not an American I have no right to comment, and that any foreigners killed are insignificant in comparison to the Americans killed. First of all, ignoring the obvious bigotry in the notion that somehow American life is more valuable, all this has made America institute new laws making it dangerous for me to enter the US, which gives me the right to comment. I don't want to be held in prison without charge indefinitely. I work closely with many US companies and organizations and this deeply affects my ability to be involved. In addition, because the US is playing this out internationally, everyone in the international community has the right to speak on it. This is just more of the “free speech” bullshit we've been seeing — freedom of speech means you're free to say what the government allows. I suppose that now I've flipped people perhaps from saying I have no right to be involved, so saying that I'm personalizing it and blindly hating the US. Read the links I provide then. Interpret them differently. All I ask is that you educate yourself and be aware of what's happening in the world. After all, it is where we all have to live.
First just let me say that Dan Rather is a fool. His assistant came down with anthrax, but he refuses to be either tested or treated, saying it's his way of “defying the terrorists”. He does make a valid point that he feels too much attention is being paid to the anthrax and too little to America's actions in the war though… Of course, now that they've shown conlclusively that the source of the anthrax is the US military, I'm sure the conspiracy theorists will have a suitable explanation shortly.
First they reinstitute torture, now they reinstitute assassination… I'm really boggled at some of the government's actions on this one. For example, I understand that the Taleban may well be hiding weapons in “unbombable” locations, but when the US bombs mosques and pledges to keep bombing through Ramadan, do they not realize the effect that will have on the rest of the Islamic world, no matter how much they can strategically justify it? I'm not saying that the US can win this war — if anything, evidence suggests they can't either by ground war or by bombing — but ultimately, the US is calling the shots and has effectively limitless resources to throw at this (unlike the British)… I'd just have hoped they'd choose a more humanitarian response.
Another reason why I have a right to talk about this is because of the “real reasons” behind this war. I want to remind you again that the US announced that it was going to invade Afghanistan in August. So don't believe the lie that they invaded over the attacks — that is simply a convenient excuse that hides the real black gold reason. Now why does that make me nervous? Because Canada possesses the world's largest supply of oil by an order of magnitude. Now that we can process the tar sands, Canada has literally ten to fifteen times as much oil as Saudi Arabia. It's great for me because my grandfather bought hundreds of thousands of acres of land in Alberta and when he sold them kept the oil rights, and my family still receives monthly royalties… but it's not so great for me if the Middle East turns into a warground that produces no oil and the US starts looking for other sources.
And that doesn't even address the fact that the domestic response has included monstrous erosion of rights. It's sad that the more flags get flown, the more rights get taken. The more someone boasts about being patriotic, the more they tell me I have no right to write these words. Until now I was not aware that that is what the flag means, but now, every time I see the American flag flying, all it makes me think of is the erosion of civil liberties and the score of people sending me hatemail and death threats. I have no doubt that many of you brand me a commie or an anarchist or probably even in league with terrorists (and under US law, I suppose I am)… but when you brand me that, just be very careful in remembering what you might be branded should your politics become distasteful to the folks with the big guns.
PS. Want a reason to move to Toronto? Or maybe Amsterdam?
PPS. Need a student loan voided? This will do it.
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