Wednesday, October 15, 2008

So, Yes, In the End, It is Class Warfare

Word is leaking about about yet another National Intelligence Estimate that evidently recognize the obvious without drawing the obvious conclusion.

This time, there is a still-classified NIE that reportedly recognizes that Pakistan faces disaster. Does it, I wonder, recognize that U.S. drones blowing up houses, killing women and children, plus U.S. aid to the Pakistani military even as the Pakistani economy collapses, might be part of the problem? Does it, I wonder, suggest that American emphasis on helping the people of Pakistan might persuade them to oppose extremists who favor violence?

Would anyone in Washington listen if it did? After all, Washington just patted itself on the back for giving $700 billion of taxpayer funds to the richest people in the country. If Washington thinks Wall Street executives deserve handouts while America's poor are in crisis, then who could expect it to pay attention to the economic crisis facing the minorities along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border?

Pretending to be "concerned" and "unbiased" by intoning that a problem exists while careful avoiding pointing out either the cause or the solution is an old and repugnant game. Too bad for the U.S. that candidates willing to be honest--e.g., Kucinich in the Democratic primary and Nader, who remains in the race but is of course ignored by both halves of the conservative elitist Republican-Democratic group that got us in this mess--get no popular support.

It is not necessary for the poor, confused American voter to become an expert in high finance or Pakistani politics. The anti-democratic mindset of the powerful aiding the powerful, while the weak and poor struggle to survive the resulting financial crises and serve as fodder in the resulting (and highly profitable) wars is the very simple cause that underlies both problems.

No comments: