ANSWER organizer and PSL editorial board member Richard Becker speaks on the expanded US war drive in the Middle East, focusing on Iran, as well as Iraq, Syria, and Palestine.
From my scribbled notes:
“If you can’t solve a problem, expand it” — Donald Rumsfeld. This would seem to be the strategy the Bushies are following in the Middle East.
Democratic leadership is onboard with the war drive. It’s not that they lack backbone, they are being real Democrats. They are complicit. (The rank and file is not.)
Iran is surrounded by hostile forces, some of whom also have nukes. Why shouldn’t they have the right to defend themselves?
The US is pushing a proposal at the UN to set up a special court to investigate the bombing murder of Hariri in Lebanon hoping to target Syria. This would be the first time such a court was established, and with all the other murders and bombings in the world, the reasons for this are strictly to destabilze Syria, not for any altruistic purpose.
The rise of Hamas is due in part to the 50 year US policy of destroying secular opposition in the Middle East. The Hamas policy of providing hospitals and care plus the deteriorating economy led to their rise. They are anti-imperialist, and while certainly not Taliban, some of their policies are reactionary.
The antiwar movement needs to focus on all the issues, not just Iraq. “It’s not just one country or one war, it’s a system called Imperialism.”.
Recorded in LA 01/27/06 at a PSL meeting.
mp3 (53:39, 18.4 mb)
the file
http://www.polizerosdata.com/audio/psl/DickBecker-012706-USwardrive.MP3
seems to be trashed at 22:41. I downloaded it twice to be sure.
Thanks for posting all the Becker Bros stuff. I hope their audience continues to grow. Both seem to be able to get the attention of those who are thoroughly disgusted with the current state of democracy/capitalism in the US, and then directing them in a direction that might actually effect real change.