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Holy...Welch is another one that needs to be carefully read!=20
Read this!!!
M -
www.melektro.com
+++
Still Crazy
by Daniel Patrick Welch
July 31, 2003
After all these years, it still amazes how Americans can remain so =
disconnected from the world events in which we play so central a role. I =
use the term "world events" loosely, since the US today seems to have =
lost even its historically tenuous connections with the reality of the =
rest of the world. We continue to call our baseball championships the =
World Series, oblivious to how quaint and naive, at best--or arrogant =
and self-absorbed, at worst--it has always seemed to the rest of the =
world. This has been the hallmark of Americans' role in the world--a =
curious blend of ubiquitous involvement paired with near-total =
ignorance.
But the lovable galumphing innocent act has worn thin around the =
world--innocents don't usually oust your elected leaders and install =
their own puppets--and its charm, if it ever had any, is no longer. Yet =
the national stupidity persists, facilitated by its enablers in the =
headline-addicted US press establishment, to the detriment of the =
American reputation around the world. Consider these gems from recent =
press accounts of the massacre in the Mansur district of Baghdad: "Oh So =
Close," chirped half a dozen tabloids. So close to what, exactly? =
Genocide? A War Crimes Tribunal?
No. The reference to a botched raid on a house where Saddam "may have =
been hiding" was to how close our liberators came to catching The Beast. =
The press has so completely given itself over to Pentagon propaganda =
that they can't even see red flags where they should, sort of like a =
Bizzarro Running of the Bulls. Before the monotony set in, my ears =
perked up at the tedious repetition of the obviously planted party line: =
how US forces had come within twenty-four hours of catching Hussein's =
security detail, "...and possibly even the deposed dictator himself."
Imagine my excitement! Almost! Very close! How dumb do you have to be to =
infer correctly that, in the pathologically dishonest code of the worst =
administration in history, as phrase as weak as "possibly even" should =
translate as "definitely not." Almost, we have learned, only counts in =
horseshoes and WMDs.
Aside from Paul Simon lyrics, the other reference unzipping itself from =
the archive of my subconscious was the memory of Winston Smith, Orwell's =
everyman from 1984, sitting and playing chess while listening to =
broadcasts of how Big Brother would cleverly defeat the enemy. The =
parallel is chilling, and makes me wonder what kind of personal hell we =
are each supposed to go through before we all finally love Big Brother.
"How stupid do they think we are?," the question fairly screams in our =
minds. Apparently exactly as stupid as we have proven to be after all =
these years. Orwell's Goldstein expounded that he who controls the =
present controls the past, and he who controls the past controls the =
future. Of course, 1984 was at least partly fiction, a figment of =
Orwell's fertile communist imagination. We never got to see the other =
side of the story Winston weaves into a stunning triumph for Big =
Brother.
In this reality, at least for now, we are indeed privy to the rest of =
the story. We have access to front line reports of the massacre that =
unfolded under the name of this botched raid. The Independent's Robert =
Fisk takes a different line than the oft-repeated Fish Story: Troops =
Turn Botched Raid into Massacre. "At least one civilian car caught fire, =
cremating its occupants," reports Fisk. One civilian was brought to =
Yarmouk hospital "with his brain outside of his head." Well, Emily =
Latilla would have remarked before issuing her trademark "Never mind," =
"That's very different!"
However, the Fish Story about "the one that got away" is more compelling =
in our national, self-delusional narrative than the truth, and far =
easier to digest. But nobody needs a doctor to tell them that whether =
something tastes good is not the best proof that it is safe to eat. =
Likewise, Americans should be careful to trace how this poisonous story =
was deceptively sweetened into a near triumph--especially when, under =
the icing, it reveals an unmitigated disaster.
The veneer, our seemingly unending capacity to stay Still Stupid After =
All These Years, allows our governments literally to get away with =
murder. It allows us to ignore the roots of hatred and distrust in the =
region, from the CIA ouster of the elected but unacceptably socialist =
government of Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953. Equally forgotten is the US =
installation of the Shah's brutal regime and tireless efforts to prop up =
repressive governments throughout the Gulf, including Hussein himself. =
He who controls the past....
But of course, Goldstein collides with Santayana at some inevitable =
point. We appear to be indeed condemned to repeat the closed loop of =
Occupation 101. The language of imperial conquest is always the same: =
liberation, civilization, democratization...all hopelessly =
self-aggrandizing concepts to the families of the victim "with his brain =
outside of his head." The stupidity gene has been equally inherited by =
both major parties over the years, despite the current mutation into the =
truly monstrous. Nonetheless, one of the most rational calls comes from =
Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, who suggests =
withdrawing US troops, turning over reconstruction (and contracting) =
over to the UN, and making the Administration pay for the reconstruction =
its bombing made necessary. Cheney's personal fortune should cover a =
chunk of it. Sound advice that won't be followed--Simon's lyrics give =
way to Pete Seeger's, in the plaintive, almost mournful chorus to "Where =
Have All the Flowers Gone?," a song he wrote in the wake of his =
indictment by the Unamerican Activities Commission in 1955: "When will =
we ever learn/Oh when will we ever learn?"
Daniel Patrick Welch lives and writes in Salem, Massachusetts, USA, with =
his wife, Julia Nambalirwa-Lugudde. Together they run The Greenhouse =
School. He has appeared on radio [interview available here]. Past =
articles and translations are available at
www.danielpwelch.com.
