THE REAL POLITIK ISSUE: VOLUME 20, ISSUE 39
THE HANDMAIDEN
by Malik Isasis
Just as every modern politician before him, Barack Obama has went over to Israel and kissed the golden ring of the Israeli neocons. Obama predictably ignored the Palestinian apartheid, and overly sympathized with the Israeli government’s propaganda of victimhood, over its frequent aggressive bombings, assassinations and kidnappings. Obama’s platform of change rang hollow, as he visited the Holocaust memorial to lay a wreath. And just like every other politician before him, he arrogantly showed his cowardice to confront Israel on its dichotomy of morals by coughing up canned bullshit of blind servitude and unquestionable support.
Israeli neocons and corporate media have done something very clever. They have managed to take the genocide of six million Jewish people during World War II, trademark it, turn into a religion of worship and use it as a blunt instrument to colonize Arabs in the Middle East, and to control U.S. politicians to further, said colonization. No other genocide since, has had any relevance to the world.
Isn’t that right, Africa?
The Shakespearean Tragedy
Like Iago whispering twisted lies into Othello’s ear, the neoconservatives and The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC /Israel Lobby) have convinced George W. Bush, that democratization in the Middle East would result in a domino effect of democracy. The neoconservative cabal postulated that if Iraq were used as a model, Syria and Iran would surely follow with their own democratic revolutions, thus significantly or completely reducing the amount of terrorism. This was one of many rationales told to the American public after the Weapons of Mass Destruction claim fell apart upon further investigation, but the die for war had already been cast.
The Bush Administration, was filled to the brim with neocons such as Donald Rumsfield (former Secretary of Defense), Dick Cheney (current Vice President), Richard Perle (former member of Defense Policy Board under Bush Administration), Scooter Libby (former Chief of Staff), James Woosely (former CIA Director), John Bolton (former UN Ambassador), Paul Wolfowitz (former Under Secretary of Defense) and the late Jeane Kirkpatrick (former United Nations Human Rights Commission) all, signatories to a preemption manifesto called “Rebuilding America’s Defenses.” The manisfesto was originally submitted to President Clinton in the late 90s.
Many in the anti-war movement accused the Bush Administration of going to war over oil—this writer included, however, according to the working research paper titled, “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy” by Professors John J. Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen M. Walt of Harvard University, wrote “Some Americans believe that this was a ‘war for oil,’ but there is hardly any direct evidence to support this claim. Instead, the war was motivated in good part by a desire to make Israel more secure” (54).
Mearsheimer’s and Walt’s point about Bush's intention to make Israel safe is buying into the false argument that Israel is in danger. It is not. Israel is the most powerful country in the Middle East. The invasion was all about the oil, make no mistake about it.
Here is why: During the recent Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Iraq, Bush and his cronies asked for 58 permanent military bases, immunity for U.S. troops and mercenaries, and control of Iraqi air space up to 30,000 feet. During the first months of the occupation, under Coalition Provisional Authority chief L. Paul Bremer, the Bush Administration revised Iraqi legal codes and added 97 legal orders that read like a menu of how he and his cronies would rape the Iraqis.
Order #39: Privatize the country's 200 state-owned enterprises, permit 100 percent foreign ownership of Iraqi businesses, allow for complete repatriation of profits without tax. No requirements for reinvestment, hiring local labor, or provisioning public services. Labor rights non-existent.
Order #40: Foreign banks can enter the Iraqi market and take a 50 percent interest in formerly state-owned banks.
Order #49: Drop the corporate tax rate from 40 percent to a flat 15 percent. The income tax is capped at 15 percent.
Order #12: Suspension of "all tariffs, customs duties, import taxes, licensing fees and similar surcharges for goods entering or leaving Iraq, and all other trade restrictions that may apply to such goods." Result: A tidal wave of cheap imports wipes out locally made goods.
Order #17: Security firms get full immunity from Iraq's laws.
Mearsheimer’s and Walt’s paper, predictably came under scathing criticism by many in the media. The critics asserted that the paper was “marred by numerous errors.” However, the professors argument that AIPAC’s success in “convincing Americans that US and Israeli interests are essentially identical”(30) can not be overlooked, or easily dismissed.
“The combination of unwavering U.S. support for Israel and the related effort to spread democracy throughout the region has inflamed Arab and Islamic opinion and jeopardized U.S. security. This situation has no equal in American political history. Why has the United States adopted policies that jeopardized its own security in order to advance the
interests of another state?” (30).
