Not For Profit - For Global Justice
By Noam Chomsky. This article was first published on Thruth-out.
August 6, the anniversary of Hiroshima, should be a day of somber reflection, not only on the terrible events of that day in 1945, but also on what they revealed: that humans, in their dedicated quest to extend their capacities for destruction, had finally found a way to approach the ultimate limit.
This year‚ Aug. 6 memorials have special significance. They take place shortly before the 50th anniversary of, "the most dangerous moment in human history," in the words of the historian and John F. Kennedy adviser Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., referring to the Cuban missile crisis.
Graham Allison writes in the current issue of Foreign Affairs that Kennedy, "ordered actions that he knew would increase the risk not only of conventional war but also nuclear war," with a likelihood of perhaps 50 percent, he believed, an estimate that Allison regards as realistic.
Kennedy declared a high-level nuclear alert that authorized, "NATO aircraft with Turkish pilots ... (or others) ... to take off, fly to Moscow, and drop a bomb."
None were more shocked by the discovery of missiles in Cuba than the men in charge of the similar missiles that the U.S. had secretly deployed in Okinawa six months earlier, surely aimed at China, at a moment of elevated regional tensions.
Kennedy took Chairman Nikita Khrushchev, "right to the brink of nuclear war and he looked over the edge and had no stomach for it," according to Gen. David Burchinal, then a high-ranking official in the Pentagon planning staff. One can hardly count on such sanity forever.
Khrushchev accepted a formula that Kennedy devised, ending the crisis just short of war. The formula‚ boldest element, Allison writes, was, "a secret sweetener that promised the withdrawal of U.S. missiles from Turkey within six months after the crisis was resolved." These were obsolete missiles that were being replaced by far more lethal, and invulnerable, Polaris submarines.
In brief, even at high risk of war of unimaginable destruction, it was felt necessary to reinforce the principle that U.S. has the unilateral right to deploy nuclear missiles anywhere, some aimed at China or at the borders of Russia, which had previously placed no missiles outside the USSR. Justifications of course have been offered, but I do not think they withstand analysis.
An accompanying principle is that Cuba had no right to have missiles for defense against what appeared to be an imminent U.S. invasion. The plans for Kennedy‚ terrorist programs, Operation Mongoose, called for, "open revolt and overthrow of the Communist regime," in October 1962, the month of the missile crisis, recognizing that, "final success will require decisive U.S. military intervention."
The terrorist operations against Cuba are commonly dismissed by U.S. commentators as insignificant CIA shenanigans. The victims, not surprisingly, see matters rather differently. We can at last hear their voices in Keith Bolender‚, "Voices from the Other Side: An Oral History of Terrorism Against Cuba."
The events of October 1962 are widely hailed as Kennedy‚ finest hour. Allison offers them as, "a guide for how to defuse conflicts, manage great-power relationships, and make sound decisions about foreign policy in general." In particular, today‚ conflicts with Iran and China.
Disaster was perilously close in 1962, and there has been no shortage of dangerous moments since. In 1973, in the last days of the Arab-Israeli war, Henry Kissinger called a high-level nuclear alert. India and Pakistan have come close to nuclear war. There have been innumerable cases when human intervention aborted nuclear attack only moments before launch after false reports by automated systems. There is much to think about on Aug. 6.
Allison joins many others in regarding Iran‚ nuclear programs as the most severe current crisis, "an even more complex challenge for American policymakers than the Cuban missile crisis," because of the threat of Israeli bombing.
The war against Iran is already well underway, including assassination of scientists and economic pressures that have reached the level of, "undeclared war," in the judgment of the Iran specialist Gary Sick.
Great pride is taken in the sophisticated cyberwar directed against Iran. The Pentagon regards cyberwar as, "an act of war," that authorizes the target, "to respond using traditional military force," The Wall Street Journal reports. With the usual exception: not when the U.S. or an ally is the perpetrator.
The Iran threat has recently been outlined by Gen. Giora Eiland, one of Israel‚ top military planners, described as, "one of the most ingenious and prolific thinkers the (Israeli military) has ever produced."
Of the threats he outlines, the most credible is that, "any confrontation on our borders will take place under an Iranian nuclear umbrella." Israel might therefore be constrained in resorting to force. Eiland agrees with the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence, which also regard deterrence as the major threat that Iran poses.
The current escalation of the, "undeclared war," against Iran increases the threat of accidental large-scale war. Some of the dangers were illustrated last month when a U.S. naval vessel, part of the huge deployment in the Gulf, fired on a small fishing boat, killing one Indian crew member and wounding at least three others. It would not take much to set off a major war.
