Columnist – John Sammon
Arrogance takes many forms and as we prepare to celebrate July 4 I ask the question, do you think America is the greatest country on earth?

If you do, I respect your right to an opinion, but if you do think we’re the greatest, what is this based upon? Is it because we have more power than other countries? Military power? Is it because we have more money than other countries?

Recently, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer decried the behavior of Republicans who are attempting she said to stall budget talks and to engage in political one-upmanship instead of dealing with the president in extending the national debt ceiling, the ability of the U.S. to borrow money and live over our means, something you wouldn’t do with your own family budget. This is a disaster set to happen in August if the debt ceiling isn’t increased in which the U.S. could default on money owed if it doesn’t increase the amount it can borrow.

If we don’t extend our ability to live beyond our means it could collapse the United States. Both China and Saudi Arabia keep excess money in U.S.-backed T-bills because of their faith in the country’s financial institutions.

America because of its arrogance wants to fight three wars simultaneously while militarizing outer space and at the same time shipping low-skilled factory jobs over to China which in turn erodes the middle or potential middle class here.

And we borrow money instead of dealing with it.

We have two stark choices. Don’t extend the debt ceiling, default on money owed and financially implode, or keep borrowing and shuffle off dealing with the situation until next year as we have done for decades by living on borrowed time. Let’s assume the second scenario.

That will allow us to continue to be the greatest country on earth.

That’s what the Philadelphia Inquirer columnist said we are. She also said we’re the “unchallenged global leader of the world, the financial leader of the world, and in a leadership role.”

Most Americans would probably agree with those statements.

But do the people of other countries agree that we are leaders over them?

Are we the greatest because we’re powerful, militarily and financially? Is an elephant a greater creature than a mouse merely because of its size and power? Also, how many people in other countries believe America is the greatest country on earth? If it is we who are proclaiming ourselves the greatest, I have always been dubious about self-proclamations of superiority.

If we’re the greatest, are we better than other people, and how are we better? Everyone on earth wants the same things, love and affection, security and safety, comfort and an interesting and stimulating life, wealth and happiness. We can’t be greater than other people in those ways.

Are we braver? I don’t think courage is a strictly American value.

Are we more generous? A case can be made that America has given much over the years. But that assumption carries with it the automatic polar opposite that other countries give less, and give less as a matter of choice. Many countries in the world are impoverished. They have less to give if its money or raw materials.

Therefore, is being richer being greater?

Are we kinder? I don’t think kindness is a mostly American emotion.

Why are we greater than other countries?

Is it because we achieve more? We sent a man to the moon. The ability to do this again depends on money and power. The little country of Nepal and its people can hardly be blamed for having a smaller GNP and for not having an ambitious space program and as a result being a lesser people.

The concept of greatness means that you have to be greater than others, in other words, have supremacy over others. That’s the only way to be greater. Greater means better.

Let’s say that our form of free-market capitalism and our form of government are better than other countries, and remember, this is a self-proclamation, because, when was the last time you heard a Frenchman say, you’re better than he is?

I’m willing to accept that our form of government is better than that of Communist North Korea. But having a superior government is a little bit like having a better car. You’re richer and more successful than I am. You drive a more expensive and a better car. Are you greater than I am because your car is faster and gets you where you want to go? My slower more junkie car gets me where I want to go too. Most of the time.

I don’t feel you’re better than me because of your car.

I don’t feel any greater than a British person, or an Indian, or an islander on Samoa, and I think the idea of greatness comes down to simply money and power.

I think Gandhi, a truly great man who had very little except powerful ideas of equality and not supremacy, would agree. The above are the wrong reasons to feel the greatest.

The only two countries George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice and the rest of their torture regime can travel to right now are Israel and Saudi Arabia. Apartheid Israel cannot survive without America’s patronage, while the fascist, uncivilized Saudi Arabian monarchy needs America to extract and consume its oil — in order to continue bribing its lazy citizens. Even traveling to Britain, the number one ally is potentially dangerous.

