Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Any person or state who gets in the way of the American Empire, beware!

By William Blum - posted Monday, 17 March 2003


A while ago, I heard a union person on the radio proposing what he called "a radical solution to poverty - pay people enough to live on".

I'd like to propose a radical solution to anti-American terrorism - stop giving terrorists the motivation to attack America.

Our leaders and often the media would have us believe that we're targetted because of our freedom, democracy, wealth, our modernity, secular government or just our simple goodness. George W. is still repeating these cliches long after 9-11 and he may believe it, but other officials have known better for some time.

Advertisement

A department of defence study in 1997 concluded, "Historical data show a strong correlation between US involvement in international situations and an increase in terrorist attacks against the United States".

The attacks are not going to end until we stop bombing innocent people and devastating villages and grand old cities. And they are not going to end until we stop supporting gross violators of human rights who oppress their people. We'll keep on adding to the security operations that are turning our society into a police state - and it won't make us much safer.

If I were the President, I could stop terrorist attacks against the United States in a few days. Permanently. I would first apologise - very publicly and very sincerely - to all the widows and orphans, the tortured and impoverished, and all the many millions of other victims of American imperialism.

Then I would announce that America's global interventions have come to an end and I would then reduce the military budget by at least 90 per cent and use the savings to pay reparations to our victims and repair the damage from our bombings. There would be enough money. Do you know that one year's military budget is equal to more than $US20,000 per hour for every hour since Jesus Christ was born?

That's what I'd do on my first three days in the White House. On the fourth day, I'd be assassinated.

Following its bombing of Iraq, the United States wound up with military bases in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates; following its bombing of Yugoslavia, the United States wound up with military bases in Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Hungary, Bosnia and Croatia and following its bombing of Afghanistan, the United States is now winding up with military bases in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and perhaps elsewhere in the region.

Advertisement

Fifty-seven years after World War II ended, the US still has major bases in Germany and Japan and 49 years after the Korean War ended the US military is still in Korea.

Now the imperial mafia have their eyes on Iraq. If the US overthrows Saddam Hussein and installs a puppet government, as it did in Afghanistan, the American oil companies will move into Iraq and the American empire will acquire another country and a few more bases.

We've gone through many months now of a song-and-dance show that passes for debate about whether to attack a sovereign nation that has not attacked us, that knows it would mean instant mass suicide for them if they did.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. Page 3
  5. 4
  6. All

This is an edited version of a speech given on October 22, 2002. William Blum is in Australia to speak at the Brisbane Social Forum on March 22, 2003. Click here for more information.



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

William Blum is the US author of Rogue State, a mini-encyclopaedia of US intervention around the world re-released and updated post 9-11.

Article Tools
Comment Comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy