Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Moral and Political Degradation


There is an extraordinary essay over at Crooks & Liars by Ian Welsh on the current political and moral status of our neighbour down south.

He writes this:

It is also noteworthy that spending billions on turning brown people into a fine red mist (a.k.a. the Afghan war) is acceptable, but health care (a.k.a. saving actual American lives) is something which can't cost money. What an interesting--and clearly evil--set of priorities that reveals. I guarantee that real healthcare reform would save more American lives than the entire war on terror—assuming said "war" hasn't cost more American lives than it's saved, which is almost certainly the case.

and also of Gitmo North where prisoners who can't be convicted for lack of evidence are held without trial:

people whom the government judges there is not enough evidence to convict, will be held indefinitely without trial. This is the very definition of tyranny. Any nation which does this is a nation of men, not laws. America has forsaken its fundamental premise and proved its degradation. Yes, this started under Bush, but as Obama embraces this, it because a bipartisan project and the new elite consensus. This is now something which has been confirmed as US policy which is extremely unlikely to change no matter who is in power.



The whole article is well worth reading in full, along with the comments.

It is heartbreaking for so many, many Americans, who had the glimmering of hope and now see it utterly destroyed.

Posted subsequently:

My friend Annie writes of a child soldier (the first in the world being prosecuted for war crimes) being included in this obscene US travesty of justice. He has been held without trial since 2002. The Canadian government is complicit in this by its silence.

10 comments:

  1. The whole thing is just chilling, isn't it.

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  2. As he says, real healthcare reform would save more American lives than the entire war on terror. But as usual the military machine triumphs over all other priorities, and a mere president, however charismatic, is no match for this voracious monster.

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  3. In the old days, the buzz word was "bringing civilization", now it's "bringing democracy".... same s**t, different decade...

    Issues such as health care, climate justice are just part of the same equation. Except, they are introducing "democracy" to our lives this time!....

    comical!

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  4. Annie:
    I agree, all was foretold years ago - the giant military-industrial machine would make life not worth living.
    XO
    WWW

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  5. Nick:
    When the government is run by the rapacious corporatocracy, there is no hope for the rest of us.
    XO
    WWW

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  6. Nevin:
    It is the Masters of the Universe and their spinmeisters, sedating the masses.
    XO
    WWW

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  7. My promise to myself to conentrate on the positive is getting hard to keep. The health care reform debacle is verging on the ridiculous. If it wasn't so important to so many citizens it'd be laughable.

    I still don't blame Obama though. He always knew the situation with corporations, he's not daft! He knew he would have to do the best he could without getting a bullet in his back - he has two children to think about and a clear example or two in history of what CAN happen. I still think he's our best hope of those who the corporations would allow us to have. :-(

    The only thing I can think of in positive frame of mind is that "the universe is unfolding as it should".....maybe the USA has to go through this in order to rouse its citizens to such anger that a revolution of sorts will happen in the future. Maybe this horrible period just has to be traversed to get to somewhere better. But whether I'll still be around when that happens is doubtful.

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  8. T:
    You are not alone. I had semi-resolved to cease publishing political exposes and rants but realized that the more people who are aware, the better.
    I agree on the danger BO could place himself and wonder a lot why he took the job and also why not one of his political promises has not been honoured.
    Indeed he is continuing the work of his predecessor and the fact he wouldn't sign off on the banning of landmines was hugely significant to me. Symptomatic of the deeper issues.
    I am very scared for the future of our children and grandchildren.
    XO
    WWW

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  9. "What is depressing about this is that it should be a surprise to no one, but apparently has surprised many."

    If the human population of the planet were suddenly turned into ostriches, I wonder how many would have their heads permanently in the sand?

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  10. RJA:
    Most, I fear, are already behaving like ostriches. The alternative is far too frightening.
    XO
    WWW

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