Amnesty International insists that “Anywhere in the world that the ‘Bushies’ travel, they could face investigation and potential prosecution for their responsibility for torture and other crimes in international law, particularly in any of the 147 countries that are party to the U.N. convention against torture.”

And, the guilty are afraid.

Bush canceled a trip to Geneva in February amid threats by human rights groups that they’d pursue legal charges against him for sanctioning torture.

Propelling prisoners’ heads into concrete walls by means of towels wrapped around their necks, savage beatings with fists and rifles that left prisoners crippled, hanging prisoners by the arms with their arms strung up behind them, depriving prisoners of sleep for weeks on end, which has been thought the worst torture possible for 500 years, causing prisoners to freeze — sometimes to death, and waterboarding are but a partial list of the torture methods ordered by the Bush regime.

Abu Ghraib comes to mind. [ SEE HERE ]

In the “Preliminary Memorandum of the Justice Robert H. Jackson Conference on Federal Prosecutions of War Criminals,” law school Dean Lawrence Velvel, the founder of the Jackson Conference, details the full spectrum of tortures performed in wholesale combinations — not one torture by itself — on detainees around the world. His Preliminary Memorandum is a precursor to a formal legal complaint to be filed with the Justice Department this spring. [ SOURCE:GLOBALRESEARCH ]

The above mentioned are the real reasons why the failed ‘Bushies‘ are out in force, lying and spinning — since Obama “executed” of Osama Bin Laden last Sunday.

Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson says he’d like to waterboard Donald Rumsfeld.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Also joining in are the usual vultures, racists, charlatans, shysters and hypocrites.

Confused dimwit Sarah Palin, McCain’s racist running mate of 2008 is in full “cartoon-combat” mode, reports MMFA: “Palin Was For Killing Terrorists In Pakistan Before She Was Against It.” [ SEE VIDEO BELOW ]

Unhinged bigot Pam Geller, a sufferer of terminal Islamophobia — allowed her overriding hatred of President Obama to take her to new and scary places as she reported that the military defied an order from Obama to abort the mission to kill Osama bin Laden. She had, in effect, accused unspecified members of the military of treason. [ READ MORE ]

President Obama’s scheduled visit to “Ground Zero” today, to meet with 9/11 families has been summarily denounced by right-wing Republican media as a “disgusting political victory Lap!”

Fox News’ in house-baboon, Glenn Beck notched it higher – calling the trip “disgusting,” “obscene,” and “grotesque.”

In lockstep with his constituency, war criminal Bush declined to join Obama at ground Zero.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Smells like FASCIST HATE in the air!

Bestselling author Carolyn Myss sums it up most eloquently: “Obama is dealing with an aggressive covert and fascist Operation in Congress, in the media and on the streets.”

Osama Bin O’Reilly: “I Want The President Of The United States To Have The Power” To Waterboard [ TORTURE, LYNCH ]

References:

1. The Torture Apologists: Efforts to justify torture after the killing of Osama bin Laden are cynical and destructive. (A New York Times Editorial)

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   By: Gwada Ogot
North Africa is in political turmoil. Ben Ali and Mubarak fell in swift purges while leaderships in Syria, Bahrain, Libya and Saudi Arabia equally face immense public pressure to quit. Besides Libya, it is virtual social networks and not armies that have enabled human agency for change. The internet, long viewed as a superficial platform customized for young people’s trivia, has startled status quo with its ruthless efficiency, says Gwada Ogot

These nations bear a common feature — hereditary leadership — and elections, whenever held, are seasonal pseudo democratic rituals to confirm elite whim.

Syria’s Beleaguered President, Assad succeeded his father Hafez al-Assad in 2000. Hafez had led the nation from 1963. Towards the end of his 32 year reign, Mubarak too anointed his son Gamel, as heir-apparent.

