HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2003

by

JOHN ROBERTS

We earnestly pray and trust that this year will be a decidedly happy one for all the People of this worn-out old world of ours. No doubt, George Bush and Tony Blair, not to mention our very own John Howard, (Australian Prime-Minister), have all most dutifully expressed their very sincere wishes for the well-being and happiness of their friends and colleagues. It is a jolly time, indeed, coming so quickly upon the traditional Christmas festivities, when much wine and ale is consumed in the Western World, in celebration, would you believe, of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. It is supposed to be a season of good-will towards men.

Well, there is not very much good-will around at the present time, if we are to believe the stories presently being disseminated about what is happening in our world. We are reliant upon the various forms of media for our information, much of which we know to be engineered to suit the propaganda machines of the rich and powerful nations of the Earth. However, we perceive enough to be able to form our own opinions regarding the state of affairs at the present time. We are thankful that the visual media organizations of the United States are able to give us a confirmatory glimpse of our suspicions, by reproducing film and video recordings covering the historical events of the last hundred years or so.

Before we pass to the events passing before our eyes in the United States of America, let us think for a moment of the people of Chechnya, in the former Soviet Union. We are currently witnessing an episode of brutality, almost unparalleled in human experience. A systematic attempt is being made by Russian (no-longer wicked Soviet soldiers, mind!) troops to liquidate all male members of the Chechnyan race. This is no passing phenomenon, but a continuing and daily experience for Chechnyan mothers, who find their twelve and thirteen-year old boys rounded-up and taken away by Russian soldiers, only to disappear for ever. I have earlier commented in an essay on the wholesale destruction of cities, towns and villages, in this unfortunate land, and have no difficulty in forming an opinion that we are currently witnessing acts of deliberate genocide. The sad fact is that this utterly cruel and sustained brutality is being conveniently ignored by the rest of the world. The United Nations says nothing, or very little. Mr. Kophi Annan, the Secretary-General, is too preoccupied by other pressing matters to give very much attention to the problems of Chechnya. I tried to send him an E-mail message, on this topic but find that there is no address for this gentleman.

Mr Putin, an Ex-KGB spy and informer, of whom I have previously observed that he does not have an endearing physiognomy, seems quite unaffected by the slaughter of the Chechnyans. He need not worry, of course, as the USA is not concerned, regarding what is happening there at the present time: it suiting its own nefarious schemes to permit the Russians to do a little butchering in Chechnya. That the people of Chechnya are resorting to Terrorism to publicise their cause, comes as no surprise. They will not succeed by this strategem, of course, as such incidents only reinforce and encourage Putin’s resolve to liquidate the Chechnyans.

Another sad fact becomes increasingly apparent to me. It is the discovery that George W. Bush and his Russian counterpart are both tarred with the same brush. They both suffer from megalomania. This is becoming increasingly evident in the conduct of the President of the United States, who daily sheds the trappings of respectability. His CIA spies (Weapons Inspectors) in Iraq are discovering nothing in the way of weapons of Mass Destruction. Saddam Hussein is bending over backwards to co-operate with the United Nations personnel but he does not convince George Bush of his sincerity. Bush is determined to “liberate” Iraq, by means of massive armed force, and is taking swift and highly efficient steps to carry out his plans. He makes plain his determination to ignore the United Nations Organization.

What about the United Nations? Does it have a say in what is going to happen to Iraq? Does Mr. Annan loudly protest at the military preparations being so glaringly made to invade Iraq. Does he protest at the continued and sustained bombing of Iraq: continuing for years? Does he protest at the effect of sanctions upon the children and people of that nation, who have been deprived of the very basic needs of any civilized society? Up to a million children dead or seriously malnourished! We might hear a squeak now and again, yet the fact becomes clearer every day, that the United Nations is a mere pawn and tool of United States Military expansionism. Bush makes a show for internal propaganda purposes: he paints Saddam as a diabolical and ruthless individual who is imposing his rule unjustly upon the Iraqi people. He now proposes to invade Iraq, kill thousands of its citizens in the process, destroy the infrastructure, without, of course, doing too much damage to the essential oil supplies; which will be diverted to the use and convenience of the United States. He might even give Turkey a slice of this rich cake, in return for its assistance in subduing the people of Iraq. Whatever, happens, there will be a bloodbath and thousands of innocents will suffer, even more than they have in the past, as a result of United States madness. It will be another Vietnam, only, of course, America won’t lose 57,000 dead this time. If a few million Iraqi’s are killed, so what?

Bush’s lie is that Iraq represents a threat to the USA and the people of the Near East. As the Israeli’s are said to possess two-hundred nuclear weapons, in addition to other chemical weapons, one wonders how much of a threat Iraq really represents to them. This technology was supplied to the Israelis years ago by the USA, with no thought, at that time, of the danger to the rest of the world represented by the possession of fanatical Israelis of these terrible weapons. One is comforted somewhat by the thought that the Israelis dare not use these bombs, as the result might well prove to be the utter destruction of Palestine and Israel, as well as adjoining Arab nations. If there was a vestige of sincerity in George Bush, one would expect him to comment on the danger represented, not by Iraq, but by Israel, by virtue of its undoubted possession of “Weapons of Mass Destruction”. His silence here confirms his duplicity.

