ustxtxb_obs_2002_02_01_50_00002-00000_000.pdf

DEPARTMENTS DIALOGUE EDITORIAL Enron and the R’s LAS AMERICAS Private Sector Development by Gabriela Bocagrande 2 3 14 POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE 16 MOLLY IVINS 18 Let Them Eat Ketchup, Again JIM HIGHTOWER 19 Name, Rank, and DNA Info JAMES K. GALBRAITH 20 Enron and the Next Revolution BOOKS & THE CULTURE POETRY 21 by Carol Charlat Nace and Rabiul Hasan AFTER CAPITALISM 22 by James E. McWilliams SHRINES OF SAN ANTONIO 24 by Alix Ohlin AFGHANISTAN ON FILM 27 by David Theis AFTERWORD 29 Tommy, Can You Hear Me? by John Ross THE BACK PAGE 32 For Immediate Release Cover photos by Alan Pogue II 4 FEBRUARY 1, 2002 FEATURES ABEL, CAIN, AND KABUL I have been a fan of Ms. Ivins’ columns in The San Bernardino Sun for some time now, and recent ones brought to mind the following recollections. One was of a favorite quotation: “The difference between an honest fanatic and a criminal lunatic is difficult to define… and of little interest to the victim,” attributed to one Sheriff MacPhail, Scottish Civil Wars of 1620. \(Some of the legend that, after killing his brother Abel, Cain fled to Afghanistan where he settled and is believed buried near Kabul. It would appear that his descendants continue the family tradition to this very day. Doris Rivera Victorville, CA FORMS OF POWER While our war on terrorism in Afghanistan was an overwhelming display of superior military power, General Ashcroft’s attempt to muzzle public criticism of the Bush Administration was an overwhelming display of anal-retentive political power. T.S. Corin Austin TEXCESS I think that “Tex Mess” best. describes the Bush/Cheney Republican Administration and “Texcess” is Enron personified! Am now rereading SHRUB Love it! Toni Flertcher Orting, WA WAR CRIMES Sarah Cleveland’s comments on the legal aspects of the war in Afghanistan put the U.S. position in a wonderfully favorable light, mainly by begging all the questions \(“Of Laws and War,” responsible for the actions of our allies,” although we might be if “we acted in concert with them” \(the HAVE acted in concert with them, letting them serve as our ground arm, bombing in coordination with their actions, and supplying them with war materiel. She asserts that the Bush team has refused to “become too entangled” with the Northern Alliance because of human rights discomfort, but in fact the United States has cleared the ground for the renewal of the Northern Alliance’s and other tribal groups’ own terrorism \(See Paul Harris, “Warlords bring new terrors,” in The Observer [London], December 2, responsibility for refugees caused by bombing. If the bombing created the refugees, and if this was done in an environment of threatened mass starvation which it exacerbatedwhich all the food relief agencies have claimed the United States is arguably committing a serious war crime. On war crimes, Cleveland says it is illegal to “intentionally target” civilians. She ignores the prohibition against attacking civilian sites like towns not justifiable by “military necessity” Was the repeated bombing of the Red Cross warehouses in Kabul not a war crime? And the bombing of the radio station facilities of Al Jazeera in Kabul? Most interesting, in discussing the legality of the war, Cleveland never mentions that there is a little thing called the United Nations Charter that obligates countries to avoid the use of war except in cases of narrow self-defense. The United States was struck by a serious criminal act on 9/11 that called for justice, but instead of pursuing a legal course, and refusing even to provide the Taliban with evidence of bin Laden’s involvement, the U.S. leadership attacked and devastated another small country. We know that the United States thumbed its nose at the World Court when the court found U.S. attacks on Nicaragua an “unlawful use of force’s in 1986, and that it regularly ignores the U.N. or forms of law at its discretion, but one would expect a professor of law dealing with the question of “laws and war” to explain why it is that international law does not apply to this country, unless she accepts with her leaders that the United States properly operates like the Godfather. Edward S. Herman Penn Valley, PA Texas Observer MORALES VS. SANCHEZ 4 Unpredictable, underfunded and unappreciated, what is Dan Morales doing in the Democratic Party Primary? by Nate Blakeslee THE PREDATORY LENDING TRAP 8 by Jennie Kennedy PLAN PUEBLA-PANAMA 10 What Does Vicente Fox have planned for one of the poorest parts of Latin America? by Wendy Call 2 THE TEXAS OBSERVER 2/1/02