Exposing the War of Terror

One year after the Sept. 11 attacks, it is mandatory that we face the harsh reality of how U.S. taxpayer dollars are used to oppress the innocent. We must demand justice and government accountability, instead of petty vengeance. It is essential, now more than ever, that we review our record of "fighting terror" and understand how the rest of the world views our "war on terror." This is a call to all Americans to open your minds and consider new alternatives to our destructive national policies.

This essay is not meant in any way to demonize Americans, or to insult anyone that lost a loved one on September 11th. It does not "blame America" for all the world's problems. But it is necessary to focus on American policies and their flaws simply because as Americans, the actions of our government are the policies we have the most potential to influence. Americans must unite to fight all types of terror. Those criticizing dissidents during this time of war should remember what George Orwell said about a democratic society: "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." [Full Story]

The War on Civil Liberties

On Sept. 11, more than the Twin Towers fell. So, too, did many civil liberties in America, although most Americans remain unaware of the fact. There were no planes crashing into the Bill of Rights, only our trusted government officials.

Because, as in past wars, the worst punishments were inflicted upon immigrants or non-white citizens, few Americans spoke out in opposition. A year later, a Freedom Forum poll indicates that a substantial number of Americans express support for limiting freedom in the name of fighting terrorism.

Most Americans think that the worst consequences of terrorist-hunting at home have been shoe doffing at airports or other mere inconveniences. They believe, after years of watching cop shows, that you can't simply hold people incommunicado for months on end without charges, refusing to let them contact an attorney or anyone else. [Full Story]

Afghanistan After 9-11

Afghanistan has suffered immensely over the past 20 years from the intervention the U.S. and Soviet Union brought upon the people of this impoverished nation. The impoverishment escalated when the U.S. sponsored, armed, and trained radical Islamic terrorists to fight the Russians. After the Russians left Afghanistan around 1990, the terrorists and warlords remained to escalate a civil war and deepened the oppression and violence.

After September 11th, the situation has not changed for the Afghan people. The U.S. has supported a terrorist organization, the Northern Alliance, in an effort to defeat Al Qaeda networks and the Taliban (which was also trained and equipped by the U.S.). The U.S. has done very little for peacekeeping operations, and has not done any significant rebuilding of the nation's infrastructure or political institutions.

However, this is radically different from the view that public gets from the mainstream media and the Bush Administration. If we are serious about reducing the reoccurrence of the horrific events of September 11th, then we must not starve, overlook, and oppress innocent men, women, and children. If we are consistent with our views of freedom and democracy and stress justice for the perpetrators of crimes, then we must treat people around the world the same as we would want to be treated, and bring the true criminals to justice instead of committing more terrorism. Unfortunately, this is not the agenda of the Bush Administration. [Full Story]

Corporate Criminal of the Week

Pipeline to Power: The Unocal Connection

It has been a year since the September 11th attacks, and one critical question remains unasked: who stands to profit from the "War on Terror"?

The Caspian Region contains up to $6 trillion worth of untapped petroleum reserves; about 5% of the world's reserves. The Washington-based American Petroleum Institute called the region, "the area of greatest resource potential outside the Middle East."

Unocal, a major U.S. energy company, primarily stands to gain from a U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. A pipeline through Afghanistan (proposed by Unocal in the mid 1990s) represents the shortest route American energy companies have to siphon natural resources from the region. Even Dick Cheney says, "I cannot think of a time when we have had a region emerge as suddenly to become as strategically significant as the Caspian." [Full Story]