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Jordanian Workers’ Party, Presentation of Dr. Mazen Hanna
Ruthless Capitalism and the War Hysteria
The eleventh of September events did not set up a turning point in the American policy neither did it determine its course in confrontation with the countries and nations of the world.
The American policy at the turn of the 21st century was rather defined by the collapse of the Soviet Union and as a result of this collapse and its impacts all over the globe.
Perhaps the September events triggered the American Hysteria which the world is suffering from now but it certainly was not the reason for the increase in hostility and savageness of imperialism in the globalization era as much as it was a pretext for American aggression.
The history of the world has always been since the dawn of class distinction a history of conflicts. But it always depended on the balance between the great powers to prevent wars that were considered an expression of disorder in balance and interests among the super powers.
The geopolitics of developing countries are determined today in consequence of the balances and imbalances that led to wars and destruction which outcome was expressed through the contemporary boarders of many African and Asian countries.
If we consider our part of the world we find that the geopolitics of the area was determined as a consequence of the British-French balances and conflicts at the turn of the past century and as an outcome of Sykes-Picot Agreement to divide the area among the imperialist powers post World War I. Israel was planted in the area to secure the interests of imperialism. The power balance between the Soviet Union and the United States did not change the nature of the conflict, it rather maintained the geopolitical boarders which seemed to no longer suit the
ambitions of imperialist nor their plans for dominance and exploitation of natural resources in the area most important of which is oil, after the Soviet Union had vanished from the face of the map.
In other words the United states had found itself after the collapse of the soviet Union the only super power, an exception in history which it was not ready for and had occurred only once before at a certain point in the history of the Roman Empire. The United States tended to invest in this sudden extraordinary situation to outstretch its control and domain before the emergence of another equivalent super power. This explains the unrestrained aggressiveness that distinguishes the American policy towards our world today. The events of 11 September came as an excuse to justify the increase in brutality and hostility of American imperialism under the name of "fighting terrorism" while the truth is that the USA itself is the leader of International organized terrorism.
Perhaps the most dangerous outcome of the September attacks is the hysteria that hit the American Administration that became more reckless and demagogic alleging for itself a divine role and adopting a religious tone in its political discourse dividing the world into good and evil countries. The ideological base of imperialism became more attached to the traditional dogmatic standpoint towards international events coloring it with either white or black in a dual polarization meaning that" who is not with us is against us".
The imbalance of power for the benefit of imperialist America has accelerated the atmosphere of tension, erupting regional and international conflicts, raging racial and sectarian inclinations, were the imperialist bourgeoisie inclined to spread illusions, lies hatred, racism, sectarianism, ethnic and national intolerance in order to shape public awareness and culture in a way that will sink the spiritual human world to the abyss of naivety.
The United States no longer paid attention to the interests or opinions of other countries even those that move in its orbit or have strategic relations with, in its efforts to maintain its interests and accomplish its plans to dominate and control of the world economic wealth especially oil. The gap between the United States and the rest of the world as well as blocs and international organizations including the United Nations has widened. America has started to view the whole world as a domain for its vital interests. Starting from this point it carried out a series of wars that did not stop up till this present day. America indulged in less than a decade in military conflicts in various parts of the world such as Haiti Panama, Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Philippines and others exceeding fourteen wars.
The American interference in the internal affairs of other countries became an everyday matter not even sparing the European Union, which split into supporters and non-supporters of US aggression, or to be more precise between countries which rotate in the US imperialist orbit and others that try to maintain or regain their independence which had been lost indeed as a consequence of Marshal’s project in the early fifties of the last century.
The neo-liberalism promoted today is not only a system of savage social distinction it is an inherent tendency towards crisis and instability and a return to colonialist wars under frail pretexts. Just as the American strategy has its own political and military plans and dimensions it also possesses its own cultural dimensions and plans in view of which the American Administration regards our present world as doomed by clash of civilizations and that the USA as the holder of the contemporary civilization in the face of a decaying Europe and an under-developed world. Therefore, the whole world must be Americanized. The American values, measures and patterns of behavior must prevail. According to these criteria the US Administration does not refrain from using contradicting measures in dealing with different situations. The interference in Yugoslavia (without a UN resolution) came under the pretext of protecting the Muslims in Kosovo against the Milosevic regime at a time when the USA refuses to apply any pressure against Sharon to stop his daily massacres against unarmed Palestinians.
With the same tyranny and arrogance that the war is being carried-out outside the USA it is also stretched out inside its borders. A series of vicious regulations and laws were issued in a very short period, restraining public freedoms and democracy. The government restricted the freedom of movement, pursued private and religious associations, violated the privacy and secrecy between suspects and lawyers, wiretapped telephones and internet, imposed the right of the attorney general to arrest and detain foreigners for mere suspicion, controlled mass media including newspapers and movies, set up a unified military leadership for the first time in America and established a Ministry of Interior to conduct all security departments and intelligence. The accusation of terrorism holds the supreme hand now over anyone who tries to criticize any violation or diminishment of freedoms.