One sensible way to avoid such dread consequences is to pursue, "the goal of establishing in the Middle East a zone free from weapons of mass destruction and all missiles for their delivery and the objective of a global ban on chemical weapons," the wording of Security Council resolution 687 of April 1991, which the U.S. and U.K. invoked in their effort to provide a thin legal cover for their invasion of Iraq 12 years later.
The goal has been an Arab-Iranian objective since 1974, regularly re-endorsed, and by now it has near-unanimous global support, at least formally. An international conference to consider ways to implement such a treaty may take place in December.
Progress is unlikely unless there is mass public support in the West. Failure to grasp the opportunity will, once again, lengthen the grim shadow that has darkened the world since that fateful Aug. 6
Noam Chomsky's most recent book is ''Occupy.'' Chomsky is emeritus professor of linguistics and philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
Hard News
By Noam Chomsky. This article was first published on Thruth-out.
August 6, the anniversary of Hiroshima, should be a day of somber reflection, not only on the terrible events of that day in 1945, but also on what they revealed: that humans, in their dedicated quest to extend their capacities for destruction, had finally found a way to approach the ultimate limit.
This year‚ Aug. 6 memorials have special significance. They take place shortly before the 50th anniversary of, "the most dangerous moment in human history," in the words of the historian and John F. Kennedy adviser Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., referring to the Cuban missile crisis.
Graham Allison writes in the current issue of Foreign Affairs that Kennedy, "ordered actions that he knew would increase the risk not only of conventional war but also nuclear war," with a likelihood of perhaps 50 percent, he believed, an estimate that Allison regards as realistic.
Kennedy declared a high-level nuclear alert that authorized, "NATO aircraft with Turkish pilots ... (or others) ... to take off, fly to Moscow, and drop a bomb."
None were more shocked by the discovery of missiles in Cuba than the men in charge of the similar missiles that the U.S. had secretly deployed in Okinawa six months earlier, surely aimed at China, at a moment of elevated regional tensions.
Kennedy took Chairman Nikita Khrushchev, "right to the brink of nuclear war and he looked over the edge and had no stomach for it," according to Gen. David Burchinal, then a high-ranking official in the Pentagon planning staff. One can hardly count on such sanity forever.
Khrushchev accepted a formula that Kennedy devised, ending the crisis just short of war. The formula‚ boldest element, Allison writes, was, "a secret sweetener that promised the withdrawal of U.S. missiles from Turkey within six months after the crisis was resolved." These were obsolete missiles that were being replaced by far more lethal, and invulnerable, Polaris submarines.
In brief, even at high risk of war of unimaginable destruction, it was felt necessary to reinforce the principle that U.S. has the unilateral right to deploy nuclear missiles anywhere, some aimed at China or at the borders of Russia, which had previously placed no missiles outside the USSR. Justifications of course have been offered, but I do not think they withstand analysis.
An accompanying principle is that Cuba had no right to have missiles for defense against what appeared to be an imminent U.S. invasion. The plans for Kennedy‚ terrorist programs, Operation Mongoose, called for, "open revolt and overthrow of the Communist regime," in October 1962, the month of the missile crisis, recognizing that, "final success will require decisive U.S. military intervention."
The terrorist operations against Cuba are commonly dismissed by U.S. commentators as insignificant CIA shenanigans. The victims, not surprisingly, see matters rather differently. We can at last hear their voices in Keith Bolender‚, "Voices from the Other Side: An Oral History of Terrorism Against Cuba."
The events of October 1962 are widely hailed as Kennedy‚ finest hour. Allison offers them as, "a guide for how to defuse conflicts, manage great-power relationships, and make sound decisions about foreign policy in general." In particular, today‚ conflicts with Iran and China.
Disaster was perilously close in 1962, and there has been no shortage of dangerous moments since. In 1973, in the last days of the Arab-Israeli war, Henry Kissinger called a high-level nuclear alert. India and Pakistan have come close to nuclear war. There have been innumerable cases when human intervention aborted nuclear attack only moments before launch after false reports by automated systems. There is much to think about on Aug. 6.
Allison joins many others in regarding Iran‚ nuclear programs as the most severe current crisis, "an even more complex challenge for American policymakers than the Cuban missile crisis," because of the threat of Israeli bombing.
The war against Iran is already well underway, including assassination of scientists and economic pressures that have reached the level of, "undeclared war," in the judgment of the Iran specialist Gary Sick.
