Core Values?

By Cindy Sheehan

"Everybody likes to dance to a happy tune." -Weezer

After President-Elect, Barack Obama, officially appointed Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State, he had this to say: "Senator Clinton shares my core values." Really? I thought that the two dueling Senators had diametrically opposing "Core values." Isn't that why most of the US anti-war movement supported Obama over Clinton? Wasn't Obama the so-called "Anti-War Candidate?" I am amazed that there is no outcry from the "US anti-war movement" over Obama's foreign policy team that includes Robert Gates who will remain as Obama's Secretary of Defense. I don't care how any Democratic shill wants to spin this one; it's not spinnable if one really cares about peace and security.

Hillary Clinton is an unrepentant supporter of the Iraq War. She was, in fact, one of the major cheerleaders for that war and Bush's policy of preventive strikes and occupation. Obama theoretically opposed the invasion until he became a Senator and then voted for every funding bill. I am sure that Clinton and Gates will be fully on board with the President Elect's plan of sending more troops to Afghanistan to increase the D-RWoT (the Democrat's Real War on Terror) and will continue the illegal raids into Pakistan without so much as a blink of their eyes.

After the official appointments were confirmed, I told two of my closest friends that Obama has killed the US anti-war movement that has been on life support while it worked feverishly to elect him. But, in reality, Obama didn't kill the movement, the movement committed suicide in (again) supporting a non-anti-war candidate solely because he is not George Bush and he knows how to say the words "hope and change" with a straight face and no hint of irony in his voice. Besides it doesn't hurt that he tacks on a (D) after his name.

One of these good friends told me that I should wait until the P-E is "sworn in" to see how he will implement policies and see if he fulfills his promises ("To keep about 50,000 troops in Iraq and send more to Afghanistan---like those promises?" I asked). My friend served in Vietnam in another insane war that happened to be started by a Democrat. He knows about violence for Empire and he wants to give the new Emperor a chance? As if the conferral of an oath suddenly gives a person some integrity and wisdom? The P-E's wisdom in his choices, so far, and his lack of honesty in promising "Change We Can Believe In," and then recycling the nightmare years of the Clinton-Bush regimes are appalling. I don't know how anyone on the anti-war left can spin these developments as anything but shocking and disappointing.

My friend then said with resignation in his voice: "Look, I just can't sustain the level of hatred that has consumed me for the last 8 years. I want to have hope. I don't want to hate the president anymore."

There's the crux of the problem. First of all, who is advocating "hating" anyone but If anyone knows about the pain caused by the Bush cabal, it is I. My oldest son was killed for nothing but lies. War criminals and terrorists of the highest degree killed Casey: The US Military Industrial Complex. But if George Bush is a war criminal for ordering the illegal and immoral attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan, then what does that make the P-E and his team? They all voted to give George the authority to attack the countries and they all vote to help him pay for it! We can't wait until the P-E becomes the serving P, because he was already sworn in as a US Senator and consistently betrayed the Constitution (voting to renew the USA PATRIOT ACT, for the FISA Modernization, and the bankster bailout, for instance) and world peace.

The rock band Weezer sings the mood of the country, aptly: "Everybody likes to dance to a happy tune." I would like to swallow the empty rhetoric of Obama and believe that everything's going to be fine; but I know better. Even before he takes the oath of office, Obama has already sold us out to the US Military Industrial Complex. He has also sold out the people of Iraq, Palestine (the forgotten oppressed people), Pakistan, and certainly the innocent civilians of Afghanistan.

How many more weddings in the Middle East will be bombed while the celebrants are trying to dance to a "happy tune?" I was in DC during Bush's inaugural in 2004. I observed a lot of happy people dressed in furs and jewels (and boots and cowboy hats) there going to parties and celebrating because their guy had "won." I accused them of dancing while people were dying. Won't that be what's going on next January 20th, also?

I don't want to hear about "institutional momentum" and that the problems we are faced with after 60+ years of overt empire building are too enormous to solve. Obviously, Barack Obama does not want to solve any problems or stop, or even retard, the "institutional momentum" towards disaster because his cabinet picks, advisers and staff (AIPAC hack, Rahm Emanuel) are all deeply mired (quagmire?) in the corrupt institutions and are directly responsible for the profound crap we are in today.

We are now officially in a deep "recession," which will sooner than later be a "Depression" that some experts say will last for years, not months, and Obama's financial team helped get us there. We are also officially involved in two illegal and immoral wars that have already lasted longer than any other war the US has been involved in except Vietnam, and Obama's foreign policy team helped get us there.

If Obama really desired change, then he would appoint people who have been trying to fix the horrible problems that only worsened during the Bush years. George and Dick didn't begin any of this Empire for Profit, they only perfected it for their themselves and their cronies.

After Obama gained the nomination for the Democratic Party, many Hillary supporters began a group called "PUMA" which stands for
"Party Unity My Ass?"

Well, I am starting a new group called: "CWCBIMA" (Quick-be-ma)

"Change We Can Believe in, My Ass."

Anyone want to join me?

If we engage in a little soul-searching for our "Core Values," I am sure that we would find that they in no way match the P-E's and his choice for Secretary of State.

Democratic Lords of War are just as monstrous as Republican Lords of War.

When's the first mass demo in DC against the Democratic Lords of War and their mayhem?

Sign me up, I can't wait for that one.