U.S.
vs. Iran (a Marxist perspective?)
By Mickey Z.
04 April, 2007
Countercurrents.org
Since
quoting Marx makes a writer appear both more educated and more serious,
I figured I'd start this piece about Iran with a bit of Marxism...from
Duck Soup.
Ambassador Trentino: "I
am willing to do anything to prevent this war." President Rufus
T. Firefly (Groucho): "It's too late. I've already paid a month's
rent on the battlefield."
Now I'm not trying to imply
the reasons America goes to war are this frivolous but...WMDs? Hussein
connected to 9/11? Spreading democracy? Even Harpo would be laughing
out loud.
The U.S. has a long history
of conjuring up dubious rationales to wage war...and this goes for those
on both sides of the proverbial aisle. During the 2004 presidential
campaign, for example, Senator John F. Kerry declared: "The United
States of America never goes to war because we want to; we only go to
war because we have to."
Can someone ask Harpo to
quiet down?
"He started it"
or "She hit me first." It's an excuse we all learn in childhood.
By portraying oneself as the target unprovoked sneak attack; all bases
are covered. As President Bush explained
on March 17, 2003, the night he gave Saddam Hussein a final ultimatum,
"The United States and other nations did nothing to deserve or
invite this threat, but we will do everything to defeat it."
More (Groucho) Marx: "Who
are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?"
Our history books and newspaper
headlines portray an ever-benevolent U.S. as minding its own business
yet incessantly awakened by surprise events and unprovoked threats that
test its celebrated patience, e.g. the sinking of the Maine, the attack
on Pearl Harbor, and too many others to detail here.
Now we have Iran asking for
U.S. permission. We are faced with the spectacle of America only nation
to have used nuclear weapons on civilians about how nuclear weapons
might, well, be used on civilians. We can't allow just anyone (except
our allies) acquire such technology. We can't let the Chinese arm men
so evil they might, well, use nuclear weapons on civilians. Before you
know it, Iran will be using depleted uranium and white phosphorous,
abusing prisoners, setting up interrogation centers in Eastern Europe,
spying on its own people, and fixing elections at home and abroad.
As (Groucho) Marx explained:
"Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms."
Mickey Z.
can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net.
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