Ever since the Bush regime started it's war on terror , especially since he has hoodwinked an entire nation (well, at least a majority) into believing that Iraq was about terrorism - america has drawn criticism from it's allies and enemies both. Let me call your attention to the most insightful novel I've ever read - Dune.

Let me repeat - that is a work of pure fiction. But it is very scary to imagine the forces in play there. The Lansraad in Dune is a conclave of the great houses - sort of like our UN assemblies. The essential purpose of the Lansraad is to ensure that the emperor cannot cut out a single great house from that herd and hunt them down with his sardaukar. Essentially a bi-polar world of a single mighty emperor versus a bunch of loosely confederated countries.

Now reflect on the current world. Bush is the emperor - with his army. Every world leader must live in fear that any day they can come knocking on his door - to dispose of a dictator, implement democracy or just to free the people. The noble intentions rarely pan out and often come with a hidden agenda (Iraq was about oil and especially it being traded with Euros). The benifits seem almost incidental , even accidental.

As a world citizen, it saddens me to see a country which has always carried the stick for the world use it so mercilessly. Removing a dictator is not always in the best interests of democracy, especially if the army stays back to protect. This ranks of neo-colonialism - after all the British did us Indians a favour by uniting us, but did that mainly by pillaging and ruling justly.

The double standards that current America shows in terms of the rest of the world is amazingly stupid and short sighted. For a country living pretty much completely on a credit economy - it is either planning to go bankrupt or do what all those liberated russian sattelites did (devalue currency, pay back debts and get out). Desperate measures are called for, which seems to be what the leaders are doing. Just like the worksman who has pawned his tools on friday, america is going through the rich for the weekend period of it's life. Come monday, he's starving and worse for the weekend. Like all those wierdos on the street, let me say this - The end is coming. After all you can't bully everyone all the time, they'll just wait till you are down and kick you hard.

The standard reply I get from an american when I express this opinion is :- if everyone hates america so much, why do they queue up for a visa before you could say Apu Nahasapeemapetilon ?. My rhetoric question is - Would you rather be the guy getting beat or the one the one with the big stick ? . Most people I know wouldn't take a chance with the former. The I'm with the winning side attitude is so common with the spineless worker of this world. Add another layer to the foren-returnee wedding cake and you have an answer.

Lastly, let me quote a very notorious person's opinion about mass manipulation.

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the 
country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag 
the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a 
parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can 
always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have 
to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for 
lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

-- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials 

Please look around and tell me I'm wrong about all this. I don't want it to be this way - but I'm not good at these self delusions.

C'est la vie *sigh*.

posted at: 00:24 | path: /slashdot | permalink | Tags: public