Despite Ben Ali’s corrupt 28 year reign, he still intended to run again in 2014. For him, avarice and a primitive sense of acquisitiveness’ by his family members- especially nephews, in laws and brothers hastened his down fall.

Libya’s Gaddafi’s is the world’s longest ruling non-monarchical leader at 42 years. Though Libya’s case is complex, it is as much about big business interests in addition to the personal frolics of Gaddafi and his sons, with one a designated heir apparent.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain too are embedded under ruling monarchies- both relics of a crumbling practice. Within them, popular will has been harshly suppressed while selfish aggrandizements by the ruling elite continue with impunity.

Yet besides Libya, it is virtual social networks and not armies that have enabled human agency for change. The internet, long viewed as a superficial platform customized for young people’s trivia, has startled status quo with its ruthless efficiency.

As a creation of liberal America, its impact on conservative Muslim nations reveals shifts especially when viewed from the conventions of culture and religion. As a secular nation America was ready for Obama in 2008 but before the Tunisian revolution, thoughts of a similar occurrence in North Africa would have seemed unrealistic?

Within the North African nations, leadership structure is essentially traditional and demands high moral answerability drawn exclusively from Islam. In contrast, American secularism classifies around transparency, accountability and liberty which paints its ethics.

Yet in spite of these elemental variations, the internet has impacted profoundly on leaderships of either sphere.

The internet, viewed from security lenses has presented enormous challenges to state agencies long used to intervention through physical means. Consequently, surveillance by national and international intelligence networks has manifested.

Conventional arrest is no longer viable. The case of Wael Ghonim, a 30 year old Egyptian internet blogger amply demonstrates. Ghonim was arrested as the suspected mastermind of the revolution and quickly released after demonstrations by infuriated citizens. The arrest only spurred citizen’s motion.

In Tunisia, a street haberdasher’s desperate act of self immolation and a subsequent internet post of the recording ignited the revolt. And this poses a question, if suicide by an ordinary citizen can lead to the overthrow of a sitting government, what would be the likely outcome of a suspicious political death, let alone a confirmed murder?

Strategically, virtual mobilization has revolutionized information communication through a speedy, non physical and integrated mass audience. The transformation directly translates into instant access with less capital investment; less physical risk and greater opportunities inter alia.

Though money remains a critical factor, there is a palpable anger against corrupt money and its beneficiaries.

Where did it all begin?

Barrack Obama’s unique run to becoming America’s first black leader offers some vivid illustrations. Obama’s resource mobilization was based mainly on the internet and specifically for this reason, Obama’s overcame both race and religion, and his opponents crystallized as political dynasties- the Clinton dynasty then later, the McCain military dynasty propped by the Bush dynasty. He triumphed!

Are there any lessons for East Africa to learn from?

Egyptian Revolution 2011

   By: Prof. Mahfuz Chowdhury
America has often fought the wrong war, at the wrong time, and against the wrong people. The wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and now Afghanistan would seem to fall into such categories. Although, apart from the human tragedy, the enormous economic fallout of the Vietnam War might be imagined, the full outcome of the Iraq war must be awaited as it is not over yet. However, the debate on the launch of the Afghan war has only begun and it would take many more years to assess the damage, assuming the war is not going to end anytime soon. This war is also affecting neighboring Pakistan and creating a great controversy in terms of its economic cost and more importantly about whether it is winnable. Opinions vary, but those who doubt that the war could be won seem to be gaining ground.

Here are some of their arguments. Afghanistan was such a sectarian and unmanageable country that super powers like the Soviets and earlier the British failed to control it. This country has not changed much since those days. The enemy that America is fighting in Afghanistan is elusive and the situation on the battleground itself is very erratic and unpredictable. The daily news of horrors such as the recent killings of the chief CIA operative including 6 other colleagues in Afghanistan, and the unprecedented and ever increasing human carnage in neighboring Pakistan should provide some important clues. In fact, the escalating conflict and mayhem in Pakistan, a nuclear country, is now adding to the genuine fear that its nuclear weapons are not safe in the hands of its government.