Why Iraq Now?
Official American studies inform us that the USA will become more dependable on the Middle East oil in the coming two decades. Middle East countries own %70 of the world oil reserves, Iraq comes second in rank in fixed oil reserves after Saudi Arabia with quantities reaching 112.5 billion barrels which equals %11 of the world reserve.
In the same time as the American campaign against Afghanistan aimed at dominating Caspian Sea oil the aggression against Iraq is designed to control Iraqi oil in the first place. It is worthwhile to mention that production costs of Iraqi oil is the lowest in the world where the cost of one barrel is one to one and a half dollar, while American oil costs 12 dollars and 18 dollars for the Latin American oil.
The US excuses for attacking Iraq such as weapons of mass destruction or getting rid of Saddam Hussein’s totalitarian regime or the spreading of democracy does not seem to convince anyone anymore because corrupted totalitarian regimes had always been setup and sponsored by America, as well as arms trade and technology including weapons of mass destruction are usually American made.
Therefore, it is oil and oil only for whoever controls oil production, pricing and marketing controls international economy.
It is a matter of life or death for America from an internal domestic economic view. The United States is the largest indebted country in the world. The American debts exceed (5000 billion dollars) which is almost %70 of the American gross domestic production. The deficit in the budget reached 475 billion dollars in the shadow of a deteriorating economy, great depression and structural and cyclical crisis through which several giant companies collapsed. American shares lost five trillion dollars of its value in a decrease that went down from 14.7 trillion to 9.9 trillion in less than eight months that is before the events of September and worsened even more right after.
The United States seeks along with military industrial complex which steers the system, to inflame war atmosphere everywhere. War in the American imperialist tradition is a profitable business for Giant American corporations. In the Gulf War, for example, that is 12 years ago, 13 thousand surface to air missiles that did not explode were found in only one province in Iraq and yet were used with full knowledge of its invalidity.
In view of this deadly economic crisis in America, war becomes an outlet not only for huge weapon sales but also for post war contracts and armament of neighboring countries in conflict area which all adds up to the list of benefits beginning with the seizure of oil.
Just as the aggression on Iraq is an American necessity it is an Israeli demand as well. Perhaps it is even an Israeli claim in the first place, taking into consideration that Israel is an outlaw country that acts arrogantly against international legitimacy and world stability. Israel that holds Zionism as its political ideology is a part of the international imperialist plan. Zionism is one of the imperialist tools and essential striking arms that decides now more than ever before the political priorities of imperialism through out the world and set the goals that serve the interests of Israel in the first place.
Therefore, struggle against Zionism and Israel’s criminal policies characterized with war hysteria, organized state terrorism and war crimes against humanity is now a part of the struggle against international imperialism all of which requires a unified front opposed to Zionism. The nations of the world with its progressive forces must comprehend the role of Israel in the Imperialist front and its aggression against innocent people and must struggle to re-issue a new international resolution that places Zionism on equal footing with fascism and racism or reconsider the UN General Assembly’s resolution which has been abolished upon Israeli Zionist demand and through American pressure and support. I request that Zionism be registered on the subject list for discussion at the next year seminar.
America Is not a Destiny
America is not a Destiny that we cannot escape. This has become clear through the rebirth of the left formed in opposition fronts against globalization and imperialism throughout the globe. Class struggle had been renewed again as witnessed in Seattle, Davos, Berlin, Rome, Sidney, Rio-Grande and Durban. It also became clear through people’s rejection and opposition to the American Aggression against Iraq including people whose governments joined in the American attack. The US deadlock revealed itself through the European opposition to war specially French, German and Belgium positions in particular.
We are able to see in some parts of the world such as Venezuela, Brazil and Ecuador certain features that define a trend towards the left. Neo-liberalism is not only a system of inequality and social contrast but is also an inherent trend towards crisis and instability as well as a return to colonialist wars under false pretexts to impose an atmosphere of terror among nations and countries. Imperialist America is trapped today between a pincer’s jaws, its structural and cyclical economic crisis and the crisis with its allies and other powers. It stands between its aggressive plans and the people’s fury and anger towards the cowboy in the White House. This prompts us to fortify the anti-imperialist front, the people’s front.
The struggle for peace in the fifties was supported by organizations and actions and we are entitled now more than ever to honour this predicament and re-establish an international struggle front to reinstate world peace.
Jordanian Workers’ Party
Presentation of Dr. Mazen Hanna