As an Englishman, living in Australia, I find it incomprehensible that the Governments of Britain and Australia are so blasé about the trumpeting and grandstanding of George Bush. The man presents daily, more and more as a psychopath, with power to destroy the world and nobody seems to want to know about it. What are the people of the United States doing about the man at the helm? Are they going to allow him to destroy human civilization, for that is what he and his regime are heading for? I cannot imagine that America, the most advanced nation on Earth, without question, is prepared to disregard all traditional moral standards and unleash its incredible military might against the people of Iraq. If Bush gets away with this affront to the people of the World, who is going to be next?

North Korea is the next target and, we are informed, the USA is quite capable of conducting two Wars at the same time. They are also wicked people: “Communists” and have been a thorn in the side of the “Free World” for many years. It is time the USA got tough with them. But the folk of South Korea do not seem to be so very much on side at the moment. They may have a sneaking suspicion of the motives of the good old US of A. Besides, the Japanese don’t want trouble on their own doorstep, particularly, if it involves a nuclear confrontation. Nasty things, nuclear weapons, as they know only too well! George W. Bush has, thus, finally removed his mask of righteous indignation and exposed his pious hypocrisy and overriding ambition. He seeks the utter isolation and destruction of Iraq as an independent and sovereign nation. The United States of America is picking-off its targets, one by one: Iran, Iraq, Serbia, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia: they are all on its Mafia “Hit-list”.

Of particular concern to me, is the apparent indifference of certain Islamic Nations, notably Turkey and Saudi Arabia, to the plight of Iraq. It is well known that Turkey covets Iraqi Oil and that Saudi Arabia, has a very close economic relationship with America. However, recent moves against Islamic Countries, have evoked no response or merely ineffectual remonstrances against the USA. Whilst I am not an advocate of War, I find it to be inconceivable that Muslims generally are unwilling to support their own co-religionists, when exposed to the aggressive military action of the USA and its thoroughly immoral allies. Furthermore, why do not the Islamic States of the world come to the assistance of the embattled and dispossessed Palestinian Arabs. The plight of this people is a continuing disgrace to the United Nations and a disaster of enormous magnitude. The problem will not be resolved until the Palestinian Arabs are confirmed in the possession, once more, of their traditional lands. How can the Israelis have the hide to push them out, en masse, from their own lands, with the connivance and consent of the Western Powers? Their position is desperate and deserving of immediate action by the world community, which must tell the Jews that they cannot continue killing Palestinian children, with impunity. They will have to withdraw to the land originally allocated to them on the establishment of the State of Israel. Nothing less than this will resolve the problems of Palestine. Wake up, Members of the United Nations! You have to determine once and for all whether your organization will continue as a puppet of the USA, or whether it will assert itself and tell the Yanks that their long-sustained oppression of the countries of the Third World is at an end. If you do not, then the UN will, assuredly, die the Death of the League of Nations, if, indeed, it has not done so already.

So much for the peoples of the Middle and Near-East. We who live, so comfortably, in the West and who have enjoyed such privileges for so long, will have to sit down and consider just what price we are paying for our association with the United States. It is the price of the surrender of all claim to just principles and fair-dealing. The British and German Nations are contaminated with the blood of innocents, butchered for the convenience of America, in Iraq, Serbia and Afghanistan. Those Western Countries which are turning a blind eye upon Chechnya and the horrors presently being perpetrated in that small Nation, by a vastly powerful foe, will bear some of the responsibility for their own silence. There will be no escape for anyone concerned in such crimes, wherever perpetrated and no peace for humankind until we evolve as a Race beyond the stage of the Mass-Murder of our fellows.

There is still a great deal of talk about “Honour” in this world of ours. What this word really means is “Nothing whatsoever!” It is widely used in conflict situations and the vendetta, so fashionable in European annals for thousands of years, is based strictly upon such principles. Men of “Honour”, regularly used to engage in murderous activities to avenge questions involving family pride and continue to do so. These people are merely assassins and killers, destitute of morals of any shape or kind. Such men are people, like G. W. Bush and Co: shallow folk, grossly inflated with pride of family, or of place or person. The destiny of the whole world is in their hands at the present time. It is, therefore, incumbent upon decent ordinary people, who normally do not bestir themselves greatly, to speak up and give expression to their feelings about the direction presently being taken by our “World Leaders”. They have proved themselves to be, not only, ignorant and incompetent but, additionally, heartless, arrogant and proud. The Bush’s, Blair’s and Howard’s of this world are rushing us all into a veritable Hell, which we do not seek, nor do we wish to inflict this torment upon our fellow men, of whatever Nation or Religious Belief.

When those of us who are still alive on 31st December 2003, look back upon the events of the year, what will we be thinking? Will the Human Race have progressed to any degree? One will venture to prognosticate that we will most definitely have not. But we do pray, most earnestly, that we will not have regressed to the condition of savages, in the renewed slaughter of our fellows.

Finis

John Roberts

Sydney, Australia.

6th January 2003

mailto:robertsjno@gmail.com