Bush's Easter Tales

Richard Mellor

Oakland CA

I cannot help be sickened by Bush's comments today, Easter Sunday. The hypocrisy of it all. Bush spent time, "praying for American casualties to ebb" but warns the American public that there will be more deaths in the fight that he described as, "right for the security of our country."

A country that in no way threatened the U.S., that had nothing to do with 911, that was wrecked by years of U.S. led sanctions, that was bombed every day for the last 10 years by British and U.S. warplanes, that never got a plane off the ground or a ship in to the sea in response to this murderous assault by the most powerful nation on earth and its ally, the former colonial power, Britain. This nation threatened our security. This is the crudest insult to the American people.

On the front page of my local paper last week it reported the death of a young 19 year-old kid. A youth that is not old enough to purchase a can of beer at the local market. Like many, he might have joined the military for an education and because opportunities that once existed for his parents are no more. I was angered at this death, was sickened by it and Bush's phony religious ardor that justifies it. It is not the Iraqi's that my anger is directed at, but the U.S. government and the millionaire politicians that run it. The death of young Americans is tragic. But what of Iraqi's dead? The U.S., helped by its Israeli advisors experienced in the art of dropping 500-pound bombs on residential homes, has slaughtered hundreds of mostly women and children in retaliation for the brutal dismemberment of four mercenaries killed by people resisting the occupation of their country.

The treatment of the mercenaries was indeed savage, savage enough to make the front page of U.S. papers. No pictures of the mutilated Iraqi children, the sons and daughters of those who resort to such brutality in order to pacify the thirst for revenge. Bush prays for our troops. I am sure many of my friends and co-workers would do the same. But what sort of Christian prays for the maimed and dead within national borders only? Where in the Christian Bible does Jesus say that we pray only for those inside the borders of the U.S.? What sort of Christian calls for God to bless America to the detriment of the rest of the human population? A hypocritical one, that's who.

Bush goes on to say that "It was a tough week last week," Yes it was; it was tough for the family of that young 19 year old from California and the other 49 American kids that died. It was tough for the hundreds of Iraqi's that died and that have continued to suffer from three wars and 10 years of sanctions, not to mention suffering the rule of the U.S. puppet Saddam Hussein. Hussein, Bush, Kissinger, Cheney, Blair and the "classy" Condoleeza, they are all war criminals.

Bush is clinging desperately to the tale that the Iraqi's were a threat to our security in order to justify the murder and mayhem and to sell it to a U.S. public becoming ever more skeptical about this war. He goes on, "My prayers and thoughts are with those who paid the ultimate price for our security," The security thing again. This pampered son of the ruling class thinks that if he says something enough times we will believe it. This idiot that thought Africa was a country and couldn't name the president of Pakistan, the unelected dictator who is now a friend of the U.S., has nothing but contempt for the workers of America. What about the security of sick, unemployed or aged Americans? No, security of U.S. workers is not the reason for this war.

But Bush is not alone. "Lawmakers from both parties said the increasing violence is an indication that more troops are needed." The representatives of capital in Washington want to send more workers' kids to kill workers in Iraq. Kerry, the other billionaire wants to send 40,000 more troops. Will the violence abate? Bush is asked by the press "It's hard to tell." he responds, "I know this, that we're plenty tough, and we'll remain tough." Yup! Were tough all right. The arrogance of this wing of the U.S. bourgeois is what has gotten them in to this predicament. They thought they could simply invade someone's country, continue to kill their sons and daughters at will and they would do nothing about it. What would we do if the situation were reversed? We'd do the same as the Iraqi's that's what we'd do. We'd resist the invaders in any way we could. But they aren't resistance fighters according to Bush, just, "a few people trying to stop progress toward democracy." "These incidents were basically thrust upon the innocent Iraqi people by gangs, violent gangs," he adds. What incredible arrogance. Does the average American worker actually believe this? I think not. But what alternative is there?

The difficulty for workers like ourselves is that there is no significant force in U.S. society that offers an alternative vision of the future or alternative solution to the many crisis that effect our lives both foreign and domestic. We accept the attacks on our standard of living as inevitable and we accept the situation in Iraq as unchangeable. That force exists in the form of the working class, and in particular the organized working class. But the heads of organized labor refuse to challenge capitalism at home or abroad, consequently, a way forward that would unite workers here at home as well as internationally, seems almost impossible. It is not only possible; it is the only way forward, the unity of workers internationally in a struggle against capital and its horrors.

So, on Easter Sunday, the Bush's, with their guest Dr. Rice, rode the helicopter to Fort Hood and took communion. Reminded me of a Catholic priest blessing the car of some scab that crossed a picket line I was once on. After communion, which, according to Catholic theology represents the body of Christ; the group dined on, according to the AP report from which these quotes were taken, "gingersnap and apricot-crusted ham; fresh mozzarella, tomato, and avocado chopped salad; green chili cheese grits soufflé; asparagus; homemade yeast rolls; and lemon meringue pie." It's good to be king.

Richard Mellor

Member, AFSCME Local 444

Oakland CA

4-11-04