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From: pollack@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Foreign Policy Flaming - (nf)
Message-ID: <2979@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 24-Sep-83 22:41:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.2979
Posted: Sat Sep 24 22:41:51 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 28-Sep-83 03:32:42 EDT
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#N:uicsl:4300074:000:3915
uicsl!pollack    Sep 24 14:57:00 1983

I'm Mad As Hell about the state and future of US Politics. This is a
Flame in seven parts.

1. Every time Congress votes on Foreign aid to Latin America, the
Administration sets up a "lightning rod" to distract media attention.
In 1981 it was "Kaddafi's Hit Squad." Yesterday, while Watt acted like
his anus, Congress voted for $68M of "aid" to El Salvador.  Since the
rebels eventually receive 40% of this through corruption of the army,
we are essentially just committing another genocide.  Look for cheap
Real Estate in the tropics of depopulated El Salvador by 1990.

2.  What are we trying to get out of Lebanon?  Israel, by destroying
its economy, created a great captive market for agricultural exports.
Now that Israel is not part of the "peace-keeping" force, we can
readily assume that they went way past the 25 mile buffer zone as a
favor to the US, so we would be able to set up yet another fascist
government only representing a minority in order to facilitate economic
dependence and exploitation.

3. I appreciate Steve Silverberg's pride, but I think Zionism,
originally a combination of socialism and ethnic nationalism, has been
subverted.  US's use of Israel to support regressive and oppressive
regimes (i.e Guatemala, Argentina, S. Africa,) in return for
monotonically increased aid is the worst form of anti-semitism
imaginable. Now, Israel is diplomatically isolated and completely
dependent on US aid. Rather than being a successful example for
independent underdeveloped nations to follow, She is perceived as
imperialist aggressor. American Jews are sleepwalking into the future
thinking that as long as US Aid increases, America likes Israel.  The
Ruling Class of this country is not Jewish, and probably very
anti-semitic.  Aid to Israel has nothing to do with democracy, only
with political and military utility.  Chile had 152 years of democracy
before the Pinochet coup.  How long does Israel have before Sharon is
crowned as king?

4. By covertly funding Habre in Chad, we forced France back into a role
of colonial intrusion. Now, one of the most outspoken critics of US
colonial policy has been silenced by complicity.

5. I still believe that the KAL incident more likely a ploy by
ultra-right of US than barbarism of Russia.  When you look at such
well-orchestrated events you must ask, who is to gain?  I think the
answer is clear. John Birchers are getting lots of media coverage, and
Reagan uses his "massacre" to justify every insane item on his military
agenda.

6. I wouldn't mind war so much if there were real purpose behind it.
Rather than fighting the forces of Totalitarianism as we did in WWII,
now we are allied with them, and they are slowly infiltrating our own
free society:
  a. Travel restriction:  Although Reagan's travel ban to Cuba has been
     declared unconstitutional and lifted, there are still no direct flights
     from Miami, and hijacks are rampant because they are as cheap as a
     Saturday Night Special.
  b. Freedom of speech: Latin intellectuals are prevented by the INS
     from coming and speaking in the US, for example, Madame Allende, Garcia
     Marquez, and Ruben Zamora. And Government employees are being silenced
     with threats of lie-detector tests, etc.
  c. Cruel and Unusual Punishment:  Hawaiian criminals sent to Alaskan
     jails, Illinois criminals die by poisoning.

7. As the wars in Central America, Lebanon, and soon, the Phillipines,
heat up, there will again be mass civil disobedience in our own
country, as there was during Vietnam.  Reagan will then be ready to
administer "Law and Order", and Kent State will be trivial in
comparison.  When we start to bomb Nicaragua, you can expect the
terror to be reflected in the Hispanic ghettos of our cities.

I do not know what to do about all this. Probably I'll become a cynic
like rabbit!jj.

Jordan Pollack.
University of Illinois.
pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!pollack