Bush Now Has To Refuse To Take Yes For An Answer

Saddam Hussein has thrown George W. Bush and his pro-war friends a most difficult curveball.

By agreeing at the eleventh hour to let United Nations inspectors return unconditionally to Iraq, Saddam has neatly finessed Bush's attempt to give his proposed war on Iraq legitimacy.

If they want to keep their invasion on schedule, Bush and his fellow war buffs will now have to scramble for a way to reject as insufficient what appears to be a full capitulation by Saddam.

They'll have to refuse to take yes for an answer. [read more]

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Saddam's concessions will never be enough for the US
Unless it can engineer a war, Bush's administration is political roadkill

And why, the "man in the street" might ask, do they appear so set on violence? Because Bush's misconceived, over-hyped global "war on terror" has run out of targets and is far from won. Because Iraq is oil-rich (the second biggest reserves) and the Saudis grow unreliable. Because, purely in domestic policy terms, especially post-Enron, this government is political roadkill. Because the administration's predominant, evangelical clique believes it is solo superpower America's historic mission (Bush says it is a "calling") to spread its universal values and rescue a muddled world from itself. Because the Bush family has old scores to settle and new elections to win. Because Bush lacks the insight and imagination to act differently. Because in their September 11 pain and unforgotten anger, not nearly enough of America's "men in the street", and in high places too, are prepared to say stop, pause, and consider what it is they do. [read more]

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Lies My President Told Me
It's mid-September during alleged wartime. Do you know where your government is?

This much is all too obviously true: We have no real idea what our government is doing right now, at this moment, as you read this. And we find this enormously reassuring.

We know far less than we think we know and far less than we want to believe and that is apparently exactly the way we like it, because otherwise it's just so frustrating and depressing and gives us just the worst sort of collective cultural eczema. [read more]

thanks to enthusiasm

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Rome, AD ... Rome, DC?
They came, they saw, they conquered, and now the Americans dominate the world like no nation before. But is the US really the Roman empire of the 21st century? And if so, is it on the rise - or heading for a fall?

The word of the hour is empire. As the United States marches to war, no other label quite seems to capture the scope of American power or the scale of its ambition. "Sole superpower" is accurate enough, but seems oddly modest. "Hyperpower" may appeal to the French; "hegemon" is favoured by academics. But empire is the big one, the gorilla of geopolitical designations - and suddenly America is bearing its name. [read more]

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Plus Ça Change ...

I'm currently doing research on A.J. Muste, a huge and yet practically invisible figure in the American labor, civil-rights, and anti-war movements of the 20th century.

In one of his essays, I ran across this passage, which refers to the months following the United States' entry into World War I. Tell me if you think anything really changes:

"The custom of having people rise to sing The Star Spangled Banner at the opening of plays, operas, and many public meetings was introdiced, and conformity was forced on those who disliked the practice. Military parades occured frequently, and men were expected to doff their hats whenever a flag was carried by. Many were obviously self-conscious and uncomfortable about it. Salutes and pledges to the flag were introduced in schools. ... [read more]