Monday, October 30, 2006

War, huh, yeah, Good God y'all, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Say it again, y'all! Listen to me! Stand up and shout it: NOTHING!

Today is Tuesday, Halloween, 31 October 2006.

The following is from a dispatch by Sue Pleming on Reuters on the Internet, “U.S. Says Somalia must not be proxy war for others”, dated 30 October 2006:

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Ethiopia and Eritrea, rivals involved in a border dispute, must take steps not to escalate tensions in Somalia.

"(I) would hope that states not try to use Somalia as a proxy for any of their disputes. It would be rather unfortunate for Somalia, as well as other countries in the region," said McCormack.

"We do have concerns about some other countries, outside countries involved in Somalia; various troop activities," he added, without providing details.

The Islamists have accused Ethiopia of sending in troops to protect the interim government and declared holy war against Ethiopia this month. Addis Ababa denies any incursion and says its only contribution was several hundred armed military trainers.


Oh my stars and garters! HH would laugh himself silly at this massive Bush Junta hypocrisy if it weren’t for the murders of hundreds of thousands for which the land of his birth, the United States Empire, bears half the responsibility: politically, financially, and ethically.

It’s Halloween, girls and boys, so, herewith, courtesy of HH and The Patterns of History, a scary story.

Once upon a time, on the Horn of Africa, that area in North-Eastern Africa on the west shore of the Strait of Hormuz, on the east side of which lies Saudi Arabia, with its richness of Black Gold, were, and still are, the nations of Ethiopia and Somalia. (And also Eritrea, formerly part of Ethiopia.)

During much of the 19th Century, Ethiopia and Somalia were ravaged by savage European military dictatorships.

When the protagonists of those military dictatorships fled after World War Two, was it any surprise that the successors to these depredations, distortions, and degradations to the government of these two lands were … military dictatorships?

Fast forward: the year is 1945. The USE and the USSR initiate The Cold War, a great struggle for global hegemony. Before long, they begin to use small, desperately poor countries all over the globe as proxies for warfare. The USE backs Ethiopia; the USSR backs Somalia.

Much death ensues.

Then, in 1974, a pseudo-Marxist military dictatorship seizes power in Ethiopia, which the USSR backs.

Change partners and dance.

The USE now backs Somalia, and the war and killings and poverty and misery go on.

In 1991, The Cold War ends, and the USE and the USSR, bored like Tom and Daisy in The Great Gatsby, lose interest in funding and commanding their Ethiopian and Somali proxies.

But the war, like The Beat, having been set in motion, Goes On.

And on, and on, and on.

Happy Halloween 2006, and the misery and death still go on.

And, just in time for Halloween, USE Department of State spokesjerk Sean McCormack said: "(I) would hope that states not try to use Somalia as a proxy for any of their disputes. It would be rather unfortunate for Somalia, as well as other countries in the region”.

It is instructive to note that the Bush Junta is currently financing a faction of warlords in Somalia.

And the planet remains overrun with the miseries and deaths of proxy wars.

Perhaps this sentiment, not to use [insert any suffering nation here], might have arisen earlier.

Such a sentiment now is only hopelessly cruel, hypocritical, and callous.

And that’s your scary story.

Happy Eve of All Saints’ Day.
_____________________________________________________

WAR

by Edwin Starr

War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Uh-huh
War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again, y'all

War, huh, good God
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

Ohhh, war, I despise
Because it means destruction
Of innocent lives

War means tears
To thousands of mothers eyes
When their sons go to fight
And lose their lives

I said, war, huh
Good God, y'all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again

War, whoa, Lord
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, it ain't nothing
But a heartbreaker
War, friend only to the undertaker
Ooooh, war
It's an enemy to all mankind
The point of war blows my mind
War has caused unrest
Within the younger generation
Induction then destruction
Who wants to die
Aaaaah, war-huh
Good God y'all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it, say it, say it
War, huh
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Uh-huh
War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again y'all
War, huh, good God
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, it ain't nothing but a heartbreaker
War, it's got one friend
That's the undertaker
Ooooh, war, has shattered
Many a young mans dreams
Made him disabled, bitter and mean
Life is much to short and precious
To spend fighting wars these days
War can't give life
It can only take it away

Ooooh, war, huh
Good God y'all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again

War, whoa, Lord
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, it ain't nothing but a heartbreaker
War, friend only to the undertaker
Peace, love and understanding
Tell me, is there no place for them today
They say we must fight to keep our freedom
But Lord knows there's got to be a better way

Ooooooh, war, huh
Good God y'all
What is it good for
You tell me
Say it, say it, say it, say it

War, huh
Good God y'all
What is it good for
Stand up and shout it
Nothing

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