A Tale of Three Countries

It's become clear to me that troubled nations all over are using the United States' response to terrorism as a green light to take a more violent, unyielding approach to their own conflicts. They are taking our lead of military intervention without any admission of complicity in their own difficulties. It's uncanny how similar their tactics and styles are.

In particular, Israel and India are following frighteningly closely in our footsteps. All three allegedly democratic, freedom-loving countries flaunt their contempt of the United Nations and the international community. All three repeatedly ignore U.N. resolutions, refuse to negotiate or work within internationally accepted guidelines, and act with minimal regard for anything but a very narrow, short-sighted self-interest. All three do so at the risk of brutal, all-out war with old�and new�adversaries. And all do it in the name of "justice."

Just as there was limited-to-zero official recognition that the U.S. had done anything to exacerbate the situation in Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia�nearly all the September 11th attackers were Saudi citizens�there is close to no official admission of the slightest bit of responsibility for their troubles on the part of Israeli or Indian leaders. Just like the U.S., both governments claim to be victimized by "freedom-and-peace-hating" terrorists with no agenda but violence, and no reason for violence but their own barbarism.

Israel continues to build settlements at ever-increasing rates, kill Palestinians with a disturbingly righteous nonchalance, ignore U.N resolutions, and mete out two-eyes-and-a-hand-for-an-eye justice in the name of "security." (More than five times as many Palestinians have been killed as Israelis). And to all eyes but their own, doing just about everything in their power to destroy any chance for peace in the foreseeable future. Doesn't seem to be achieving security too well, does it?

In good company, India, while protesting loudly that is "the world's largest democracy," continues to kill the residents of Kashmir, destroy its stunning beauty, all the while disregarding the U.N resolutions that demand a popular vote in the contested region to decide whether its people want to be part of Pakistan, India, or a sovereign country of their own.

It should go without saying that Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, and the Palestinian Authority are no angels. Bin Laden's actions speak for themselves (click here for background on the historical events leading up to the September 11th attack). Pakistan has done little�if anything�to curb terrorists, in fact, encouraging radicalized and violent Islam over the years. And the Palestinian Authority, just like Israel, has for years had one foot barely in the door of peace negotiations and at least one hand throwing a grenade.

The important distinction is that Al Qaeda, fundamentalist elements in Pakistan, and the more virulent fundy groups within the Palestinian Authority make no pretenses about wanting an Islamic state, the absolute destruction of Israel, zero democracy, and no tolerance for any religion but their own.

On the other hand, the U.S., Israel, and India all claim democracy and decry violence�especially terrorism. They claim to be champions of international cooperation (especially when it suits them), and hold themselves up as examples for individual freedoms and civil rights. But each of the three seems to be becoming more like the "enemy" every day. Palestinians have fewer rights and less chance of their own country every day. What land they have is slowly taken away by illegal Israeli settlements openly endorsed by Sharon. In India, Kashmiris can't vote on their own sovereignty and are victims of a slow genocide. And in the United States, the self-proclaimed cradle of democracy, we are looking for more countries to bomb, but especially Iraq�regardless of U.N. warnings and the possibility that it may entangle us in a new, wide-reaching, and expensive regional war. We are taking no responsibility for fifty years of interventions and manipulations in the Middle East. We see no connection between our unconditional support of brutal regimes in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Egypt and the attacks of September 11th. Hell, most Americans have no clue at all "why they hate us so much." We think it's because they "hate freedom and our way of life."

No. They hate our ignorance, our political manipulation that cost their lives, and MOST OF ALL, they hate our financial, military, and political support of their own brutal governments where there's not a shred of the democracy that we in America spout off so much about. There's no freedom of speech, press, religion, or assembly, no right to vote, and no way out. And we keep it that way. Because we believe that without access to their cheap gas our security and way of life will be threatened.

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