Mearsheimer and Walt states that the blind allegiance with Israel is a strategic liability and argues thusly:
“A final reason to question Israel's strategic value is that it does not act like a loyal ally. Israeli officials frequently ignore U.S. requests and renege on promises made to top U.S. leaders (including past pledges to halt settlement construction and to refrain from "targeted assassinations" of Palestinian leaders). Moreover, Israel has provided sensitive U.S. military technology to potential U.S. rivals like China, in what the U.S. State Department inspector general called "a systematic and growing pattern of unauthorized transfers."
According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, Israel also "conducts the most aggressive espionage operations against the U.S. of any ally”(34).
On December 20, 2006 President Bush gave his final press conference of the year. In it, he stated, “I’m not going to make predictions about what 2007 will look like in Iraq, except that it’s going to require difficult choices and additional sacrifices, because the enemy is merciless and violent.”
Investigative journalist, Robert Parry reported on December 21, 2006 that, “The first two or three months of 2007 represent a dangerous opening for an escalation of war in the Middle East, as George W. Bush will be tempted to “double-down” his gamble in Iraq by joining with Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair to strike at Syria and Iran, intelligence sources say.”
The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy paper shed light on Bush’s motivation, which to me masked as a diagnosable psychotic break with reality, when historians look back on Bush’s reign, they may very well find that he suffered from a psychiatric mental illness, but for now it appears that he is only a meat puppet with a hand up his ass, moving his mouth. This is why Bush keeps moving forward, even when he doesn’t know what the hell he is doing or when the American people are telling him to stop.
Although Bush appears more and more isolated by his distorted worldview, he appears to have a lot of support from the neocons, AIPAC, Christian Zionists and the government officials in Israel, all whispering in his ear again about Iran and Syria. Although the neocons and AIPAC were wrong, dead wrong about the Iraq Invasion and subsequent Iraq Occupation, they still appear to keep his confidence.
Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Othello, is a tale of ill-placed trust. Blind trust between Othello and his friend Iago, who betrays him. Mearsheimer’s and Walt’s research paper is a wake up call.
Who stands to benefit from the destruction of Iran and Syria?
Who will pay the cost in blood and treasure?
The American people, of course, but I think Iago said it best when referring to Othello, which the AIPAC and the neocons will apply to the American populace.
“The Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are.”
THE HANDMAIDEN
by Malik Isasis
Just as every modern politician before him, Barack Obama has went over to Israel and kissed the golden ring of the Israeli neocons. Obama predictably ignored the Palestinian apartheid, and overly sympathized with the Israeli government’s propaganda of victimhood, over its frequent aggressive bombings, assassinations and kidnappings. Obama’s platform of change rang hollow, as he visited the Holocaust memorial to lay a wreath. And just like every other politician before him, he arrogantly showed his cowardice to confront Israel on its dichotomy of morals by coughing up canned bullshit of blind servitude and unquestionable support.
Israeli neocons and corporate media have done something very clever. They have managed to take the genocide of six million Jewish people during World War II, trademark it, turn into a religion of worship and use it as a blunt instrument to colonize Arabs in the Middle East, and to control U.S. politicians to further, said colonization. No other genocide since, has had any relevance to the world.
Isn’t that right, Africa?
The Shakespearean Tragedy
Like Iago whispering twisted lies into Othello’s ear, the neoconservatives and The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC /Israel Lobby) have convinced George W. Bush, that democratization in the Middle East would result in a domino effect of democracy. The neoconservative cabal postulated that if Iraq were used as a model, Syria and Iran would surely follow with their own democratic revolutions, thus significantly or completely reducing the amount of terrorism. This was one of many rationales told to the American public after the Weapons of Mass Destruction claim fell apart upon further investigation, but the die for war had already been cast.
The Bush Administration, was filled to the brim with neocons such as Donald Rumsfield (former Secretary of Defense), Dick Cheney (current Vice President), Richard Perle (former member of Defense Policy Board under Bush Administration), Scooter Libby (former Chief of Staff), James Woosely (former CIA Director), John Bolton (former UN Ambassador), Paul Wolfowitz (former Under Secretary of Defense) and the late Jeane Kirkpatrick (former United Nations Human Rights Commission) all, signatories to a preemption manifesto called “Rebuilding America’s Defenses.” The manisfesto was originally submitted to President Clinton in the late 90s.
Many in the anti-war movement accused the Bush Administration of going to war over oil—this writer included, however, according to the working research paper titled, “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy” by Professors John J. Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen M. Walt of Harvard University, wrote “Some Americans believe that this was a ‘war for oil,’ but there is hardly any direct evidence to support this claim. Instead, the war was motivated in good part by a desire to make Israel more secure” (54).
