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So. '"Peace requires a new and different Palestinian leader so that a Palestinian state can be born," Bush declared' in tonight's speech (AP, 24 June 2002, 'Bush Mideast Policy Sets Tough Conditions Palestinians May Be Unable to Meet'). Not surprising, 'Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office endorsed Bush's approach, saying in a statement that "when the Palestinian Authority undergoes genuine reforms and a new leadership takes its place at its head ... it will be possible to discuss ways of moving forward by diplomatic means"' (ibid.). This whole approach has been in the works for a little while. As usual, Sharon leaked it in advance... 'Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has urged the United States and other nations to appoint an interim Palestinian government... established even against the Palestinians' wishes, the Yediot Ahronot daily reported Thursday. '"The free world must force this government on the Palestinians," the daily quoted him as saying' (AP, 16 May 2002, Sharon: the International Community Must Appoint Interim Palestinian Government). Let's take a closer look at this example of 'forced' democracy... 'Dozens of angry delegates walked out of Afghanistan's grand assembly on Wednesday, saying they were not being consulted, as... [t]he Loya Jirga, a traditional Afghan parliament, is expected to vote later on a new president with Hamid Karzai, interim leader and favorite of the United States, the sole candidate' (Reuters, 12 June 2002, 'Afghan Delegates Walk Out in Protest Over Vote'). The 'sole candidate,' take note. Then... 'Afghan President Hamid Karzai, facing a grand council that made little progress in choosing the country's government, said Monday he will select his own Cabinet and that time had run out for delegates to choose a new parliament' (AP, 17 June 2002, Afghan leader says he will appoint own Cabinet because loya jirga missed deadline). Funny, the US considers this sort of thing a real no-no in Cuba... Not in other places, though. Anyone remember Guatemala, 1954? Chile, 1973? Nicaragua in the '80s? Here's the deal. Democracy doesn't exist. Oh, sure, there's a spot of it here and maybe there, just like in good old Rome -- but it's always smaller than the whole sum of people involved in materially creating it. We've got democracy for the manor but not for the field hands. Democracy, meaning here the ideological facade in front of a particular system of production relations, is always opposed to actually letting its enemies get a vote, too; hell, this sort of truly inclusive democracy just might vote itself (meaning that particular system of production relations) right out of existence. So we get these puppet 'democracies' all over the place. Latin America, South Pacific, Africa, you name it, like big fat ugly mushrooms on a rainy day. Will this happen to the Palestinians, as well? Personally, I doubt it. They seem to have a bit more spine than other oppressed people preceding them in the struggle against colonialism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BarryStoller --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
