Shadows on the Wall

It’s to be expected, it goes without saying, it’s as sure as the sun rising in the morning and setting in the evening. They had to say something. It’s only proper that they should. Still, though I know that the inevitable is inevitable the immense hypocrisy of it just blows me away time and again. Where do they get their unmitigated gall? Are their brains split into two separate pieces? Do they, can they, sleep at night? Is their world view so bound up in adamantine granite that they aren’t even aware of what they are and what they do? And so I wonder just where my blind spots are, what don’t I see, am I as gigantic a hypocrite as they are? Maybe I don’t want to know.

From the Guardian.

Link

The Mumbai attacks drew widespread international condemnation as cowardly acts of terrorism. But beneath the stock responses was an undercurrent of anxiety that the atrocity could aggravate latent tensions between India and Pakistan.

George Bush offered his condolences to the Indian people as the White House convened a meeting of top intelligence and counter-terrorism officials. President-elect Barack Obama was briefed by the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and said in a statement: "These coordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism. The US must continue to strengthen partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks."

In Moscow President Dmitry Medvedev said: "We are concerned about the loss of life and consider acts of terrorism of this type are harmful to the whole international order and a challenge to humanity."

The Pope and the UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon both deplored the violence.

Gordon Brown said: "I think I speak for the whole world - shocked and outraged at the tragic destruction of innocent lives. I have already sent my sympathy and support to prime minister [Manhoman] Singh. We will do everything we can to help the Indian government."

Bush offers his condolences (as if he had any) but where are his condolences for the well over one million dead victims in Iraq? But Obama, ever the opportunist, uses the bodies of the dead victims to further his own goals of escalating the War on Terror. The U.S. must root out and destroy terrorists. No doubt these are one and the same as the innocent people blown to smithereens during marriage ceremonies in Afghanistan. But that’s different you see, we’re doing the killing so that’s okay, no prob. Never mind that the tragic circumstances are blowback from that same War on Terror as the U.S. extends its bloody claws into Pakistan murdering whoever is deemed a terrorist so yes, by all means, let us continue to stir the pot. There is nothing quite like making more intractable enemies which fits in quite nicely for plans of dominating the Middle East. First we murder people and when their friends, family and neighbors object (how unreasonable of them) we point at them and say “See?” It’s their fault! Who could have guessed? Why don’t they love us? Americans are cute and cuddly, aw shucks and golly gee, aren’t we?

World leaders are truly an astonishing and amazing thing. They are like paper doll cutouts, lose one and there is plenty more where that came from. They are no more substantial than shadows on a wall, phony, shallow, cynical, mass produced stamped out in an assembly line. World leaders remind me of the stuffed animals made when I was growing up, the ones that had a plastic ring attached to a string on the side of their necks. You pull the string and out came the recorded words. “America is the greatest nation.” “God is on our side.” “A shining city on a hill.” “I pledge allegiance to the flag, and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, with truth, liberty, and justice for all.”