People's Democracy

Ugly Face Of US Imperialism

P Satish

NOT a day passes without reports in the media about attacks in Iraq and abuses in Guantanamo prison. Day in and day out US administration is being cornered by the world media on these twin issues. The woes of US administration were compounded after the US army admitted that it had uncovered instances of desecration of the Koran at the prison camp. Having put itself in dire situation of fielding fire on all sides, the US establishment virtually brought the Newsweek magazine to it’s knees for having exposed these ghastly incidences. Donald Rumsfield was visibly shaken not by the desecration of Holy book but the way Newsweek chose to publicise the same. These revelations created such a storm in Arab world that the citizens across continents came out on streets to denounce the ugly practices of prison authorities. Nevertheless, it is disheartening to note that the Muslim brethren across the world are not on their feet when there is cruel abuse of prisoners, mostly innocents, in Guantanamo Bay prison, when US authorities acted as Jury, Judge and Executioner during the trial of prisoners but on their feet on the reported desecration of Koran. Here, one must understand that imperialism not just attacks ones religion but the dignity of human beings. However, imperialists have no qualms in hobnobbing with religious fundamentalists to advance their global hegemony.

MIXING RELIGION WITH POLITICS

Ever since he came to power, George Bush has adroitly mixed religion with politics to reap the political dividends. The unabashed policy of mixing religion with politics was given fillip during the reign of George Bush. This was clearly evident as he spoke about “crusades” immediately after 9/11. Rousing the passions of people, in a maniac frenzy, he called for “operation infinite justice” to confront an invisible and clueless enemy. He whipped up religious passions during the 2004 election campaign and his religious appeals were termed as dangerous by the Nationalist media. Of course, to offset all these he maintains close relations with Saudi Royal family and other religious fundamentalists.

All said and done, the common citizen in Muslim countries couldn’t hold back his ire over the alleged desecration of Koran and this has left an indelible scar on his/her mind. Here the role of corporate media is under cloud. Having exposed these barbaric incidences they should have stood the ground. However the Newsweek meekly surrendered to the dictates of US administration. The crawling of the Newsweek exactly resembles the role played by the Indian media during the dark days of emergency. Writing on this issue famous journalist P Sainath stated that, “it is not the reportage of the incident that created furore but it is the belief of the people that such an incident would have taken place under US dispensation”.

DUBIOUS RECORD OF CIVIL LIBERTIES  

Despite the tall claims of America as a liberal county for having even granted “Natural Rights” under its constitution yet the record of civil liberties in US is far from satisfactory. With a population of around 280 million people, it also got the dubious distinction of having highest number of jails in the world. The US media, fully under the clutches of corporate entities, has no time to look into the conditions prevailing in these prisons. They are fully busy in bombardment with advertisements of consumer products deflecting the attention of the people from the policies of the rulers. The corporate media is busy in inculcating fear psychosis in the minds of people, which George Bush unleashed after 9/11 attacks so as to prepare them to part with civil liberties. Unfortunately the common man in US couldn’t see through these nefarious designs making him a tacit supporter to the unilateral aggressions against sovereign countries.

UNILATERAL AGGRESSIONS

The US under George Bush created mass hysteria in the people about the attacks on 9/11 and set the stage for unilateral aggressions against countries, which stand up to them. In fact it has been the consistent policy of US to try to eliminate, decimate and to dislodge the rulers of the governments who dare to displease them. On umpteen occasions CIA and FBI carried out espionage operations, hatched plans, collaborated with international criminals to dislodge the governments, which they target. Attempts on Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and the bellicosity of Donald Rumsfield in stating “one bullet is enough to prevent war on Iraq” are to be seen from this perspective only.

Taking advantage of the panic mood of the people after 9/11, US is bent on destroying Iraq, Syria and North Korea terming them as axis of evil. Having failed to get convincing report from Hans Blix the US along with Britain carried out unjust and illegal aggression against Iraq throwing to winds the understanding reached in Nuremberg trials after Second World War.

George Bush and his cohorts parrot frequently about culture and civilization of their country by stating, “our freedom is under attack”, endorsing the theory of “clash of civilizations” by Samuel Huntington. But, can a country with 500 year old civilization that too a dubious one has any right, whatsoever, to destroy the 5000 year old civilization (Mesopotamia civilization) on the pretext of facilitating democracy. The unjust war unleashed by the US and the UK received wide rebuke from entire world. The US too learnt, to their horror, that people in Iraq are in no mood to welcome them as liberators but treating them as aggressors. The people of Iraq are not naïve to believe that US committed aggression against Iraq to restore democracy. They all know that the purpose of US attacking Iraq was to exploit cheap oil resources of the world. The people of Iraq have failed to digest the fact that in the first fourteen months of aggression itself US exported 30 lakh barrel crude oil reserves per day from Iraq to US. Having left to fend themselves, the Iraqi youth joined Resistance Forces against Coalition Forces. With no jobs and employment opportunities in sight, people of Iraq began to adopt all available means including violent ones to see that the Coalition Forces are turned out of Iraq. The exit of Spanish and Honduras forces isolated US and UK on the Iraq issue. The public statement of UN secretary general Kofi Annan that Iraq war is unjust and illegal left US in a quandary.

ATTACKS ON COALITION FORCES

The interim administration led by Shia leaders failed to inspire the country to come to normalcy in spite of the detention of Saddam Hussain. The situation is getting worsened day after day as the attacks on Coalition Forces are mounting with renewed vigour. The world is unwilling to believe that US flexed its muscles on Iraq after Paul Bremer (known as Envoy of US empire) exits, under duress, out of Iraq. On the one hand the families of US soldiers sent to Iraq are protesting the prolonged continuation of forces there and on another hand suicide attacks on soldiers have become a regular phenomenon. Having exploited the oil resources to the hilt, US is also keen to install a puppet regime in Iraq and wants to leave Iraq in an honourable manner.

However the audacious attacks by Resistance groups on Coalition Forces and reconstruction companies dampened the scheme of things for US. There was scramble for spoils some time ago, but no sooner the fidayeen attacks started on Re-construction companies the situation drastically altered. No doubt the likes of Halliburton could squeeze the funds in reconstruction activities but the smaller companies are suffering in silence.

So everything is not going in favour of US and UK. The issue of war on Iraq though occupied centre stage in US elections yet failed to alter the power equations for the reason that both the parties are committed to perpetuate global hegemony under the aegis of International Finance Capital.

GROWING RESISTANCE

The return of leftist and socialist governments in Mongolia, Greece, Equador and other countries is changing the International scene much to the chargin of US establishment. The countries hitherto docile and servile to US are not endorsing the policy of US on Iraq. The 30th anniversary of Vietnam War celebrations brought to the fore the valour and sacrifices of Vietnamese in defending their country opposing US imperialism. The reminiscences of havoc and destruction caused by US imperialism is still afresh in the minds of people around the world. That is why people across the world celebrated the defeat of US imperialism, which committed unspeakable atrocities on innocent Vietnamese like using lethal bombs and “Agent orange”, denuding the forests and fields by spraying chemicals. As told by Hemmingway “man can only be destroyed but can’t be defeated” the Vietnamese rose like phoenix and defeated the US imperialists with conventional weapons. Though the people of Vietnam are magnanimous enough to forget and forgive the brutality of US imperialism, yet the generations in Vietnam continue to get scared of the landmines and bombs scattered in the rural parts of the country.

The heartening fact is that resistance is growing against imperialistic countries as well as against their market-oriented policies across the world. The intellectuals, working class and peasants are forging unity by closing their ranks. The experiences of Brazil, Venezuela will augur well for bright future of the “Another World”.