As politicians rush resolutions through Congress supporting the protesters in Tehran, defending the principle of freedom to protest, their hypocrisy is even more blinding than their own myopia.
For, it takes only a moment's reflection to recognize that they don't give a tinker's damn about the protesters. This is about using resolutions as a weapon to further mark Iran as the enemy, the dangerous other which "threatens" U.S. hegemony.
As proof of political hypocrisy, one can cock an ear to hear the hiss of silence when protests erupt here in America, and demonstrators get beaten, locked up and prosecuted for practicing their alleged rights under the First Amendment.
Think back to the massive street protests against the police murder of Oscar Grant in Oakland, California. People were beaten, busted and had their cell phone cameras confiscated by the police.
Did Congress support these protesters? Well, not yet.
State and local politicians, when they said anything, called for calm, an end to protests -- and some dissed the protesters as "animals."
Sound familiar?
I don't speak Farsi, but it's my guess that they don't sound too different in tone from Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- in other words, 'the system works -- trust the system!'
Why? Because that's what states always say.
Protesters here in the U.S. have had their butts kicked for years -- yes, years -- in spite of so called guarantees in the constitution to free expression and the right to protest.
Indeed, we need look no farther than the hallowed halls of Congress itself, specifically Rep. John Lewis, (D.-GA), whose head still sports the scars from the police batons that battered him in Selma, when he protested against American apartheid.
A half a century later, and protesters still get beat downs, from coast to coast, for demonstrating -- and if they don't get beat down physically, they get beaten economically, by lawyers, judges and DA's, who squeeze them -- as they pay for the right to practice the freedom to demonstrate.
The U.S. Congress, which just a few generations ago, supported the brutal, savage reign of repression over Iran under the Shah (Mohammad Reza Pahlavi), and also supported his nuclear ambitions, could care less about the Iranian people.
This is politics -- pure and simple -- and about using these protests as pretexts for other, more nefarious goals.
Because of the brutish, bone-headed policies of the Bush Regime, Iran emerged from the carnage of the Iraq war period as the strongest player on the board. That's because the U.S. took down their deadliest enemy, Saddam Hussein.
The U.S. wants to reset the wheel, by sparking internal conflict, and thereby weakening the Iranian government.
We have been here before -- and it didn't turn out well the last time.
-- (c) '09 maj
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The Power of Truth is Final -- Free Mumia!
URGENT Need for Petition Signatures at: http://www.iacenter.org/mumiapetition/
Audio of most of Mumia's essays are at: http://www.prisonradio.org
http://mumiapodcast.libsyn.com/
Mumia's got a podcast! Mumia Abu-Jamal's Radio Essays - Subscribe at the website or on iTunes and get Mumia's radio commentaries online.
Mumia Abu-Jamal's new book -- JAILHOUSE LAWYERS: PRISONERS DEFENDING PRISONERS V. THE USA, featuring an introduction by Angela Y. Davis -- has been released! It is available from City Lights Books: http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100448090
If you are planning to organize an event or would like to order in bulk, you can also receive a 45% discount on any bulk orders of 20 copies or more. The book retails for $16.95, for orders of 20 copies or more the discounted price would be $9.32 per book, plus shipping and handling. Prepayment would be required and books are nonreturnable. If you or your organization would like to place a bulk order, please contact Stacey Lewis at 415.362.1901 or stacey@citylights.com
Let's use the opportunity of the publication of this brilliant, moving, vintage Mumia book to build the momentum for his case, to raise the money we desperately need in these challenging economic times, to get the word out – to produce literature, flyers, posters, videos, DVD's; to send organizers out to help build new chapters and strengthen old ones, TO GET THE PEOPLE OUT IN THE STREETS … all the work that we must do in order to FREE MUMIA as he faces LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE OR EXECUTION!
Please make a contribution to help free Mumia. Donations to the grassroots work will go to both INTERNATIONAL CONCERNED FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL and the FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL COALITION (NYC).
WWW.FREEMUMIA.COM
Please mail donations/ checks to:
FREE MUMIA ABU JAMAL COALITION
PO BOX 16, NEW YORK,
NY 10030
(CHECKS FOR BOTH ORGANIZATIONS PAYABLE TO: FMAJC/IFCO)
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
215 476-8812
212-330-8029
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Waynesburg, PA 15370
WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM CAN *NOT* REST!!
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