The Far-Eastern Sweet Potato

How Blind the Powerful!

If we were to believe the White House press secretary, Israel's war against Hezbollah and Lebanon has forged a sense of international determination to rein in the militant group. One need not scan the world media for too long to realize that this so-called "international determination" has enough genes in common with the "Coalition" that invaded Iraq in 2003 to be its ugly twin.

So focused have the powers that be in Washington become, and so inimical to perspectives that differ from their agenda for the Middle East that once again the White House has deceived itself into believing that it speaks for the majority of us. Once again, the alleged leader of the world is so pregnant with self-righteousness and self-assuredness that it gives itself the permission to superimpose its delusions onto the entire world. Or perhaps the superpower has become so powerful indeed that it simply doesn't care what others think. Dictators often like to see themselves as the god-like representation of their people. The United States seems to have contracted that brain disease, only you need to substitute the country withthe entire planet.

This is illusion, delusion, disinformation. The "international determination" consists of very few countries, such as the U.S., Israel, Canada, and perhaps Australia and the U.K. Everybody else, from France to Indonesia, disagrees with that view and has been calling for an end to Israeli aggression against Lebanon.

Of course, giving the illusion that the world is united against Hezbollah, against terrorism, against those bad unruly Muslims, also provides a way out of what would otherwise be a responsibility to prevent further bloodshed. The illusion is a self-serving smokescreen that gives carte blanche to Israel as it furthers U.S. designs upon the Middle East, which explains why to this day the White House has opposed a ceasefire. It also fits hand-in-glove with Washington's campaign to isolate Iran and Syria, and to combat the ever-elusive, multi-headed monster called "terrorism," which no matter what they do Syria and Iran unfailingly support, equip, assist, direct, create, lead. Bush and friends, along with their cohorts in London, Jerusalem and Ottawa, don't care that the so-called unity is a blatant lie; they are so above it all, so mired in their own racist view of the world, that such lies are sufficient to silence whoever opposes their policies. They don't even need to care about their lack of credibility anymore.

After all, this wouldn't be the first time that lies are used to justify the use of force against a Muslim country. The first ugly twin was Iraq. The second is being crushed under tons of Israeli bombs. Care to wager who the third ugly twin will be? Here's a hint: its name starts with I. It's all connected, and it's all coming together. The illusion of unity will ensure that opposition remains ineffective.