Saturday, July 9, 2005
Margaret Kimberley - collective spinelessness vs truth telling
the great Margaret Kimberley is always worth reading. Last week's Freedom Rider column in The Black Commentator had a very interesting article on American empirialism, as well as a certain mindset of the gatekeeper. Here is an excerpt:
Rove’s attack is proof that Democrats are at the very least getting under his skin. Unfortunately, truth-telling Dems get the smack down from their own party. Illinois Senator Richard Durbin was the latest victim of collective spinelessness. He correctly said of treatment of detainees at Guantanamo:
"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime – Pol Pot or others – that had no concern for human beings."
The system, the empire, doesn’t take kindly to criticism. Critics of inhumane treatment and murder are treated worse than the murderers themselves. Durbin voted against the occupation of Iraq and the killing of thousands. The people in favor of killing are not only given immunity from criticism but they are made the arbiters of discourse, deciding who should and shouldn’t speak and what they ought to say. That is how empires are maintained.
After Durbin was beaten down and apologized on the Senate floor, documented reports of American military physicians aiding and abetting torture came to light. The critics who were apoplectic over Durbin’s remarks said nothing about American doctors channeling Mengele. Empires work that way.
On the bright side, empires aren’t fond of losing. Despite protests to the contrary, the war mongers will eventually find a way to cut and run. When the Congressman who gave us “freedom fries” says it is time to leave the exit is coming sooner rather than later. An exit won’t be worthy of celebration unless this country undergoes an enormous change and says farewell to empire once and for all. If not, more Iraqs are in our future.
Rove’s attack is proof that Democrats are at the very least getting under his skin. Unfortunately, truth-telling Dems get the smack down from their own party. Illinois Senator Richard Durbin was the latest victim of collective spinelessness. He correctly said of treatment of detainees at Guantanamo:
"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime – Pol Pot or others – that had no concern for human beings."
The system, the empire, doesn’t take kindly to criticism. Critics of inhumane treatment and murder are treated worse than the murderers themselves. Durbin voted against the occupation of Iraq and the killing of thousands. The people in favor of killing are not only given immunity from criticism but they are made the arbiters of discourse, deciding who should and shouldn’t speak and what they ought to say. That is how empires are maintained.
After Durbin was beaten down and apologized on the Senate floor, documented reports of American military physicians aiding and abetting torture came to light. The critics who were apoplectic over Durbin’s remarks said nothing about American doctors channeling Mengele. Empires work that way.
On the bright side, empires aren’t fond of losing. Despite protests to the contrary, the war mongers will eventually find a way to cut and run. When the Congressman who gave us “freedom fries” says it is time to leave the exit is coming sooner rather than later. An exit won’t be worthy of celebration unless this country undergoes an enormous change and says farewell to empire once and for all. If not, more Iraqs are in our future.