Great pride is taken in the sophisticated cyberwar directed against Iran. The Pentagon regards cyberwar as, "an act of war," that authorizes the target, "to respond using traditional military force," The Wall Street Journal reports. With the usual exception: not when the U.S. or an ally is the perpetrator.
The Iran threat has recently been outlined by Gen. Giora Eiland, one of Israel‚ top military planners, described as, "one of the most ingenious and prolific thinkers the (Israeli military) has ever produced."
Of the threats he outlines, the most credible is that, "any confrontation on our borders will take place under an Iranian nuclear umbrella." Israel might therefore be constrained in resorting to force. Eiland agrees with the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence, which also regard deterrence as the major threat that Iran poses.
The current escalation of the, "undeclared war," against Iran increases the threat of accidental large-scale war. Some of the dangers were illustrated last month when a U.S. naval vessel, part of the huge deployment in the Gulf, fired on a small fishing boat, killing one Indian crew member and wounding at least three others. It would not take much to set off a major war.
One sensible way to avoid such dread consequences is to pursue, "the goal of establishing in the Middle East a zone free from weapons of mass destruction and all missiles for their delivery and the objective of a global ban on chemical weapons," the wording of Security Council resolution 687 of April 1991, which the U.S. and U.K. invoked in their effort to provide a thin legal cover for their invasion of Iraq 12 years later.
The goal has been an Arab-Iranian objective since 1974, regularly re-endorsed, and by now it has near-unanimous global support, at least formally. An international conference to consider ways to implement such a treaty may take place in December.
Progress is unlikely unless there is mass public support in the West. Failure to grasp the opportunity will, once again, lengthen the grim shadow that has darkened the world since that fateful Aug. 6
Noam Chomsky's most recent book is ''Occupy.'' Chomsky is emeritus professor of linguistics and philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
Pt.3 Who Supports Assad in Syria?Sami Ramadani: The Syrian Civil War and Big Power Rivalry: Assad has a social base of support, but if opposition had not militarized, he would have been pushed out by now Go to story | Go to homepage 
Pt.3 How to Pay for Single Payer Health InsuranceGerald Friedman Pt 3 of "What a Single Payer Health Insurance Plan Looks Like" Go to story | Go to homepage
"All
the public business in Congress now connects itself with intrigues,
and there is great danger that the whole government will degenerate
into a struggle of cabals." -- John Quincy Adams- (1767-1848) 6th US President
"This great and powerful force-the accumulated wealth of the United States-has taken over all the functions of Government, Congress, the issue of money, and banking and the army and navy in order to have a band of mercenaries to do their bidding and protect their stolen property." Senator Richard Pettigrew - Triumphant Plutocracy - Published, January 1, 1922. "Under the influence of politicians, masses of people tend to ascribe the responsibility for wars to those who wield power at any given time. In World War I it was the munitions industrialists; in World War II it was the psychopathic generals who were said to be guilty. This is passing the buck.
The
responsibility for wars falls solely upon the shoulders of these same
masses of people, for they have all the necessary means to avert war in
their own hands. In part by their apathy, in part by their passivity,
and in part actively, these same masses of people make possible the
catastrophes under which they themselves suffer more than anyone else.
To stress this guilt on the part of the masses of people, to hold them
solely responsible, means to take them seriously. On the other hand, to
commiserate masses of people as victims, means to treat them as small,
helpless children. The former is the attitude held by genuine freedom
fighters; the latter that attitude held by power-thirsty politicians." Wilhelm Reich, The Mass Psychology of Fascism
Massacres in Aleppo, Syria
By Tony Cartalucci
"Responsibility
to Protect" crumbles as Western-armed terror front slaughters
civilians while foreign sponsors attempt to tie hands of Syrian
security forces. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32094.htm
"West" Setting Stage for Syria Invasion
By By Ismail Salami
Washington seems to be gaining firm foothold in the Security Council to push for a military invasion. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32095.htm
Roots Of The Neo-Con Junta How did the neocons begin their rise to power?
By Paul Kincaid Jamieson
It
is important to remember that although the neo-conservative agenda
seems to have many supporters, it is actually a very small and closely
knit community, almost tribal in formation. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5928.htm
Drone Attacks Only Create More Enemies for the US
By Eric Margolis
While the US hails Pakistan as a key non-NATO ally, the US treats it like a militarily occupied country. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32096.htm
Friday's Jobs Report: More Lies From "our" Big Brother
By Paul Craig Roberts
The
government that lies to you about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq,
about Iraq's al Qaeda connections, about the Taliban in Afghanistan,
about Osama bin Laden, also lies to you about jobs, unemployment,
economic recovery. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32087.htm
Wrecked By This Economy.
