The Long Road of History?

Programs of world domination by great powers that would have left Napoleon, or even Hitler, aghast are now presented with a straight face as international crusades for freedom, peace, sweetness and light.

So wrote Henry Elmer Barnes, a noted historian, in a volume under his editorship called Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace published in 1952. This volume was about the drive towards WW II and FDR's privately pursued though publicly denied policy of involving the United States in that conflict (by provoking a Japanese attack upon US interests thus justifying a declaration of war). The rest, as they say, is history: the Cold War; the military-industrial complex (sort of socialism for the rich and free market competition for the workers and poor); the domination of US-based finance capital. Historically, the crusade against the "Red Menace" began with Woodrow Wilson in the immediate aftermath of the Bolsheviks' coming to power. It just heated up after WW II. A disinterested viewer from the outside might have concluded, from vast evidence, that interference in other countries, the waging of war and the pursuit of domination, was much greater in the capitalist west than in the communist east. And with the demise of the USSR in 1991, this greed for world domination has not lessened; only the need for new enemies has arisen. People familiar with Cheney-Rumsfeld's Project for a New American Century see all too clearly how 9/11 played so well into these imperialistic hopes and dreams.

One might think that religious crusades ended in the Middle Ages; in fact, they did. But Bush and his backers need some tool to whip up hysteria and war support among the home population and "Islamo-Fascism" and a new Caliphate have been chosen to fill the bill. Aside from the disgusting chauvinism involved, this propaganda campaign is downright silly. Obviously the right-wingers know no shame; sometimes they seem to possess no brains either. That the Arc of Instability which Bush wants to dominate contains so much oil and gas is merest coincidence, right? I suppose that in addition to asserting dictatorial powers, Cheney's refusal to release information from his energy task force was likely based on hiding that he and his energy oligarchs were divvying up middle eastern oil even before the Iraq war. Now, that would constitute evidence of a criminal conspiracy (and the conspiracy is about to bear fruit with the proposed new Iraqi Oil law and its PSA's, the law and sharing agreements having been written by the oil industry in the US). The regime, and a compliant Congress, have been only too quick to claim and legalize dictatorial powers and secrecy and exemption from laws and accepted norms. If the Nazis had been perspicacious enough to pass laws exempting themselves from war-crimes prosecutions, might Nuremberg not have happened? Would the victorious powers have thrown up their hands in frustration that they had been cut off at the pass? A silly enormity: now that's an oxy- for all the -morons out there.

And is this murderous drive for domination for the benefit of the home population? If it were, income inequality would be lessening, not growing, high-paying jobs would be increasing, not declining, promises of "wealth beyond the dreams of avarice" would be offered to the people. Roman Legions got to share in the booty; English soldiers sent to Ireland were promised (Irish) land. Average Americans are offered only more lost jobs, more poverty, more crime in the streets. In the State of the Union Bush claimed the United States has the greatest health care in the world. That was a lie, a demonstrable lie. America's people might not be sure what to do to right things but they no longer fall for the propaganda. The problem is they are only offered occasional elections where we get to choose twixt tweedledum and tweedledee and the war goes on. Pressure on the Congress to throw the bastards out and then prosecute them for their crimes is our only short-term option and very few elected representatives have the backbone to do that. Most officials get elected by money from business interests and if business wants to control the world's economy and its resources, well, it's dangerous to bite the hand that feeds you. It takes both brains and courage to jump off the gravy train, and courage, at least, has never been a politician's forte. Such is the current state of leadership.

Meanwhile, back at the "Red Menace" ranch, in Russia, the home of Bolshevism, how has the return to capitalism changed the country? An article in Pravda states that per capita GDP in 2006 is lower than in 1991, that 15% of the population receives 57% of incomes (2005 US stats: 20% get 50%), that industrial output has fallen from 38% to 28% of GDP, that manufacturing is only 45% of 1991 levels, and 40% of the population is officially below the poverty line. Welcome to America, Comrades!