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<DIV><BR>Holy...Welch is another one that needs to be carefully read! =
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Read this!!!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>M - <A href=3D"
http://www.melektro.com">
www.melektro.com</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>+++</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Still Crazy<BR>by Daniel Patrick Welch</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>July 31, 2003</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>After all these years, it still amazes how Americans can remain so=20
disconnected from the world events in which we play so central a role. I =
use the=20
term "world events" loosely, since the US today seems to have lost even =
its=20
historically tenuous connections with the reality of the rest of the =
world. We=20
continue to call our baseball championships the World Series, oblivious =
to how=20
quaint and naive, at best--or arrogant and self-absorbed, at worst--it =
has=20
always seemed to the rest of the world. This has been the hallmark of =
Americans'=20
role in the world--a curious blend of ubiquitous involvement paired with =
near-total ignorance.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But the lovable galumphing innocent act has worn thin around the=20
world--innocents don't usually oust your elected leaders and install =
their own=20
puppets--and its charm, if it ever had any, is no longer. Yet the =
national=20
stupidity persists, facilitated by its enablers in the headline-addicted =
US=20
press establishment, to the detriment of the American reputation around =
the=20
world. Consider these gems from recent press accounts of the massacre in =
the=20
Mansur district of Baghdad: "Oh So Close," chirped half a dozen =
tabloids. So=20
close to what, exactly? Genocide? A War Crimes Tribunal?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>No. The reference to a botched raid on a house where Saddam "may =
have been=20
hiding" was to how close our liberators came to catching The Beast. The =
press=20
has so completely given itself over to Pentagon propaganda that they =
can't even=20
see red flags where they should, sort of like a Bizzarro Running of the =
Bulls.=20
Before the monotony set in, my ears perked up at the tedious repetition =
of the=20
obviously planted party line: how US forces had come within twenty-four =
hours of=20
catching Hussein's security detail, "...and possibly even the deposed =
dictator=20
himself."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Imagine my excitement! Almost! Very close! How dumb do you have to =
be to=20
infer correctly that, in the pathologically dishonest code of the worst=20
administration in history, as phrase as weak as "possibly even" should =
translate=20
as "definitely not." Almost, we have learned, only counts in horseshoes =
and=20
WMDs.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Aside from Paul Simon lyrics, the other reference unzipping itself =
from the=20
archive of my subconscious was the memory of Winston Smith, Orwell's =
everyman=20
from 1984, sitting and playing chess while listening to broadcasts of =
how Big=20
Brother would cleverly defeat the enemy. The parallel is chilling, and =
makes me=20
wonder what kind of personal hell we are each supposed to go through =
before we=20
all finally love Big Brother.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"How stupid do they think we are?," the question fairly screams in =
our=20
minds. Apparently exactly as stupid as we have proven to be after all =
these=20
years. Orwell's Goldstein expounded that he who controls the present =
controls=20
the past, and he who controls the past controls the future. Of course, =
1984 was=20
at least partly fiction, a figment of Orwell's fertile communist =
imagination. We=20
never got to see the other side of the story Winston weaves into a =
stunning=20
triumph for Big Brother.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In this reality, at least for now, we are indeed privy to the rest =
of the=20
story. We have access to front line reports of the massacre that =
unfolded under=20
the name of this botched raid. The Independent's Robert Fisk takes a =
different=20
line than the oft-repeated Fish Story: Troops Turn Botched Raid into =
Massacre.=20
"At least one civilian car caught fire, cremating its occupants," =
reports Fisk.=20
One civilian was brought to Yarmouk hospital "with his brain outside of =
his=20
head." Well, Emily Latilla would have remarked before issuing her =
trademark=20
"Never mind," "That's very different!"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>However, the Fish Story about "the one that got away" is more =
compelling in=20
our national, self-delusional narrative than the truth, and far easier =
to=20
digest. But nobody needs a doctor to tell them that whether something =
tastes=20
good is not the best proof that it is safe to eat. Likewise, Americans =
should be=20
careful to trace how this poisonous story was deceptively sweetened into =
a near=20
triumph--especially when, under the icing, it reveals an unmitigated=20
disaster.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The veneer, our seemingly unending capacity to stay Still Stupid =
After All=20
These Years, allows our governments literally to get away with murder. =
It allows=20
us to ignore the roots of hatred and distrust in the region, from the =
CIA ouster=20
of the elected but unacceptably socialist government of Mohammad =
Mossadegh in=20
1953. Equally forgotten is the US installation of the Shah's brutal =
regime and=20
tireless efforts to prop up repressive governments throughout the Gulf,=20
including Hussein himself. He who controls the past....</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But of course, Goldstein collides with Santayana at some inevitable =
point.=20
We appear to be indeed condemned to repeat the closed loop of Occupation =
101.=20
The language of imperial conquest is always the same: liberation, =
civilization,=20
democratization...all hopelessly self-aggrandizing concepts to the =
families of=20
the victim "with his brain outside of his head." The stupidity gene has =
been=20
equally inherited by both major parties over the years, despite the =
current=20
mutation into the truly monstrous. Nonetheless, one of the most rational =
calls=20
comes from Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, who =
suggests=20
withdrawing US troops, turning over reconstruction (and contracting) =
over to the=20
UN, and making the Administration pay for the reconstruction its bombing =
made=20
necessary. Cheney's personal fortune should cover a chunk of it. Sound =
advice=20
that won't be followed--Simon's lyrics give way to Pete Seeger's, in the =
plaintive, almost mournful chorus to "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?," =
a song=20
he wrote in the wake of his indictment by the Unamerican Activities =
Commission=20
in 1955: "When will we ever learn/Oh when will we ever learn?"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Daniel Patrick Welch lives and writes in Salem, Massachusetts, USA, =
with=20
his wife, Julia Nambalirwa-Lugudde. Together they run The Greenhouse =
School. He=20
has appeared on radio [interview available here]. Past articles and =
translations=20
are available at <A=20
href=3D"
http://www.danielpwelch.com">
www.danielpwelch.com</A>.</FONT></DI=
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