1, February 2005 Bush's
Inauguration speech
It is baffling to understand the psyche of
Indo Republicans who gushed over President Bush's inauguration speech
(I-Abroad, January 28) desperately trying to find the right superlatives -"incredible,
fantastic, awesome" - who were so moved by Bush's visions of spreading
freedom and democracy. Are we Indians still
carrying the burden of a conquered nation? Have we not yet jettisoned
the ghost of British colonialism? How can so many
intelligent medical doctors - who have reached the
zenith of their respective medical specialties - be so naive. Dr. Zachariah and
many of his elk have donated millions to the
Republican Party who have repeatedly demonstrated their religious intolerance
and duplicity in retaining the reins of power. Why does a coveted seat close to
the president have such appeal? Have we forgotten George Bush's famous
proclamation that Jesus Christ was his favorite philosopher? Would
Jesus condone mendacity and the appalling abuse of Iraqi prisoners
and detainees at Guantanamo Bay? Would Jesus approve of the 'shock and awe' destruction
of Iraq and the death of 1,000,000 of its citizens? Why
are we so vocal in our denunciation of the
despicable crimes of Saddam Hussein but remain silent to the crimes committed
by the Bush Administration and coalition forces in
Iraq, and Afghanistan?
Bush used so much biblical, evangelical
rhetoric in his campaigning and inauguration speech that one
may have thought he was trying to upstart Reverend Billy Graham! The Christian
Right and the Bush political machine are in tight
embrace. This does not bode well for people of other faiths. The faith-based
initiatives (FBI's) have disproportionately directed large sums of federal
dollars to fund Christian institutions under the guise of
supporting social programs, with virtually no oversight.
Remember Bob Jones, president of Bob Jones
University letter to President Bush, ".. .God has graciously
granted America a reprieve from paganism, " - urging Bush to pass
legislation and appoint judges to conform to biblical norms!"
It is cruelly ironic that Bush's speech was
replete with visions of freedom and liberty while so many Muslim men in the US,
Iraq and Guantanamo Bay languish behind bars denied legal representation and
are brutally tortured by their captors - in clear violation of international
law.
There is joy and relief in the White House
because Iraq held its first free election but regrettably this is
a fig leaf to justify the illegal occupation of Iraq. Forgotten are the 1,400
of America troops that have died and thousands upon thousands of our troops
that have been maimed. Nearly one-quarter of a trillion
dollars of our tax money has been poured into this sink hole called the
"war of liberation." The grand design to rob
Iraq of her precious oil resources has failed. President Bush and his
cultist band of neo-conservatives have committed crimes against humanity and
must be held responsible.
Paul
Bremer, the former 'czar of Iraq', issued a litany of proclamations prior to
his departure, ceding control and ownership of much of Iraq's
future wealth to US corporations. Also included, were tight legal
provisions granting immunity from prosecution for military and corporate wrong doing
for the next 40 years. The Center for Public Integrity has
maintained an excellent set of data tracking these provisions and the ongoing
malfeasance of US corporations. Thus, the ongoing raping and pillaging of Iraqi
resources is all but assured. Failure of US corporations to employ
local Iraqis in the reconstruction projects has contributed to the extremely
high unemployment rate of 70%. No spare parts
were allowed to be imported from countries that did not support
the war contributing to the dramatic increase in reconstruction costs. I would
respectfully urge all the good doctors who were so vociferous in their
admiration and support for President Bush to look beyond
the rhetoric and examine the shameless, undemocratic polices of this
administration.
