Welcome to Another Axis of Evil

By: Ben Roberts

Brace yourself folks. We now have on our hands another axis of evil if you can believe, and swallow without gagging, what Congressman Henry Hyde, and his advisor, Dr. Constantine Menges, are trying to serve up to us. After some deliberation it seems that these two men have concluded that we have a second axis of evil on god's green earth. This one is in South America. No. This is no joke. Congressman Hyde, after consulting with Dr. Menges, has actually written a letter to President Bush, apprising him of the existence of an axis of evil made up of Brazil, Venezuela, and Argentina. At this point things get murky. It seems Guatemala was also in the running, but for some reason its involvement is downplayed. Maybe that's because an axis of evil is usually three, as in WWII axis powers, Germany, Japan, and Italy, and Bush recent axis designation of Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. Adding Guatemala makes four, breaking the cardinal rule by destroying the required trio. Given Bush paintbrush style of labeling axes of evil and terror groups, I wonder how long before we hear bogus alarm bells.

If you detect a wee bit, or a full blown dose of cynicism here, I concede to being guilty as charged. It is absolutely mind boggling what these men are proposing. They are saying that presidents Lula in Brazil, Chavez in Venezuela, and presidential candidate Menem in Argentina, are the steadfast Communist disciples of a successful grand scheme by Fidel Castro to change the face of South America, and turn it into a bastion of Communism. Now if you believe that, you top the list for accepting that Elvis is alive, and the tooth fairy is real.

First, at this point in its history, Cuba has lost its privileged support and assistance from a now defunct Soviet Union. In its scramble to stay viable Cuba has, without doubt, become more inward looking, and domestically focused, as opposed to doctrine spreading. Second, two of the men mentioned were democratically elected. The other enjoys popular support. It is insulting to suggest that these legions of voters did not vote their hearts, minds, hopes, and dreams, but rather were subjected to mass communist hypnotism by wizard and puppeteer Fidel Castro. Incredible!

It amazes me what can be put forward as credible when a country experiences a time of disquiet and uncertainty as America certainly is experiencing presently. But since citizens can be detained indefinitely and incommunicado by the Justice Department, since the Defense Department can routinely deny the public's right to know with 'divulging such information compromises national security', and since an organization can be designated as a terror group with the same ease with which Governor Bush handed out the death penalty, it is only fitting that everyone and his brother throw in their pet projects, ambitious agendas, and hare brained schemes. America is seeing things through a cloudy lens right now, given the instability we are experiencing at home and abroad, and this is an opportune time to advance agendas and have them pass muster with little or no scrutiny. Boy oh boy! What Senator Joseph McCarthy wouldn't give to be around now. Now more than ever Americans need to know what their leaders are up to.

Maybe Congressman Hyde and Dr. Menges need some help in coming up with a more credible explanation as to why these three popular figures, Lula, Menes, and Chavez have been able to command such popular support. Instead of the perennial and convenient bogeyman Fidel Castro taking the rap on this, can it be that the majority of South American citizens, after decades of seeing their hopes dreams and freedoms dashed, and their economic plight forever worsening with unscrupulous corrupt and brutal leaders propped up by the United States, have decided to go in another direction in an attempt to achieve a better life. One only has to look at the ever widening gulf of disparity in wealth between North and South America to zero in on where the main problems lie. Moreover, if these people have been so hypnotized and contaminated with the virus of communism, why do they keep coming in droves to America, the mecca of capitalism?

Can it be that the United States, in its South American foreign policy, threw a big party at the American citizen expense, condoning the excesses of unpopular governments, thus breeding the political climate we see today in these countries, and now want to convince us that must throw another party at you-know-who's expense to solve the problem? How intricate. Definitely a twofer. Brings to mind the saying: "Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me!" That's why Americans need to know what its government does in their name. More so now than ever, as they become increasingly vulnerable in this so called war on terror.

In his Letter to America, Bin Laden repeatedly refers to heavy-handed and distorted US foreign policy as reason for his sentiment towards America. At times his comments are very harsh, but in many instances he states exactly what many critics, conservatives, peace activists, and regular citizens in America are saying. Of note is Bin Laden's position that the American citizen cannot be held blameless in their nation's unscrupulous foreign policy, since they elected the leaders who carry out said policy, and being a democracy, can unelect them. Now we know the United States government confiscated the 120,000 page Iraqi document to the U.N., and tore 8,000 pages out of it before the Security Council saw it. Reason? They said the documents contained sensitive information. True reason? The document lists the U.S. companies that illegally sold crucial materials to Iraq in its quest to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Shame! Shame! Shame!

Americans wise up. Your elected leaders are trying to dupe both you and the world. It is dangerous. They need to be brought to heel. By you!