From Death Row on Bush's Killing Games
[Pardon my subject heading here, but the contrast between the threatened execution of a man who may be innocent of any crime beyond shooting in self defense and the on-going slaughter in the Middle East unleashed by Bush is all too evident to any who take a hard look. Ed Kent]
From: Nattyreb
Subject: "No Matter What" by Mumia Abu-Jamal
NO MATTER WHAT
================
[Col. Writ. 1/10/07] Copyright 2007 Mumia Abu-Jamal
I did not wait with baited breath for the President's long-anticipated
speech on a "new strategy" for Iraq.
For I knew, with chilling certainty, that no matter the 'strategy', it
would hardly be 'new.' I knew that more didn't mean new -- just more.
And I knew that this president was incapable of little more, than more
of the same.
More troops -- more war -- more death -- more disaster.
There may be a new phrase -- but after "Bring 'em on!", "We're
winnin'!", or "War Against Terror", what can a new phrase mean, but more
b.s.?
Wars aren't fought with phrases; they're used to sell wars; to stir the
blood; to quicken the pulse; and to enliven the bloodlust in men.
This is no different.
I fought my journalistic urge to watch the President's press
conference. It's a lot like watching Elmer Fudd stuttering something
about catching that 'wascally wabbit' (Bugs Bunny). I can actually hear
Bugs laughing at Elmer's latest antic, saying, between guffaws, "What a
maroon!"
Madness!
And yet, as is often the case, the journalistic urge wins out, so as a
compromise, I turned on the local NPR affiliate, and listened to the
speech. And despite advance billing by party and PR flacks about the
contents, Bush managed to do it again.
Within moments of his latest offering came appeals to the events of
Sept. 11th, which he blamed on "extremists." Like Iraq had a damned
thing to do with 9/11! Once again, he sprinkled his speech with calls
to supporting 'liberty', and essentially said the problem was 'too few
U.S. and Iraqi troops, and too many restrictions.'
And the solution? 21,000 more troops.
With each twist and turn of administration policy, I've scoffed. This
'new strategy' evoked the same old emotion.
This too is destined for failure. Why?
Because the U.S. Army hasn't an ounce worth of trust in the Iraqi
forces. Because Iraqi "insurgents" (or dead-enders" -- or "extremists",
or whatever we're calling them now) have seeded themselves within the
Ministry of the Interior -- the Army, the police -- you name it. If the
U.S. delivers new arms to the Army, it will be in the hands of the
so-called 'insurgents' by dawn.
And what is this American antipathy against 'extremists' or
'insurgents', anyhow? The U.S. was formed by armed groups of insurgents
-- and yes, 'extremists.' Those who stood against the British King in
1776 were opposing the biggest, baddest superpower of the era. The
Crown was the seat of legality, order, and power. To dare to challenge
them -- to fight the mighty British Empire, was -- well, extreme.
The U.S. did it, and at least one 'founding father' -- Thomas Paine, had
to flee Britain, or face time in the Tower awaiting the national noose.
(It was just his bad luck that he fled to France, where the
Robespierre-led National Assembly tried to feed his head to the
guillotine -- but that's another story.)
The point? A war against extremities, or terrorism, is misleading and
stupid. It's a war against an idea.
It's now approaching 4 years of this madcap and illegal war -- now is
hardly time for a 'new strategy.' Failure leads to failure. Disaster
leads to disaster. This 'new strategy' is kinda like putting lipstick
on a pig.
Its other flaw is its obvious tilt towards the Shia, with Sunnis
targeted by the U.S.-Iraqi forces for a kind of 'super-occupation.'
What will this lead to?
*Every*thing that the administration has done -- from Day One -- has
made *more* enemies, not less. It has made the threats facing the U.S.
*more* dangerous -- not less.
Good work, Elmer ( or should I say, Daffy -- as in 'Lame' -- Duck?).
Copyright 2007 Mumia Abu-Jamal
[Mr. Jamal's recent book features a chapter on the
remarkable women who helped build and defend
the Black Panther Party: *WE WANT FREEDOM:
A Life in the Black Panther Party*, from South
End Press (http://www.southendpress.org); Ph.