Mearsheimer’s and Walt’s point about Bush's intention to make Israel safe is buying into the false argument that Israel is in danger. It is not. Israel is the most powerful country in the Middle East. The invasion was all about the oil, make no mistake about it.
Here is why: During the recent Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Iraq, Bush and his cronies asked for 58 permanent military bases, immunity for U.S. troops and mercenaries, and control of Iraqi air space up to 30,000 feet. During the first months of the occupation, under Coalition Provisional Authority chief L. Paul Bremer, the Bush Administration revised Iraqi legal codes and added 97 legal orders that read like a menu of how he and his cronies would rape the Iraqis.
Order #39: Privatize the country's 200 state-owned enterprises, permit 100 percent foreign ownership of Iraqi businesses, allow for complete repatriation of profits without tax. No requirements for reinvestment, hiring local labor, or provisioning public services. Labor rights non-existent.
Order #40: Foreign banks can enter the Iraqi market and take a 50 percent interest in formerly state-owned banks.
Order #49: Drop the corporate tax rate from 40 percent to a flat 15 percent. The income tax is capped at 15 percent.
Order #12: Suspension of "all tariffs, customs duties, import taxes, licensing fees and similar surcharges for goods entering or leaving Iraq, and all other trade restrictions that may apply to such goods." Result: A tidal wave of cheap imports wipes out locally made goods.
Order #17: Security firms get full immunity from Iraq's laws.
Mearsheimer’s and Walt’s paper, predictably came under scathing criticism by many in the media. The critics asserted that the paper was “marred by numerous errors.” However, the professors argument that AIPAC’s success in “convincing Americans that US and Israeli interests are essentially identical”(30) can not be overlooked, or easily dismissed.
“The combination of unwavering U.S. support for Israel and the related effort to spread democracy throughout the region has inflamed Arab and Islamic opinion and jeopardized U.S. security. This situation has no equal in American political history. Why has the United States adopted policies that jeopardized its own security in order to advance the
interests of another state?” (30).
Mearsheimer and Walt states that the blind allegiance with Israel is a strategic liability and argues thusly:
“A final reason to question Israel's strategic value is that it does not act like a loyal ally. Israeli officials frequently ignore U.S. requests and renege on promises made to top U.S. leaders (including past pledges to halt settlement construction and to refrain from "targeted assassinations" of Palestinian leaders). Moreover, Israel has provided sensitive U.S. military technology to potential U.S. rivals like China, in what the U.S. State Department inspector general called "a systematic and growing pattern of unauthorized transfers."
According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, Israel also "conducts the most aggressive espionage operations against the U.S. of any ally”(34).
On December 20, 2006 President Bush gave his final press conference of the year. In it, he stated, “I’m not going to make predictions about what 2007 will look like in Iraq, except that it’s going to require difficult choices and additional sacrifices, because the enemy is merciless and violent.”
Investigative journalist, Robert Parry reported on December 21, 2006 that, “The first two or three months of 2007 represent a dangerous opening for an escalation of war in the Middle East, as George W. Bush will be tempted to “double-down” his gamble in Iraq by joining with Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair to strike at Syria and Iran, intelligence sources say.”
The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy paper shed light on Bush’s motivation, which to me masked as a diagnosable psychotic break with reality, when historians look back on Bush’s reign, they may very well find that he suffered from a psychiatric mental illness, but for now it appears that he is only a meat puppet with a hand up his ass, moving his mouth. This is why Bush keeps moving forward, even when he doesn’t know what the hell he is doing or when the American people are telling him to stop.
Although Bush appears more and more isolated by his distorted worldview, he appears to have a lot of support from the neocons, AIPAC, Christian Zionists and the government officials in Israel, all whispering in his ear again about Iran and Syria. Although the neocons and AIPAC were wrong, dead wrong about the Iraq Invasion and subsequent Iraq Occupation, they still appear to keep his confidence.
Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Othello, is a tale of ill-placed trust. Blind trust between Othello and his friend Iago, who betrays him. Mearsheimer’s and Walt’s research paper is a wake up call.
Who stands to benefit from the destruction of Iran and Syria?
Who will pay the cost in blood and treasure?
The American people, of course, but I think Iago said it best when referring to Othello, which the AIPAC and the neocons will apply to the American populace.
“The Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are.”
posted by Malik Isasis at
7:14 PM
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