Libyan Blood Oil:An Illegal War of Hypocrisy and Self Interest

By: Solomon Comissiong

On March 20th 2011 the US and NATO forces began an aggressive aerial assault on the North African nation of Libya under the disingenuous pretext that it was a humanitarian mission to save civilians from being killed by pro Gaddafi “rebel” forces. It is ever clear that they take world for fools just as US government officials take their own politically programmed citizens as mindless sheep. This is the same US government that ostensibly sees nothing wrong with their killing of hundreds of thousands of civilians in Iraq, and the tens of thousands by way of indiscriminate drone and air strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan. If the US government gave a damn about the killing of civilians and their humanity; they would stop supporting the barbaric and repressive government of Israel for their crimes against humanity in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. However, instead of standing on the side of justice the US government continues to fund the apartheid government of Israel by way of over three billion dollars each year, in military aid. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have operated as nothing short of a state funded terrorist organization as they knowingly take out civilians each time they rain their US supplied weaponry over Gaza, the West Bank and Southern Lebanon, with no regard how many non-combatants occupy the spaces below. During Israel’s 22 day assault on Gaza (December 27, 2008-January 18, 2009) over 1400 Palestinians were killed with 313 of them being children. This unwarranted and disproportionate use of force, called Operation Cast Lead, was never in threat of being stopped by the US government. They were complicit with each and every destructive bomb and bullet indiscriminately hurled at civilians in Gaza. Where was the US imposed “no-fly zone’ to prevent bombs from dropping directly on the homes of Palestinians? Where was the US’s selective humanitarian conscious during this terror laden campaign of death and destruction?

The people the West Bank and especially Gaza live with no independence or ability to determine their own destiny. Palestinians do not even control their own water supplies or electricity—this is controlled by the amoral government of Israel and supported by hypocrites in Washington DC.  Countless IDF maintained checkpoints make it virtually impossible for the people of Palestine to travel freely throughout their own country. These checkpoints are eerily reminiscent of the humiliating Pass Laws that were imposed upon native black South Africans during the era of white minority apartheid rule. Like the Palestinians, black South Africans could not count on the American government to intervene on their behalf. The people of Gaza continue to languish within the world’s largest open-air prison. There is no quality of life under these wretched circumstances. And the US government could not give a damn for it is their complicity that contributes to Palestinian suffering.

Where is the US government’s concern regarding the 6 million Congolese who have perished violently since 1998? America’s conscious is with the billions of dollars its multinational corporations have profited from by way of Congo’s vast mineral resources. There has not been a single legitimate effort on the US government’s part to stop this genocide. Needless to say, the US government and its corporate media lapdogs don’t give a damn about real justice or civilian lives abroad—they care about other people’s natural resources and how they can benefit from. The US corporate media continues to play its role as government sycophant banging the war drums loud and clear—for all the sheeple to follow obediently.  The Corporate media from MSNBC to CNN to the right wing white nationalist Fox News is providing as limited and inaccurate a perspective on this situation as they possibly can, for they have to in order to keep US citizens in the virtual dark. Surprisingly even Al Jazeera has provided a limited context of this situation, only showcasing correspondents that spoke of the air strikes as a good thing for the people of Libya. It is pathetic that in order to get some kind of sensible and balanced perspective, regarding this issue, Americans have to turn to the likes of Russia Today (RT/a foreign news channel). There is no coincidence that this station is not offered in most US media markets.

This so-called war on Libya for humanitarian purposes is fueled by oil and how the US and its European partners in crime can benefit. It is a war of self interest and has not a damn thing to do with humanitarian reasons. There are many other nations where the citizens have been facing hell on earth, at the hands of their repressive leaders; yet the US curiously chooses not to even try at intervening on their behalf. Why—because the repressive rulers of those nations are allies of the US government. As the people of these nations continue to decay without any semblance of human rights the US continues to methodically look the other way. Their capitalist self interest is far more important than being a consistent, morally sound and principled champion for human rights and social justice. As I write this essay, the US stands as the world champion of hypocrisy and war mongering

When will Americans demand an end to these unjust campaigns of war which are based on imperialism and the usurpation of natural resources? When will the American people truly stand on the side of justice and make the rest of the social justice loving world proud? When will Americans wake the hell up and stop allowing their tax dollars to be spent on destroying lives and supporting repressive governments? And when will Americans demand that those same dollars be spent on healthcare, education, and affordable housing? When?! Until then, blood is indirectly all over the hands of tens of millions of obsequious Americans.

Solomon Comissiong is an educator, community activist, author, public speaker and the host of the Your World News media collective (www.yourworldnews.org). Solomon is the author of A Hip Hop Activist Speaks Out on Social Issues.  He can be reached at: solo@yourworldnews.org


March 25, 2011  
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