I just read this morning where Eldaneyis Mosquera, the most senior woman leader in the Revolutionary Armed forces of Colombia was captured. I’m sure the story line for most of the mainstream US media will portray her as an “enemy”.
But Mosquerqa is not the enemy. It is the right-wing corrupt government of Colombia, supported by the right-wing corrupt administration and multinational corporations of the USA who are the enemies. We will hear how “evil” Hugo Chavez supported Mosquera. The ONLY reason that Chavez is considered “evil” is because he refused to take the crumbs that American oil companies offered Venezuela and he nationalized oil. End of story and end of profits for Exxon in Venezuela. We should follow his example here in the USA in regard to managing our countries oil resources.The leaders of our government do not care who is in control of a country as long as it serves big business and the oil business in particular. This is true whether we are talking about Venezuela, Colombia, Iraq or Iran or ANY country in the world. We will prop up any sorry sack of an excuse for humanity as long as it is “good for business.” When we launch attacks against “evil dictators” like Saddam, it is ONLY because they pose a threat to the business of multinational corporations. Saddam was our “friend” in the 1980’s.
It is important that as citizens of a democracy, we educate ourselves on what is going down in Colombia. Why? Because our government is in the thick of what is happening in that country. Because the spouse of one of our Democratic candidates in 2005 took $800,000 from a Colombian company surreptitiously for making 8 speeches on behalf of promoting trade agreements in South America. Bill Clinton even accepted an award from the corrupt President of Colombia in 2007—the same one who has instigated death squads to murder people who try to start unions to improve working conditions in factories owned by American corporations like Cargill and Coca Cola.
IRAN? You want to understand Iran, or do you just want to get on the saber rattling bandwagon of the right-wing politicians? In order to negotiate and talk with another nation, you must first understand their viewpoint. You can begin with the Shah who was installed and supported as dictator in that country by the USA. If you don’t know, you need to read a few books about life for the people of Iran under the rule of the Shah and then you might understand a little better their fear and hatred of the USA.http://www.iranchamber.com/history/coup53/coup53p1.php
Look at the perspective of nuclear weapons from a less biased perspective. Here we are, the only nation in the world who has ever launched a nuclear weapon against humanity telling Iran who is surrounded by two neighbors (Pakistan and India) who do have weapons that they can’t develop nuclear energy because they can’t be trusted. Is this hypocrisy or what?
ALL countries including the USA should retire their nuclear weapons. Perhaps the solution is to have inspectors from all countries inspect all countries, including the USA on a regular and also unscheduled basis. But NO country should be allowed to have nuclear weapons and until the USA can meet this criteria ourselves, we have no damn right to be telling any country not to—especially considering our own horrible record on this issue.
Little Dine'
What is most telling is that I was almost in my forties when I learned this; and I learned it in seminary, not through the MSM. I won't be the least bit surprised if the CIA doesn't kill Hugo Chavez because of his "business unfriendly" and "people friendly" approach to governance.
No matter how you try to spin this kind of thing, it doesn't fit with the ethics of government that we claim.
This is another reason we need progressive leadership in the Senate, House, and Administration. Then we can work on the courts.