US PRESIDENT George W. Bush's visit to the Philippines marks the
first of a series of state visits that will also span Thailand, Japan,
and Australia. These are countries that supported Bush's wars against
Afghanistan and Iraq.
The attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq were staged supposedly to eliminate
their threats of terrorism. Afghanistan was allegedly harboring international
terrorist Osama bin Laden, suspected of ordering the September 11,
2001 attacks carried out not by Afghans but by Saudis. The Saddam
Hussein regime, ostensibly a threat to world peace, was allegedly
building weapons of mass destruction.
But the wars against Afghanistan and Iraq have failed to measure
up to Bush's professed objectives. There is not a single trace of
Bin Laden in Afghanistan. The only traces of weapons of mass destruction
found in Iraq are the remnants of depleted uranium bombs used in previous
attacks by US forces.
Meanwhile, hardly a whimper has been heard from the US against Israel's
attacks on Palestine and Syria.
The common thread between Afghanistan and Iraq is that both are oil-rich
countries that have struggled mightily to resist the onslaughts of
the US economic empire.
The so-called war on "error," is, then, nothing but a war
for cash disguised with sanctimonious slogans to look like a holy
war against the demon of terrorism.
Bush is visiting the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, and Australia
to show an outraged world-spoken for by no less than respected leaders
Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, and Pope John Paul II-that his government's
unconscionable war still has support to speak of. We fully expect
Mr. Bush to thank the leaders of these countries for their support
and urge the strengthening of the anti-"terror" cooperation.
He will be showing the world that there are others like him who are
willing to shed blood for dollars.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in her usual fashion, will no
doubt call out to her fellow leaders around the world for greater
unity against "terrorism."
We, young Filipino advocates of peace with justice, thus make it
known in the strongest terms that Mr. Bush and his satrap Ms. Macapagal-Arroyo
do not speak for the entire Filipino youth. There are many among us
whose stomachs recoil at the sight of spoils from a war driven by
the basest greed. As inheritors of tomorrow, we do not desire a future
in which our leaders are only too willing to trade such sacred rights
as sovereignty for blood money.
We know not what others desire, but as for us, our future is not
for sale.