Is America’s goal to contain terrorism or to oppose organized Islamic fundamentalism in Afghanistan? If the fight is to contain fundamentalism, winning this war in Afghanistan alone is not likely to achieve it. The skeptics should only look at the unrelenting and vicious terrorist activities as well as the outright defiance that is spreading not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also in Yemen, Somalia, Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and many other countries, including America itself. (Note the recent shooting rampage by an American army psychiatrist in Fort Hood, Texas, that claimed 13 lives plus many more injuries). Clearly, there are innumerable signs that the conflict is spreading. Indeed, after the failed 2009 Christmas Day bombing plot on a flight from Amsterdam, the U.S. government imposed intense screening of passengers at airports worldwide from 14 terror suspect nations. America had thought that it had found a willing partner in the Yemeni government that would support the deployment of American troops to fight the rising Islamic militants there. But it has been reported that the government of Yemen has rebuffed the idea for fear of losing popular support.

Religious fundamentalism is nothing new as it has been in existence since the birth of religion itself. The main theme of every religion was supposed to guide people to lead a noble life. Yet human society has experienced enormous oppression, suppression, violence, crime, brutality, fatality, and war in the name of religion. No religion is immune from the appeal of fundamentalism, and fundamentalist practices are still very much in existence, though subtly in some cases and violently in others. Without a doubt, Muslims have had their share of religious violence, and the present situation is no different. But to blame only Muslims for what is happening now would be morally wrong. How could one justify what Jews are doing to Muslims in the Middle East? Does not anyone see how Israel is provoking the Muslims?

Every heinous act of terrorism is a serious crime, and it must never be condoned under any circumstance, be it individual or collective. But, instead of looking or treating every terrorist act equally, if society condones or overlooks one and tries to punish the other, it only intensifies violence. This is precisely what seems to be the case with Islamic fundamentalist terrorism.

Islam is a world religion with a great following, and it certainly deserves respect. Yet the Muslim community always felt that they were being treated unjustly by the affluent west. The Arab-Israeli conflict has kept that feeling alive and very intense. The Muslims believe that the creation of Israel and the continued atrocities that are being perpetrated by Israel is nothing but a big conspiracy by the west to suppress them. They also believe that the Iraq and Afghan wars initiated by the United States are all part of the same conspiracy. And the religious fundamentalists are taking full advantage of public sentiment to create havoc and spread terrorism everywhere.

America claims itself to be the promoter of human rights and preaches self determination of all people. But it utterly fails to help the Palestinian cause. Why? The most difficult and painful situation for Muslims and other rational people, is to see and accept the sufferings of their fellow brethren in Palestine. The Muslims squarely blame America for the present tragedy because of its unequivocal support of Israel. After many years of armed struggle, the Palestinians have agreed to live peacefully with Israel in the internationally recognized pre 1967 border of Palestine. But Israel steadfastly refuses to compromise and continues to thumb its nose against world opinion by brutally suppressing the Palestinians, using American weaponry.

The best case for the Palestinians has probably been made by none other than the former U.S. President and a Nobel laureate Jimmy Carter, who argues in his book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” that Israel’s continued control and colonization of Palestinian land have been the primary obstacles to a comprehensive peace agreement in the Middle East. The Israeli blockade of Gaza’s 1.5 million residents for the past year?as a collective punishment, which has drawn many international condemnations including allegations of war crimes?is a glaring example of actions that openly provoke Muslims to resent America, which refuses to intervene and stop such Israeli atrocities.