Dire Train
By Linh Dinh
You can have PhDs and still pay for your baked beans with food stamps. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32088.htm
Bush Tax Cuts Have Delivered $1 Million To The Average Millionaire
By Pat Garofalo
House Republicans have written legislation to fast-track more tax cuts for the rich. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32091.htm
You're Under Arrest
By Jon Schwarz
One
of the positive things about our giant economic collapse has been an
outbreak of honesty among the billionaires who run America. Now they
seem to feel free to express how they truly feel about the rest of us. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32093.htm
America is a Democracy? Really?
By Dave Lindorff
What kind of democracy is it really that we have here? http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32090.htm
Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy.
By Glenn Greenwald
Why don't American oligarchs fear the consequences of their corruption, and how can that be changed? http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32089.htm
Washington's Press is the Cabin Boy of the Political Class
By Bob Garfield
Many US reporters are now co-conspirators in an ongoing fraud. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32092.htm
Lifting the Veil:
Obama and the Failure of Capitalist Democracy
Video
This
film explores the historical role of the Democratic Party as the
"graveyard of social movements", the massive influence of corporate
finance in elections, the absurd disparities of wealth in the United
States. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27665.htm
|
Suicide blast, kills more than 20 in Yemen:
A suicide attack at a town in south Yemen recently recaptured by
the army from al Qaeda forces killed 20 people Saturday and wounded
another 20, the governor of the province said
Six killed in two Yemen bombings:
Explosions blast Sanaa Internet cafe and Taiz vegetable market
Explosions blast Sanaa Internet cafe and Taiz vegetable market
None Dare Call It Murder
US Kills 5 People In Yemen : An official says that a suspected US drone strike killed five "members of al-Qaeda" travelling in the same vehicle in Yemen.
US Kills 5 People In Yemen : An official says that a suspected US drone strike killed five "members of al-Qaeda" travelling in the same vehicle in Yemen.
9 Afghan liberation force members killed :
Afghan police and army, backed by the NATO-led occupation forces, have killed nine "Taliban insurgents" over the past 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said on Saturday
Afghan police and army, backed by the NATO-led occupation forces, have killed nine "Taliban insurgents" over the past 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said on Saturday
None Dare Call It Murder:
Pakistan: Uzbek Group Says US Killed Leader: A major Uzbek militant group closely allied with Al Qaeda announced Saturday that its leader had been killed in an American drone strike in Pakistan's tribal belt, along the Afghan border.
Pakistan: Uzbek Group Says US Killed Leader: A major Uzbek militant group closely allied with Al Qaeda announced Saturday that its leader had been killed in an American drone strike in Pakistan's tribal belt, along the Afghan border.
Eight killed in spate of attacks against Iraq security forces:
At least 47 people, among them 34 members of the security forces, have been killed in violence in the first three days of August
At least 47 people, among them 34 members of the security forces, have been killed in violence in the first three days of August
Iraq sends protest note to Turkey: The
visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to the Iraqi
province of Kirkuk uncoordinated with the Iraqi authorities, has caused
discontent in official Baghdad, which resulted in a protest note to
Ankara.
Syrian forces step up Aleppo offensive, control Damascus: Syrian
government forces launched air and ground attacks on rebel-held areas
in the city of Aleppo on Saturday and announced that the capital
Damascus was back under government control, dpa reported.
Kidnapped Syrian TV host 'executed' (by Free Syrian Army Front Group?): "The
television presenter, a well-known figure on state TV, has been
executed, and the Al-Nusra Front has claimed responsibility for the
killing,"
Accounts of Syria rebels executing prisoners raise new human rights concerns:
Syrian insurgents fighting to unseat President Bashar Assad face a growing list of accusations that they've carried out executions and torture, muddying the Western narrative of a heroic resistance force struggling against a vicious regime.
Syrian insurgents fighting to unseat President Bashar Assad face a growing list of accusations that they've carried out executions and torture, muddying the Western narrative of a heroic resistance force struggling against a vicious regime.
Syria crisis: Turkey training rebels, says FSA fighter: There
is a special training programme based in Turkey at secret camps run by
the Turkish military, she says. "The Turkish people are really helping
us. Lots of people are getting training in those camps."
Muslim Brotherhood establishes militia inside Syria: The
Muslim Brotherhood has established its own militia inside Syria as the
country's rebels fracture between radical Islamists and their rivals,
commanders and gun-runners have told The Daily Telegraph.
