EDITORIAL

 US Imperialism Down Down

BY the time the coming week ends (March 4), US president George Bush  would have  paid his State visit to India.  Apart from everything else, he will be greeted  by widespread protests. These protests are directed against  US imperialism’s  vigorous pursuit  of its  agenda of global hegemonism.  There are very valid reasons, why universally the Bush administration’s policies are condemned. 

By now it is more than evident  that all excuses advanced for US aggression and occupation of Iraq were a hoax.  Neither were  any weapons of mass destruction, as alleged,  were found, nor  have any links of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq with Al-Quaeda ever established.  As repeatedly stated in these columns,  the invasion and occupation of Iraq  was to seize control  of the second largest oil reserves in the world. 

In these three years of US occupation, over one lakh Iraqi people have died.  The civic infrastructure has completely collapsed and unemployment  rate has risen beyond 50 per cent.  Over 2250 US soldiers have died so far. However, as always with  mercenary capitalism, this  is justified as “collateral damage” in return for huge  contracts to US multinational corporations. 

The protest actions against George Bush in India is to demand, in consonance with the unanimous resolution of the Indian parliament, that he should vacate the occupation of Iraq forthwith. 

US imperialism today has nearly 10,000 nuclear warheads deployed  all over the globe in its 702 military installations in 132 countries.  2000 of these nuclear warheads are on  “hair trigger alert” ready to be launched with 15 minutes warning.  In addition, it has self-declared stockpiles of chemical weapons. 

Backed with such an awesome arsenal, US imperialism  has adopted a global strategy defined as “full spectrum dominance”.  This means,  the control of land, sea, air and space and all attendant resources. Part of such a strategy  is its self-given  right  for a “pre-emptive  strike”.  This is its self-declared justification for military intervention in any country which dares not to toe its line. 

It is in this context of establishing complete global hegemony that the USA  has  identified  certain countries like  Cuba, North Korea, Syria, Iran  and others as the “axis of evil”.  These countries are next on the firing line.  While  the criminal economic blockade and blandishments against Cuba continue for nearly five decades, US imperialism has now targeted Iran as its next victim.  In a virtual replay of what it did with Iraq a decade ago, US imperialism is trying to drag Iran to the UN Security Council under the pretext that Iran is clandestinely pursuing a programme of nuclear weaponisation.  Despite having no shred of evidence, deliberately refusing to allow a settlement under the auspices of the IAEA, US imperialism is seeking to create conditions for UN sanctions and military attacks. The objective, once again, is to gain control of Iran’s oil resources.

Similarly, it targets the repeatedly elected  president Hugo Chavez of oil-rich Venezuela.  All over Latin America,  as noted in these columns earlier,  the people have been rejecting pro-US forces in democratic elections  in country after country. 

Further, US imperialism,  under the slogan of globalisation,  is seeking to  force  the entire developing world  to adopt neo-liberal economic policies  which will dovetail the economies of these countries to US interests and to facilitate predatory superprofits to international capital.  US imperialism’s objective  is to  economically recolonise  the third world countries. 

Therefore, the protests that shall take place in India when George Bush visits our country, like elsewhere in the world, are against the enslavement  of the majority of the world’s people. These protests take place to uphold  the dignity, sovereignty and liberty of our country and its people. 

Opposing the protests against imperialism by progressive sections of our people, the ruling classes often invoke our so-called `common culture' of `Indian hospitality' to visiting guests.  `Athithi Devo Bhava', we are told, ignoring, however, lessons from our own `traditions' and legends. Recall that  Vishnu comes in the avatar of Vamana to the audience of king Mahabali.  Guest is accorded the warmest of welcomes and asked to seek any gift he wishes. Vamana seeks `three feet of land'. His wish being granted, he assumes the form of  Vishnu's `Viswa roopa darsana' and places one foot on `swarga loka' (heaven), one on `bhoo loka' (earth) and then asks Mahabali where to place the third!  With Mahabali's head alone remaining unoccupied, he places his foot there and pushes him down to `patala loka' (under world) thus killing him.   So much for Athithi Devo Bhava! 

Such guests who come to devour us are, surely, not welcome. 

Join the protest against US imperialism in large numbers.