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"W" stands for "war"
Oil is thicker than blood

By Babak Khiavchi
September 6, 2002
The Iranian

The following article was written while under the influence of a heavy dose of comedian George Carlin.

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain ...
...You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins
- Bob Dylan, "Masters of War", 1963

When Bob Dylan sang "Masters of War" at Seattle's Key Arena last year, the crowd raised the roof on the stadium. Suddenly, after 40 years, his songs had taken on a new meaning to themselves.

I was standing in the front row, staring with admiration and disbelief at this under-appreciated over-achieving performer, poet, and prophet of disaster, hoping that more people were listening to his words this time around.

Dylan released "Masters of War" in 1963, the same year that Martin Luther King delivered his "I have a dream" speech, and John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas. Well, the times sure have-a-changed since '63.

Eminem is now topping the charts and being hailed as a musical genius, civil rights are being rationed in favor of homeland security, and the economy is hitting rock bottom and oozing into the cracks of the budget deficit caused by a perpetual and "indefinite" Global War on Terror on a vague and ever changing enemy.

I saw 9-11 as a late wake-up call for the world to remind us that human lives are disposable when there are religious beliefs and political interests involved. It also reminded us that war and religion feed on each other, and God is always on our side and the other side is always evil. And hey, oil is thicker than blood!

But here we go again, a countdown to another war, with the sickening gut feeling of having Amnesia and deja vu at the same time. This time the potential target is Iraq, the same country that Iran fought for eight years until the UN "Wartenders" served up their Resolution 598 "cup of poison" for the Iranian leaders to drink, leaving the country shaken and very much stirred. More than a decade has passed, yet Iran and Iraq are still exchanging POWs and unidentified bodies.

So now the U.S. wants to invade Iraq and change the ruling government, claiming it is taking pre-emptive action against Iraq possibly using its weapons of mass destruction against the US. Look, of course the US has concrete evidence that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction and biological warfare; they sold it to them in the first place!

And while the facts are unclear about the nuclear powers in the Middle East, the US is also looking forward to trying out its brand new military toys in the big Arab "sandbox" called Iraq, and continue to bully the little brown skinned countries in the Mideast playground by draining their sole lifeline through their oil pipeline!

Besides, with an economic recession and elections coming up in November, it makes sense to go to war, doesn't it? So does "W" stand for "Wag the Dog" or just plain and simple "War"? Either way, "War never decides who is right, ... only who is left". (Someone)

Well ok, this makes sense that the US needs the oil money to build and sell more advanced military equipment to boost the economy. What does not make sense, is why the US has to build bigger, better and more advanced bombs in the first place.

Have any of the Vietnamese, Japanese, Bosnians, Somalians, Afghanis and other nationalities the US has bombarded ever complained about the poor quality of the bombs or insufficient damage or few number of lives lost? How hard is it for the US to keep alive its illusions of "Free World" leadership and invulnerability , and not get all choked up about yellow ribbons and flags when it faces reality? Better to leave these patriotic symbols to the symbol-minded. (George Carlin)

But call him "Emmanuel Goldstein" or "Osama bin Laden", call it the "2 minutes hate" or "60 minutes" of news, call him "Big Brother" or "George Junior", as long as the US maintains its stereotyped views of enemy leaders as too evil to negotiate, or as too weak or stupid to counter an attack against them, as long as it pursues an unquestioned belief in the government's inherent morality and ignores the ethical or moral consequences of its foreign policy decision makers, it will keep repeating its own historical mistakes.

Someone please tell "W" that "1984" was not a how-to manual... jeez. Ever heard about the anti-American feeling rising throughout the Middle East? Ever thought that a war against Iraq could unleash revolutions, disposing of pro-western governments in Arab countries, and replacing them with anti-American Islamist fundamentalist regimes calling for a jihad?

But here is another thought that confuses me even more :"If there is chaos in the region, the US armed forces could be seen as a global savior. Under cover of the war on terrorism, the war to secure oil supplies could be waged." ("The Real Goal is the Seizure of Saudi Oil , Iraq is no threat" By Mo Mowlam , The Guardian 9/5/2002). So how about that?

Arrrghhh!!! It's enough to keep me awake at night and invade my thoughts during the day. Truthfully, I really dont know what the hell is going on and where all this is heading, and the more information I get the more I get confused, but I don't intend to give up learning the truth.

But I know one thing for sure; while General George Patton said :"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his", in the words of Martin Luther King: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil -- hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."

And in the end , "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix

Here's wishing peace for all Mankind and Womankind.... Amen... and Awomen!



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