singer-songwriter / music leader
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philosopy BLOOD FOR OIL As I write, it is Easter 2003 and the UK and US Administration is celebrating "success" in the War On Iraq. As they never seemed to focus on any particular objective other than to attack, I sit in wonderment at how, yet again, some people can be so ignorant and arrogant as to declare the killing and maiming of thousands of people and children as a "victory". Then again, all the pro-war voices you hear in the media are being paid good money to support the cause one way or another, so we shouldn't be too surprised at the scheme of things and the stone faced lethal look of the 'experts'. And it's a subject that has brought heated debate throughout the world, as history has repeated itself from the frontline to the field hospitals; from debates in Government to arguments in bars; from newspaper editorials to e-mails and message boards, the carrier pidgeons of the new age. And yes, I've been at it this time around, losing my head, arguing with friends, waiting patiently for a guest in our house or family member to say the wrong thing and bare the brunt of my anger.
"I should be grateful for what I have" they tell me. "Fuck off" I reply, "I can't have peace of mind if our best shot is to shut our eyes and defend the indefenceable." "It's been happening for years, murder by poverty and war goes on all the time" comes the reply. "Yeh I see the point, but is that supposed to make me feel better?" Am I supposed to just sit down and shut up? And if i did, not that I am going to, I could always play 'Shock And Awe' on a Sony Playstation - yep, Sony have already patented the title. The de-humanisation of a race of people will soon be actively encouraged for players of all ages via a Sony Playstation. I feel so fucking helpless right now that you know, the shutting down of my conscience via a computer game seems a possibility ... or maybe I'll turn to drugs, fags and the booze that makes me wanna smack someone; these things are after all still so readily promoted as fashion accesories and easily available to us to help switch off after a hard days consciousness.
As one good mate pointed out, the fact that the people of Iraq have been left to suffer Saddam and the horror of sanctions for so long is probably the worst race crime of all. Is therefore not the removal of that regime a good thing? It is, but by supporting a right wing US Administration in this way, hellbent on policing the world with a lethal brand of you die / we live capitalism, we have merely replaced one evil with another. We actually needed more than one regime change and with it the freeing of information, not the greater empowerment of the most powerful controllers of thought in the world today. A great opportunity for international co-operation and opposition to evil has been wasted by failed diplomats, some of whom are now being hailed as great leaders. Oh the irony ...
Something needs to be written in stone and that makes me think of The Ten Commandments ... is religion the answer? I have a Buddhist friend who says most definitely so, for if we teach and practice the soothing of the individual human soul, then we may actually find the time to open our eyes and share a world vision. Nah say the cynics, it ain't going to happen, and there's always plenty of fickle cash greedy comics and material girls with prime time shows who are gonna drive the sheep even further down the blind alley of who cares less. Why are we not allowed to see the real implications of this war, of every war, of the economic violence that is being committed in our name around the world? The very fact that there is some civilisation on this planet is down to consensus of intelligent open minded opinions and actions, not the brain washing and dollar waving bullying of an extreme Nationalist US Administration. And that's not an Anti-American statement either - there are many brilliant and incredible people of many races in America who are working tirelessly to promote truth and solution around the world, many of whom are patriotic without being fuelled by race hate and greed, and right now maybe they and their ability to see through this shit and change the evil from within is our best hope. Currently it's oil though isn't it, most of it. We will whisper a little disapproval at how unfortunate this is, held back by the worry that the petrol pumps at the end of our street will run dry, the holiday jets will be grounded and those below us in the social ladder will be allowed to catch up. It's our fear of technology putting up the closed sign, of the meter running out, of the plug socket being rendered useless and free spirited nights being levelled by candlelight. Tonights TV is cancelled forever and there's no next level for your imagination. The very cancellation of all TV shows in this country alone would provoke a bloody coup, and I'm not joking - think about it, it's a likely scenario. Then again, people might start to think for themselves again, and who knows what might happen then. We may even get to know our children ... And then there's our our in-bred racism. The way we glance at 3rd world populations looking pathetic, poor and "paki-like" and see straight through their suffering as if they're not there. This is not a Hollywood movie, it's the history of Hell on Earth, a cycle of violence and suffering being played out for us in real time just in case we didn't understand why war memorials were placed in every town and village the last time. It's paranoia and fear that having been pushed so hard by our Lords and Masters to get where we are, someone with a foreign name is going to take it all away and we are going to have to send our boys and men off to slay a few dragons.
We have cameras in Iraqi hospitals with live satellite links costing thousands, and still people there are having emergency operations without anaesthetic. And all those on the street who have supported this war are no better off, they will still suffer on hospital waiting lists, sleep restless with the rise in crime, witness more cutbacks in public services and pay through the nose for their petrol. It's nothing more than an earthquake. A levelling of land to ease the passage of some whilst ripping up those who have got in it's way. There's a little justice and liberation, but most of this is merely power shift. And the sons, brothers and fathers of poorer families who manned the front lines and pulled the triggers, will be fighting this for the rest of their lives whilst their so-called supportive mates can't wait to ask them "How many did you kill?". That's nothing new, ask any veteran of recent conflicts in the Gulf, the Falklands etc and they've all been asked a similar question by those who think war is nothing more than a bit of bloodsport. It's barbaric. I have many friends who don't share my anger. It's not an easy time for a fragile mind ... © darren poyzer 19/4/03 |
Strange
how I talk of my anger though. I do after all live in a coccoon,
or as secure a bubble as I can expect to be wrapped in as a mere
white skinned, well educated mortal. Yep, we can safely debate for
the time being, and have opinions, but it is the current carefree
attitude towards the destruction of human rights since 11/9/01 that
has pierced my skin.
I
mean really though, how have they got away with it? How can we,
as seemingly intelligent people, support this blatant racist attack,
motivated and instigated by some of the very same American Supremecists
and UK & European Government Weasels who supported Saddam and
his rancid regime throughout the 80's? Yes, our Governments and
Corporations were fully aware that he was using chemical weapons,
was torturing and murdering people in their thousands, and they
actively funded Saddam's military and logistical empowerment to
the tune of millions. The sanctions that came with The Gulf War
of '91 and killed approx 500,000 Iraqi children under 5 years old,
didn't even make him bat an eyelid. They were merely part of a game
being played out by those accross many so called civilised countries
who wanted more influence in The Middle East, a game that has reached
a worrying turning point with this invasion of Iraq.
At
this point I suppose you have to look at the role of The United
Nations. I can't suss it in a sentence but whilst on paper it has
all the answers, paper is too easily ripped up and thrown away.
Our World Leaders rarely have clean hands, so you could say the
idea is flawed due to the number of scummy fingerprints that smudge
the wording of resolutions. Maybe they never were going to shift
Saddam, and as Kylie said it's "Better The Devil You Know".
As
I type, Saddam, Bin Laden, a number of well kept Nazi war criminals
and most of the worlds main perpertrators of torture and butchery
are seemingly still roaming free. The US Arms Dealers have jobs
for generations, the US Oil Companies have control of five times
more oil than before the bombing of Baghdad began. The free peoples
of the world often unite in sinister ways ...