Powerful letter of support from Gary Leupp, a Tufts University professor and contributing writer for Counterpunch, encouraging students and professors to endorse the October 5th protests.
The invasion of Iraq was no “mistake” based on “flawed intelligence.” It was a calculated act of aggression properly described by UN General-Secretary Kofi Annan and the Vatican
as “illegal,” justified by an extraordinary campaign of disinformation
aimed at American public opinion overseen by the Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal
and it’s “Office of Special Plans.” The warmongers now talk of
“Islamo-fascism” threatening America’s streets. But the concept itself is a fascist-like exercise in whipping up fear against various and very separate targets.
Just as Hitler conflated Jews, Slavs, and Bolsheviks and persuaded many Germans that they were all part of a threatening conspiracy against themselves, simple-minded Bush conflates al-Qaeda and Iraq, Syria and Iran, Hizbollah and Hamas as “Islamofascists,” “terrorists,” or just “Evil.”
Bush policy requires and exploits ignorance and fear, and therefore also the vilification of journalists and academics who expose the lies and simplistic arguments used to validate what they are calling “the long war.” As the administration prepares for more war, against Iran and other targets, it relies upon a political base hostile to science, suspicious of academia, and inclined to mindlessly endorse any assault on Muslim societies in the hope it will usher in the End Times. Two years ago a senior administration official mocked the “reality-based community” of scholars, smirking, “We”re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you”re studying that reality, we”ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We”re history’s actors … and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.” That’s their attitude, reflecting their arrogance and contempt for the human mind.
Our attitude should be: “Drive out the Bush Regime!” End the War-Based-on-Lies and plans for its extension throughout Southwest Asia! I heartily endorse the Oct. 5 protests and encourage my colleagues and students to do so too.
Gary Leupp, Tufts University*
* for identification purposes only