There are other issues of contention for Muslims. America supports Saudi Arabia, an autocratic country with no democratic rights, while it refuses to recognize the democratically elected Palestinian representatives of Hamas in Gaza. By the way, America along with Israel once supported the Hamas in Gaza as a counter to the Fatah movement. On the other hand, many believe that Saudi Arabia is sponsoring fundamentalism by providing financial help to religious schools in Pakistan and other Muslim countries.

Additionally, America went to war in Iraq under false pretexts and different agendas, though it now claims that the purpose was to save the Iraqis from the brutality of Saddam Hussein. Muslims believe that the main purpose for invading Iraq was to protect America’s oil supply. And they have plenty of facts to justify their claim that America is driven by its economic greed. They look at the situation in Darfur, Congo, Myanmar and other countries where America failed to prevent atrocities or promote democratic rights.

Muslims even question the American policy of allowing Israel to hide its nuclear weapons and maintaining its own nuclear stockpile, while it rallies its western allies to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Ironically, America’s success against Iran would depend entirely on the co-operation of China and Russia, which might not be forthcoming as they too have their own world agendas to pursue.

The above exemplifies the ways that America has alienated Muslims over the years. Now the new generation of educated Muslims is getting impatient with American prejudices, and is effectively using the internet to communicate with and receive feedback from each other. The fundamentalists are successfully indoctrinating these young people to resort to violent tactics in the name of “Jihad“, a religious word for martyrdom. America and the rest of the world have already witnessed some of their brutal suicidal acts during and since 9/11. If the core issues are not addressed, even if America wins the war in Afghanistan, it might not dampen the spirit of young Muslims around the world to pursue their resistance. American suppression is likely to embolden the fundamentalists to embrace new or more dangerous tactics of terrorism. Violence begets violence, and it would be impossible for America to monitor, invade, occupy or control every Muslim militant country in the world.

Although it is the sole remaining super power, America seems to be losing its grip on its economic power. The country has yet to recover from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The unemployment rate is hovering around 10 per cent, the federal debt has already surpassed $7.5 trillion, and the federal budget deficit was $1.4 trillion in fiscal year 2009. There are other emerging economic powers now, who are preparing to compete and check American hegemony in the world. In fact, America can no longer continue to impose its will on the world community. Nor can it suppress Islamic fundamentalism or its spread by its military power alone. It clearly needs to reassess its overall foreign policies if it wishes to rein in the fundamentalists and remain an important international player.

The rise of Islamic fundamentalism with its current ferocity is a problem for the Muslim populace as well. But they will be reluctant to join the fight with true conviction unless America is willing to change its attitude towards Muslims and correct its past mistakes. A speedy and just settlement of the Palestinian crisis would be a good start. It should then be followed by a quick withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and a winding down of the Afghan war as fast as possible. Unless America plays its cards right, the consequence of its military exercise in Afghanistan will be just as futile as the war in Vietnam.

About The Author: Professor Mahfuz R. Chowdhury teaches Economics at C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, New York, USA. He has published articles on various issues of Bangladesh and other economic issues, which are posted on numerous web sites. He has wide ranging experience in international business and commerce, and has written on failure of communism & problem with developing countries. His book, “Economic Exploitation of Bangladesh“, addresses the economics of developing countries, using Bangladesh as a case study. | More Articles By Mahfuz R. Chowdhury |

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   Columnist – John Sammon
I call for an immediate attack on Saudi Arabia to take over their oil and to install an American-backed regime in Riyadh friendlier to the United States. It’s been eight whole years, and we haven’t attacked a third country yet. We only attack countries weaker and smaller than ourselves. It was Saudi Arabia remember that supplied the hijackers that carried out 9-11.

Why do we love Saudi Arabia? We hate Moslems. Because of 9-11, we hate all Muslims, even those poor slobs in Indonesia, right?

We could make Saudi Arabia first an exploited colony garrisoned by American troops and ruled by an American viceroy who looks like John Wayne. He could saunter around with a pair of pistols and say to all the turban-heads, get out of my way, Pilgrim!

