Opinion Editorials, July 2007
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Real Meaning of July 4th: Speak Up! Silent No more!
By Mohammed Khaku and Kamyar Hedayat
ccun.org, July 4, 2007
The fourth of July is our American celebration of freedom, to commemorate our liberation from British colonial rule and despotism. Our forefathers were very concerned that the new American nation may itself become despotic one day and placed checks and balances into our system of governance by writing two fine documents – declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Moreover, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants.”
This year, as we celebrate with flag waving, fireworks and barbeques, we should not forget the real meaning of the 4th of July: that America would not only be a land of liberty, but a beacon of liberty and a model of freedom for all nations. Unfortunately, our foreign policy has become one of dominance, empire building, unilaterism, and shameless hypocrisy with unbound military power.
The fact is that no country has invaded or directly threatened America’s freedom or democracy in over 100 years. Even with the demise of the cold war, we maintain 735 military bases in over in 38 countries all over the world. How would we like it if Canada or France along with Russia places few soldiers with tanks and fighter jets on our territory?
The biggest threat to our life of liberty and freedom does not come from a foreign country but by the Neo-conservatives in Washington who ignore public will and wisdom, and by the Zionist who lobby in the service of foreign powers to control public policy behind closed doors. The bitter fruit of this alliance has lead to disastrous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, supported Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon and other adventures around the world. Domestically, it has lead to the weakening of our religious freedom, constitutional liberties such as freedom of speech, violation of habeas corpus, wiretapping of innocent Americans, and the torturing and imprisonment of foreign citizens indefinitely without charging or access to lawyers.
While the government says that it wants to eventually withdraw its military presence from Iraq, their actions are to the contrary. The state department is building the largest diplomatic complex in the world—a city within a city. In the past, these types of complexes were used to spy on local citizens and give support to paramilitary death squads.
While several recent press reports have suggested that the Pentagon is building four mega-bases in Iraq, bases with Olympic size swimming pools, football fields, chandeliered movie theater, supermarkets, “Soldiers star bucks”, and even its own bus system. And why is press reluctant to question the scale and intention of US in building these bases. The Bush administration sees Iraq as unsinkable aircraft carriers for its troops and bases for years to come as it seeks to expand its domination of the Middle East for Israel’s security and our insecurity and for next war—the one with Iran. These building of mega-bases are going up at a great cost – and great profit to the Cheney-connected Halliburton. The cost to keep bases in Iraq will run into the billions per year and so far, the Iraq War has cost taxpayers over US $300 billion.
The question that puzzles me is how is that we can build mega-bases and largest embassy on the earth, but can not have the electricity and running water in Baghdad for more than couple of hours a day. And where are the millions of dollars in Iraqi oil revenue that were promised to pay for the war and reconstruction? The neo-conservative agenda is the control of the Iraqi oil fields, through occupation and install a puppet government in Baghdad. Neo-cons and Zionist have the same philosophy as Roman leaders that is “let them hate us so long as they fear us”. Bush administration has pushed this fine nation to endless war and financial ruins.
All U.S. troops must be brought home if there is to be a chance for peace in Iraq. If Middle East nations are to have any hope of independence and democracy, and if the United States wants to regain the trust and support of the international community as honest brokers, it needs to close all its military bases quickly and permanently. United States is supposed to be an ideal example; instead it resembles the nation as a threat to world peace. What makes America wonderful and magnificent are the principles of liberty and justice that we stand for. However, there are times when our leaders have not upheld values of freedom and liberty and when we see our leaders do wrong, we need to speak up and the most patriotic act is to criticize because it shows that you love your country and in no way it implies that you are unpatriotic.
However, patriotism is beyond flag waving, parades, fireworks and barbeque parties. It is time to Speak up! Silent No More! President Bush is not doing anything today that approaches slavery for its injustice, but post-September 11 laws and policies such as so-called Patriot Act and War of terror have diminished the bill of rights by weakening our rights to speech and assembly.
We, the American people, appreciate the right to be independent on July 4 from foreign occupation, unlike the Palestinians, Iraqis, Kashmiris, Afghanis and Chechens who have the same divine right too, but no way to express it.
Have a happy 4th of July and God Bless America.
Mohammed Khaku, PA, USA
Dr. Kamyar Hedayat, IL, USA.
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