It's Because of the Americans...

Overheard fragment of a conversation on the street in Grahamstown, South Africa, the night of July 7th:

WOMAN: But why did this happen?
MAN: It's because of the Americans.

Below, more on this subject and others. I hope to have reflections from my time in South Africa up soon.

John Pilger: These Were Blair's Bombs

Blair brought home to this country his and Bush's illegal, unprovoked and blood-soaked adventure in the Middle East. Were it not for his epic irresponsibility, the Londoners who died in the Tube and on the No 30 bus [on 7 July] almost certainly would be alive today.

Paul Street: Gifts to the Jingoistic Right

...Smiling turned Somber George Bush pretended not to welcome [July 7th's] all-too predictable attacks, which were certainly expected at some point by planners in the National Insecurity State. He seized the opportunity to say that “the contrast between what we’ve seen on the TV screens here, what’s taken place in London and what’s taking place here is incredibly vivid to me. On the one hand, we have people here who are working to alleviate poverty, to help rid the world of the pandemic of AIDS, working on ways to have a clean environment. And on the other hand, you’ve got people killing innocent people. And the contrast couldn’t be clearer between the intentions and the hearts of those of us who care deeply about human rights and human liberty, and those who kill—those who have got such evil in their heart that they will take the lives of innocent folks.”

Insofar as anything is happening at the G8 summit to reduce poverty, save global ecology, or overcome AIDS, we can be sure it is in spite of the White House’s best efforts. The Bush administration is a zealous, dedicated proponent of militantly regressive, so-called “free-market” economics at home and abroad. The essence of Bush’s corporate-financed domestic and global policy agenda is massive state protection and subsidy for the already super-opulent combined with savage market discipline and coercive state punishment and regulation of the poor.

Christian Christensen: "... Objective Like Us?"

Doug Ireland: Remembering Herbert Marcuse