Eventually, we would annex Saudi Arabia and make it the 51st state in the union.

We would call it, Saudi America.

We would flood the country with right wing duck hunters from Minnesota who still believe in Dick Cheney, and white power skin heads with confederate flags on their trucks from the Deep South. They would take to it because Saudi Arabia, (excuse me), Saudi America, is a sandy, ugly, God-forsaken country just like Texas, home for the rednecks. The new arrivals would establish grease-laden junk fast food takeout shops, tequila growing farms, tattoo parlors, condom dispensers, factories that make specially designed lingerie for transvestite congressmen, motorcycle parts stores, laminated fruit used as sex aids, DVD adult movie rental outlets, and back-yard cottage industries making affordable reproduction World War 2 German helmets for Republican tea-baggers complete with swastikas.

We could build the very first adult-and-selected-minors-only X-rated Disney theme park and call it Stud Mickey on the Dunes (as in Mickey Mouse with a huge phallus riding a dune buggy across the Saudi sands). The center piece of the park would be the largest reality roller coaster in the world, specifically built to eject randomly chosen senselessly singled out certain unsuspecting riders engaged in the act of intercourse at high speed headfirst into a tiled lagoon, the possibility of potential un-rehearsed home movie-style entertainment to be televised for the cruel enjoyment of ignorant and easily impressed visitors, and those who enjoy listening to Sarah Palin.

This could all be funded by raising the price of gasoline.

Think what we could do with that oil money. We could turn Mecca into a glittering casino city to rival Las Vegas or even Branson Missouri with Arabic symbols on the slot machines to help fleece native sucker common-as-dirt potential slaves and hook them hopelessly on gambling, diverting them from their current occupations, sheep herding and wife beating.

A new industry, the sales of genetically-engineered gnats, would be developed, as hotter global warming sand dunes are prefect breeding grounds for the pesky insects. A rapidly multiplying growth bio-organic type of farming, gnats would be exported from Saudi America all over the world as a way to, after introducing them into the mouth, cleaning (by the insects eating away) decaying food between the teeth, eliminating the need for floss. A black market illegal trade could also be set up to infest the homes and cars of ex-wives and disagreeable bosses, the product to be titled, “Revenge with a Buzz.” We could hire Glenn Beck as a spokesman.

A special tax will be set up levied on the families of American serial killers back home based on household income to fund the first non-interrupted, elevated freeway running from the coast of Florida to the new state of Saudi America. This will allow the free movement between continents of hordes of Social Security grabbing, leech-like-freebie-sucking salary-less elderly retired loafers, who think the world owes them for the simple act of living, a bunch of non-contributing, seasonal immigrant vagabonds who will flock to a newly-constructed upscale gated condominium development along the Red Sea to be titled, Moses Slept Here, Phase One.

The Saudi royal family will be moved out and given property in the fashionable Hamptons of New York State, and posh flats in London, the only things they ever really wanted in the first place. They can thus be rich and drive Rolls Royces and pretend they are successful Englishmen wearing robes.

The surrounding ocean would be denuded of all its sea life by over-fishing and the All-Sex Porno Channel cable TV station introduced all across the country to take the place of the native religion, which will be abolished. Every citizen who currently practices any form of religion including Islam, Catholic and Mormon, will be required to convert instead to the selling of Mary Kay Cosmetics, a religion all its own.

Solar powered computerized micro chip mechanical camels will be created to run on the world’s first water-gravity-flow-fed pneumatic tube monorail system, the water to be shipped by means of a specially constructed overhead pipeline from the Central Valley of California as that state totally falls apart and no longer needs it. Governor Arnold will attempt to avoid presiding over the California debacle and will seek office in Saudi America, but will be stripped of steroids and escorted to the border where he will be told to go visit long-neglected relatives in Austria who highly doubt his even minimal acting ability.

Arnold will find it hard not to put on one of the cottage industry teabag reproduction German helmets.

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