There is/was a house...

I was thinking of writing a post exploring the root causes of the New Orleans tragedy, but I finally decided it would be seen as exploiting the misery of thousands of people for the sake of expressing my political opinions. At the same time, I feel a great urge to make some sort of a comment. Many years ago, I visited New Orleans. I walked in the dreamlike atmosphere of the French Quarter. I listened to the incomparable New Orleans jazz at the incredible Preservation Hall, where you walked into what looked like an ordinary house, and found yourself face to face with living jazz history. I feel deeply saddened by the loss that New Orleans has suffered, and hope for its recovery to its former glory.

Ayatollah Robertson

Pat Robertson, the American televangelist (of the "700 Club" fame, or rather infamy) has issued a fatwa for the assassination of President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela for "spreading communism and Moslem extremism." The "free press," those obsequious hired hands of the highest bidders for their services, will doubtless laugh it all off, and refuse to discuss the serious implications of the issue.

Robertson has quite bluntly stated that the reason he wants President Chavez dead is that the Venezuelan government, according to Robertson, poses a threat to US economic interests. In today's US politics, it is apparently quite acceptable for a religious leader like Robertson constantly to meddle in purely political and economic affairs. On the other hand, when the late Ayatollah Khomeini issued his call for Salman Rushdie's assassination on purely religious grounds, as the latter had, among many other indiscretions, called the Prophet of Islam a whoremonger, Western liberals didn't lose any time in joining their conservative brethren's condemnation of the fatwa.

Robertson's fatwa came only a couple of days after Pope Benedict's call on Moslem leaders (while visiting Germany!) to promote the fight against terrorism (as if real religious leaders were in the business of promoting anything other than religion), without once mentioning the terror inflicted by the US on the people of Iraq for their oil. It is clear that whereas religion in the East is a component of nationalist resurgence against capitalism and imperialism, religion in the West is increasingly a handmaiden to the interests of the Empire.

Today we are all Palestinians

On this day, all progressive forces are, at some level, “Palestinians,” in that they join in solidarity with the Palestinian nation, and share its joy in today’s victory. Yet we are all “Palestinians” at a deeper level as well. In an age when humanity’s greatest enemies, the United States government and transnational capital, appear to have achieved permanent ascendancy, we all share and feel, to some extent, the experience of oppression and defeat that the Palestinian nation has intimately known for so long. Yet we also share its resolve and resiliency. We share its determination that no matter what obstacles the enemy may throw in our path, the final triumph shall be ours.

One of the Devil's own

One of the most despicable individuals on the face of the earth (that's the guy who is praying to George HW Bush) is now under the earth. The path to salvation, not to speak of the path to glowing obituaries, is neither by faith nor by works. It is by sucking up to the Americans, mercilessly suppressing all dissent, and squandering the wealth of one's nation.