Tuesday, June 1, 2010

A Grim Memorial Day

Tombstone

I don't know about you, but this Memorial Day is a grim event. It coincides with our remembrance of the continuing dead and wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan - 6,000 dead soldiers and contractors and over 30,000 wounded - now presided over by a Democratic President.

Memorial Day was preceded by the failure of British Petroleum's macho "Top Kill." The perspective for the Gulf now is at least 3 more months of an underwater oil volcano. Some even say Christmas.

We were also greeted with the news that Likudnik soldiers stormed unarmed Gaza relief ships in international waters, killing perhaps up to 20, wounding more, and seizing these ships and their passengers. Many were beaten after being captured. The Israeli government blamed 'violent' Palestinians and Turks, because they defended themselves from descending pirates.

And prior to this day, the Arizona government overplayed its bias card, and made 'walking while Hispanic' a dangerous occupation.

4 events - covering war, the environment, Israel and immigration - all failures or attacks by the Right. And what does the Obama administration do? The 'Congenital Compromiser?" Well, they are certainly 'sorry' about the war dead, sorry about that 'spill', sorry about the Israeli's, sorry about events in Arizona.

The capitalist plan for the world is falling apart. Large working class organizations could take these opportunities and run with them. These failures piled on failure show that imperialism, its policies and leaders, are unable to solve any problems. They are reaching that 'dead end' in which societies cannot function in the 'old way.'

But failure and being replaced are two different things. It is only hoped that more and more people see the dead-end is being reached.

Red Frog, 6/1/10

2 comments:

AA said...

The great American sheeple keep chewing away.

There is more vigorous debate and protests in Israel over Israeli governmental actions than there is in the USA, where one will promptly be dubbed an anti-semite (or a "self-hating Jew," if Jewish).

This pathetic excuse for a president -- the pope of hope and chairman of change -- has characteristically dithered and procratinated over the recent Israeli action. "We have to get all the facts in." It is "regrettable." At the moment I think that even if Israel were to detonate a nuclear device over Gaza, the official US response would be one of polite regret, calling the incident "unfortunate" and perhaps (if it felt particularly courageous) saying the detonation was "unlikely to be helpful." And in the background, the American sheeple would placidly continue chewing away.

Red Frog said...

Another small crime was committed on or around Memorial Day when Rwandan police arrested Peter Erlinder for 'advocating genocide.' He was in the country as the lawyer of the opposition party candidate. Peter is sick and had heart problems while in the bad news Rwandan jail. Minnesotans must act to free him.

The US embassy isn't calling for his release. Yet if some half-wit girl 'journalists' sneak into North Korea, they'll send Bill Clinton to get them out.