Power to the people
I was in Kanab, Utah for July 4th festivities. Being in a small town in the United States for Independence day was a bit of a cross cultural experience. Every small town has a parade and Kanab put on quite a show with old guys driving old cars, young guys drapped in patriotic regalia leading a line of shopping carts, a book shop owner in a risque pose in a bathtub, and the US Forest Service hosing everyone down.
What struck me most about the parade was the celebration of war. The parade's title was the "Highway of heroes" and all throughout the announcer made reference to "our war heroes" who have shown a great deal of bravery to protect the "freedoms and liberties of the American people." I believe that you can tell a lot about a culture by their heroes both past and present. It seems that the heroes of today are those who have been active participants of an invading army into countries who did not deserve such treatment.
What is particularly fascinating is that everyone tows the party line. Well, almost everyone. I went to a coffee shop after the parade to sip on a cappacino and contemplate the morning (this coffee shop included outdoor equipment, books and coffee. A perfect store!). So Charlie behind the counter pipes up about the parade and how the war culture is celebrated in the US. To be a patriot is to be a supporter of war. Charlie is a Vietnam vet and he has a very different opinion. "War is bullshit. It's about killing and people don't know how bad it is to kill someone until they've done it. I go into schools and tell kids about how awful war is." The town had invited Charlie to walk the parade as a Vet, but he refused fearing that it would promote war.
As I drive through the US I am deeply concerned about the future of countries such as Syria and Iran. The US administration is working hard to pressure Iran to stop the development of nuclear weapons and to promote safe and responsible use of nuclear technology. This is the official story that is being sold to Europe and North America, but I have my doubts.
We need to look back at history to understand what is happening. Let's keep in mind a few facts of history that have upset US policy makers.
1. The revolution in 1979 overthrew the Shah and brought Khomeini to power who installed an Islamic state. The US lost their man in power and with it the control of a vast oil supply.
2. Six months after the overthrow of the Shah, there were some Iranian students who stormed the US embassy and took over 400 US citizens hostage. This obviously upset the US powers. [It is important to note that the Iranians took this action for fear that the US were going to overthrow Khomeini. They had valid reasons to be upset since the US / Britain overthrew the democratically elected leader of Iran, Mohammad Mossadegh, in a coup in 1953]
3. Iran is a strong opponent to Israel's actions in the region. They have a strong Shiite majority who have shown they are willing to fight when oppressed. This was witnessed during the eight year war in the 1980s between Iraq and Iran when the US was supporting Iraq with arms and intelligence.
The drums of war are beating. The US has been pushing for a foreign intervention into Syria suggesting that it is the only solution to overcome the crisis. If it was not for the Russian and Chinese governments blocking the motion, NATO would be conducting bombing missions over Syria.
When it comes to Iran the efforts of the West have been even more overt. Washington has had direct involvement in subversive tactics to undermine Iran. They include the joint effort with Israel to develop and release the Stuxnet virus, a type of malware that was intended to shut down Iranian nuclear power stations. Another action included the assassination of five nuclear scientists in Iran within a six month period.
What is most disturbing is the general lack of awareness of the US government's support of terrorist organization's such as the MLK. If you have the time there is a revealing summary of US support the MKO, a terrorist organization that first gained outside support in the 1980s during the Iraq-Iran Gulf War. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=31861
So why does this all matter? We need to be aware of the influence of media and the omission of certain key facts that influence us as a population. Iran has the same rights to nuclear technology as any other country.
What struck me most about the parade was the celebration of war. The parade's title was the "Highway of heroes" and all throughout the announcer made reference to "our war heroes" who have shown a great deal of bravery to protect the "freedoms and liberties of the American people." I believe that you can tell a lot about a culture by their heroes both past and present. It seems that the heroes of today are those who have been active participants of an invading army into countries who did not deserve such treatment.
What is particularly fascinating is that everyone tows the party line. Well, almost everyone. I went to a coffee shop after the parade to sip on a cappacino and contemplate the morning (this coffee shop included outdoor equipment, books and coffee. A perfect store!). So Charlie behind the counter pipes up about the parade and how the war culture is celebrated in the US. To be a patriot is to be a supporter of war. Charlie is a Vietnam vet and he has a very different opinion. "War is bullshit. It's about killing and people don't know how bad it is to kill someone until they've done it. I go into schools and tell kids about how awful war is." The town had invited Charlie to walk the parade as a Vet, but he refused fearing that it would promote war.
As I drive through the US I am deeply concerned about the future of countries such as Syria and Iran. The US administration is working hard to pressure Iran to stop the development of nuclear weapons and to promote safe and responsible use of nuclear technology. This is the official story that is being sold to Europe and North America, but I have my doubts.
We need to look back at history to understand what is happening. Let's keep in mind a few facts of history that have upset US policy makers.
1. The revolution in 1979 overthrew the Shah and brought Khomeini to power who installed an Islamic state. The US lost their man in power and with it the control of a vast oil supply.
2. Six months after the overthrow of the Shah, there were some Iranian students who stormed the US embassy and took over 400 US citizens hostage. This obviously upset the US powers. [It is important to note that the Iranians took this action for fear that the US were going to overthrow Khomeini. They had valid reasons to be upset since the US / Britain overthrew the democratically elected leader of Iran, Mohammad Mossadegh, in a coup in 1953]
3. Iran is a strong opponent to Israel's actions in the region. They have a strong Shiite majority who have shown they are willing to fight when oppressed. This was witnessed during the eight year war in the 1980s between Iraq and Iran when the US was supporting Iraq with arms and intelligence.
The drums of war are beating. The US has been pushing for a foreign intervention into Syria suggesting that it is the only solution to overcome the crisis. If it was not for the Russian and Chinese governments blocking the motion, NATO would be conducting bombing missions over Syria.
When it comes to Iran the efforts of the West have been even more overt. Washington has had direct involvement in subversive tactics to undermine Iran. They include the joint effort with Israel to develop and release the Stuxnet virus, a type of malware that was intended to shut down Iranian nuclear power stations. Another action included the assassination of five nuclear scientists in Iran within a six month period.
What is most disturbing is the general lack of awareness of the US government's support of terrorist organization's such as the MLK. If you have the time there is a revealing summary of US support the MKO, a terrorist organization that first gained outside support in the 1980s during the Iraq-Iran Gulf War. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=31861
So why does this all matter? We need to be aware of the influence of media and the omission of certain key facts that influence us as a population. Iran has the same rights to nuclear technology as any other country.
As they say: "Power to the people." Yet the people are only powerful when they access to information from all points of view.
"Liberty cannot be
preserved without a general knowledge among the people"John Adams, second president of the USA.
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