#1-800-533-8478.]
===============================
"When a cause comes along and you know in your bones that it is
just, yet refuse to defend it--at that moment you begin to die.
And I have never seen so many corpses walking around talking about
justice." - Mumia Abu-Jamal
MUMIA'S COLUMNS NEED TO BE PUBLISHED AS BROADLY
AS POSSIBLE TO INSPIRE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT AND
HELP CALL ATTENTION TO HIS CASE.
The campaign to kill Mumia is in full swing and we need you to
**please** contact as many publications and information outlets as
you possibly can to run Mumia's commentaries (on-line and
**especially off-line**)!! The only requirements are that you run
them *unedited*, with every word including copyright information
intact, and send a copy of the publication to Mumia and/or ICFFMAJ.
THANK YOU!!!
Keep updated by reading ACTION ALERTS!!
at http://www.mumia.org, http://www.onamove.com/ and their links.
========================================
To download Mp3's of Mumia's commentaries visit
http://www.prisonradio.org or http://www.fsrn.org
==============================================>
The Power of Truth is Final -- Free Mumia!
PLEASE CONTACT:
International Concerned Family & Friends of MAJ
P.O. Box 19709
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Phone - 215-476-8812/ Fax - 215-476-6180
E-mail - icffmaj@aol.com
AND OFFER YOUR SERVICES!
Send our brotha some LOVE and LIGHT at:
Mumia Abu-Jamal
AM 8335
SCI-Greene
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburg, PA 15370
WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM CAN *NOT* REST!!
Submitted by: Sis. Marpessa
Subscribe: mumiacolumns-subscribe@topica.com
Read: http://topica.com/lists/mumiacolumns/read
Subscribe ICFFMAJ email updates list by e-mailing
icffmaj@aol.com!
(|8|)
Get TheBlackList
http://www.TheBlackList.net
Will our ancestors be as proud of us
as we are of them?
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CollegeConversation
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceEfforts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndingPoverty
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/440neighborhood
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StudentConcerns
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AcademicFreedom
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrivacyRights
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Israel_Palestine
http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggernews.net
From: Nattyreb
Subject: "No Matter What" by Mumia Abu-Jamal
NO MATTER WHAT
================
[Col. Writ. 1/10/07] Copyright 2007 Mumia Abu-Jamal
I did not wait with baited breath for the President's long-anticipated
speech on a "new strategy" for Iraq.
For I knew, with chilling certainty, that no matter the 'strategy', it
would hardly be 'new.' I knew that more didn't mean new -- just more.
And I knew that this president was incapable of little more, than more
of the same.
More troops -- more war -- more death -- more disaster.
There may be a new phrase -- but after "Bring 'em on!", "We're
winnin'!", or "War Against Terror", what can a new phrase mean, but more
b.s.?
Wars aren't fought with phrases; they're used to sell wars; to stir the
blood; to quicken the pulse; and to enliven the bloodlust in men.
This is no different.
I fought my journalistic urge to watch the President's press
conference. It's a lot like watching Elmer Fudd stuttering something
about catching that 'wascally wabbit' (Bugs Bunny). I can actually hear
Bugs laughing at Elmer's latest antic, saying, between guffaws, "What a
maroon!"
Madness!
And yet, as is often the case, the journalistic urge wins out, so as a
compromise, I turned on the local NPR affiliate, and listened to the
speech. And despite advance billing by party and PR flacks about the
contents, Bush managed to do it again.
Within moments of his latest offering came appeals to the events of
Sept. 11th, which he blamed on "extremists." Like Iraq had a damned
thing to do with 9/11! Once again, he sprinkled his speech with calls
to supporting 'liberty', and essentially said the problem was 'too few
U.S. and Iraqi troops, and too many restrictions.'
And the solution? 21,000 more troops.
With each twist and turn of administration policy, I've scoffed. This
'new strategy' evoked the same old emotion.
This too is destined for failure. Why?