Russia Sends Warships to Syria: Russian
defense officials told news agencies on Friday that three warships
carrying 360 marines are en route to the Syrian port of Tartus and will
arrive within several days
Free Syrian Army kidnapped Iranian pilgrims near Damascus, report says: Iranian
semi-official Fars news agency quotes Syrian official as identifying
the assailants in the reported attack on a bus near Damascus as being
members of the main opposition faction.
Blowback is a *itch:
As al-Qaida's power in Syria rises, Israeli officials ready for possible attack: The involvement of al-Qaida operatives is growing in fighting against Assad forces; some of the extremist Islamists are fully cooperating with the rebels' Free Syrian Army.
As al-Qaida's power in Syria rises, Israeli officials ready for possible attack: The involvement of al-Qaida operatives is growing in fighting against Assad forces; some of the extremist Islamists are fully cooperating with the rebels' Free Syrian Army.
In comments about Iran attack, Israeli ex-officials may be sounding the alarm: In
the past 72 hours, three former top guns of Israeli intelligence have
discussed, with unnerving candor, a possible attack on Iran's nuclear
facilities. Do they know something that remains opaque to the public?
Leading Analyst: Why Israel Could Attack Iran Before November: "The period before the US elections is the best for an Israeli strike," says BESA head Efraim Inbar to Arutz Sheva.
No imminent threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, experts say:
Nonproliferation experts and Middle East analysts are skeptical of Israeli claims that the Tehran regime is so close to building a nuclear weapon that time is running out for a peaceful resolution of the decades-long standoff.
Nonproliferation experts and Middle East analysts are skeptical of Israeli claims that the Tehran regime is so close to building a nuclear weapon that time is running out for a peaceful resolution of the decades-long standoff.
Mahmoud Abbas To Move On UN Membership Bid In September:
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will take a first procedural step toward seeking U.N. recognition of a state of Palestine when he addresses the General Assembly in late September, but has not decided when to ask for a vote on his request
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will take a first procedural step toward seeking U.N. recognition of a state of Palestine when he addresses the General Assembly in late September, but has not decided when to ask for a vote on his request
Israel 'is falling out of favour' in Britain:
British public opinion regarding Israel is turning because of its hardline policies towards the Palestinians, the UK ambassador has warned.
British public opinion regarding Israel is turning because of its hardline policies towards the Palestinians, the UK ambassador has warned.
Mitt Romney financed by drug money? Las Vegas Sands target of US money-laundering probe, WSJ says:
The Los Angeles U.S. attorney's office is looking into the casino company's handling of the receipt of millions of dollars from a Mexican businessman, later indicted in the United States for drug trafficking, and a former California businessman, later convicted of taking illegal kickbacks, the Journal said
The Los Angeles U.S. attorney's office is looking into the casino company's handling of the receipt of millions of dollars from a Mexican businessman, later indicted in the United States for drug trafficking, and a former California businessman, later convicted of taking illegal kickbacks, the Journal said
US kills 9 al-Shabab fighters in southern Somalia:
Un-confirmed reports: Nine al-Shabab fighters have been killed and dozens of others injured in an attack by a US assassination drone in southern Somalia, Press TV reports.
Un-confirmed reports: Nine al-Shabab fighters have been killed and dozens of others injured in an attack by a US assassination drone in southern Somalia, Press TV reports.
Car bomb explodes near Tripoli police station : A car bomb is detonated near police station in Tripoli injuring at least one person. Lindsey Parietti reports
Blowback from Libya :
Understanding the Standoff in Mali: The NATO intervention in Libya directly influenced the Tuaregs' capacity to overpower the Malian military.
Understanding the Standoff in Mali: The NATO intervention in Libya directly influenced the Tuaregs' capacity to overpower the Malian military.
Court Upholds Domestic Drone Use in Arrest of American Citizen: A
North Dakota court has preliminarily upheld the first-ever use of an
unmanned drone to assist in the arrest of an American citizen.
Judge releases nun who broke into U.S. nuclear bomb facility: A
U.S. magistrate judge on Friday ordered the release pending trial of
an 82-year-old nun and another anti-nuclear activist charged with
breaching security fences at one of the most sensitive U.S. nuclear
facilities, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where weapons-grade uranium is
kept.
FBI's Facial Recognition is Coming to a State Near You: .
When the program is fully deployed in 2014, the FBI expects its facial recognition database will contain at least 12 million "searchable frontal photos."
When the program is fully deployed in 2014, the FBI expects its facial recognition database will contain at least 12 million "searchable frontal photos."
Food Hardship in America 2011: When over 18% of your society struggles to buy food, you need to review the allocation of public resources.
http://frac.org/pdf/food_hardship_2011_report.pdf
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