For some reason, or for reasons only known--or unknown--to me, I had a difficult day today. I am not—at the personal level—a depressed person, or an angry person, as those here who know me can attest. The name of the site is ironic (British people accuse Americans of missing irony) although I have always harbored political anger against what I see as injustice and oppression. I started my day, before going to work, with the TV blasting during Rumsfeld’s appearance before the Senate. I just could not believe the tone or the texture of the event. As usual, members of Congress, of both parties, did not miss an opportunity to salute the troops, to hail their commanders, and to wave the flag. I was expecting them to break at any minute into singing “God bless America” in unison. How could members of Congress ever miss an opportunity before the cameras—especially when they are transmitting live coverage—to descend into jingoistic patriotism? Many of the comments (from members of the Senate and House) and from the “witnesses”—an old Arabic saying talks about “absent witnesses”—turned into praise of the US and its “unique” democracy. I cannot believe how much politicians in the US perpetuate the public ignorance (not among all of course) about the US. One person said that “we are the only country that investigates itself.” What! Are some (patriotic) people that ignorant to really think that there are no other democracies in the world besides the US? How could anybody think that the US is the only country that investigates itself? I mean it is true, but only if you exclude Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, South Africa, Japan, etc. Even Lebanon (in some cases), for potato’s sake. So a case of ugly pornographic abuse and torture is alas turned into yet another American patriotic festival. I became distressed because I felt that the coverage, even the liberal criticisms, are missing the point. This is a country that worships its military, and places no financial or political accountability on its behavior. I have lived in the US for some 20 years, and have been amazed that a case of a single mother on welfare who may have cheated the “system” for $200 (Reagan ran full campaigns on those cases) causes more outrage among the public than the “mismanagement” and waste of billions in the budget of the military/intelligence apparatus. When people (on the right, center, and left) preface their remarks about the war by asserting their “support for the troops” they basically offer an unconditional license of support for the armed forces. Now of course one should blame the administration for the war, and I have some former and current students who are serving in Iraq--and they are good people who would not commit abuses, I am certain. But one should also encourage dissent and conscientious objection to war, and to conduct of war. The jingoistic climate of the US even discourages people from coming forward with stories of abuse and war crimes, because the public may resent them. And then Bush goes on Arab TV. Does anybody really think that it will make a difference and change minds? I think that only he probably thinks that. And Carl Rove issued an unusual statement in which he stated that the picture of abuse will harm US image in the Arab world for a generation. No worry there, I tell him. The damage to US image in the Arab world, for generations to come, and not for one generation, had already been done by the brilliant leadership of Bush and his many wars. The American people, I am certain, will move on. Jennifer Aniston is trying to get pregnant, Tom Cruise has a new movie coming out, and Bill Clinton will be traveling around the country promoting his book. But I know that Arabs will not tune out. They cannot tune out. They are dealing with scenes of American bombing and occupation in Iraq; with scenes of killing in Palestine; and with their daily oppression by governments that are (with one or two exceptions) funded and/or armed by the US government, the self-designated beacon of freedom. If it is in my power, I would put a moratorium on the use of the word “freedom” by Americans and the word “Jihad” by Muslims. The word “potato” can be used frequently, however. Oh, and as usual I received emails asking me either to leave the US, or asking me to explain why I am in the US. My friend Rhiannon observed to me last month that visitors to the site do not have an accurate image of my personal life; that many would be surprised if they know that the closest people to me have been…Americans. And if I was an immigrant from Germany or France (OK, not France) would people be asking me to explain why I am in the US? I have to admit that my own mother (after reading something I write or hearing something I say) sometimes asks that very question. But anarchists are restless under any government.