Because the U.S. Army hasn't an ounce worth of trust in the Iraqi
forces. Because Iraqi "insurgents" (or dead-enders" -- or "extremists",
or whatever we're calling them now) have seeded themselves within the
Ministry of the Interior -- the Army, the police -- you name it. If the
U.S. delivers new arms to the Army, it will be in the hands of the
so-called 'insurgents' by dawn.
And what is this American antipathy against 'extremists' or
'insurgents', anyhow? The U.S. was formed by armed groups of insurgents
-- and yes, 'extremists.' Those who stood against the British King in
1776 were opposing the biggest, baddest superpower of the era. The
Crown was the seat of legality, order, and power. To dare to challenge
them -- to fight the mighty British Empire, was -- well, extreme.
The U.S. did it, and at least one 'founding father' -- Thomas Paine, had
to flee Britain, or face time in the Tower awaiting the national noose.
(It was just his bad luck that he fled to France, where the
Robespierre-led National Assembly tried to feed his head to the
guillotine -- but that's another story.)
The point? A war against extremities, or terrorism, is misleading and
stupid. It's a war against an idea.
It's now approaching 4 years of this madcap and illegal war -- now is
hardly time for a 'new strategy.' Failure leads to failure. Disaster
leads to disaster. This 'new strategy' is kinda like putting lipstick
on a pig.
Its other flaw is its obvious tilt towards the Shia, with Sunnis
targeted by the U.S.-Iraqi forces for a kind of 'super-occupation.'
What will this lead to?
*Every*thing that the administration has done -- from Day One -- has
made *more* enemies, not less. It has made the threats facing the U.S.
*more* dangerous -- not less.
Good work, Elmer ( or should I say, Daffy -- as in 'Lame' -- Duck?).
Copyright 2007 Mumia Abu-Jamal
[Mr. Jamal's recent book features a chapter on the
remarkable women who helped build and defend
the Black Panther Party: *WE WANT FREEDOM:
A Life in the Black Panther Party*, from South
End Press (http://www.southendpress.org); Ph.
#1-800-533-8478.]
===============================
"When a cause comes along and you know in your bones that it is
just, yet refuse to defend it--at that moment you begin to die.
And I have never seen so many corpses walking around talking about
justice." - Mumia Abu-Jamal
MUMIA'S COLUMNS NEED TO BE PUBLISHED AS BROADLY
AS POSSIBLE TO INSPIRE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT AND
HELP CALL ATTENTION TO HIS CASE.
The campaign to kill Mumia is in full swing and we need you to
**please** contact as many publications and information outlets as
you possibly can to run Mumia's commentaries (on-line and
**especially off-line**)!! The only requirements are that you run
them *unedited*, with every word including copyright information
intact, and send a copy of the publication to Mumia and/or ICFFMAJ.
THANK YOU!!!
Keep updated by reading ACTION ALERTS!!
at http://www.mumia.org, http://www.onamove.com/ and their links.
========================================
To download Mp3's of Mumia's commentaries visit
http://www.prisonradio.org or http://www.fsrn.org
==============================================>
The Power of Truth is Final -- Free Mumia!
PLEASE CONTACT:
International Concerned Family & Friends of MAJ
P.O. Box 19709
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Phone - 215-476-8812/ Fax - 215-476-6180
E-mail - icffmaj@aol.com
AND OFFER YOUR SERVICES!
Send our brotha some LOVE and LIGHT at:
Mumia Abu-Jamal
AM 8335
SCI-Greene
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburg, PA 15370
WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM CAN *NOT* REST!!
Submitted by: Sis. Marpessa
Subscribe: mumiacolumns-subscribe@topica.com
Read: http://topica.com/lists/mumiacolumns/read
Subscribe ICFFMAJ email updates list by e-mailing
icffmaj@aol.com!
(|8|)
Get TheBlackList
http://www.TheBlackList.net
Will our ancestors be as proud of us
as we are of them?
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CollegeConversation
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceEfforts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndingPoverty
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/440neighborhood
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StudentConcerns
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AcademicFreedom
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrivacyRights
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Israel_Palestine
http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggernews.net
posted by Ed Kent at 6:58 AM
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