Our country has always had a problem with genocide. That is what this new wave of student activists are discovering as they protest the mass murder of Palestinians in Gaza. The US has been doing it for decades, with its bombings and invasions of Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq. Moreover, the Empire has used its air power on any number of additional third world victims, like Nicaragua, Chile, Honduras, Guatemala, Serbia, Libya Syria, and Cambodia. It's all the same. The empire congratulates itself on its fine ideals and then bombs the hell out of yet another Third World country.
Only this time, student activists can see how our political class is full of pro genocide advocates. Congressman Pat Ryan's good old boy charm can barely disguise his willingness to support Israel's extermination plans. Is he paid off by the Israel Lobby? By the weapons makers? According to OpenSecrets.org, the answer is yes.
In addition, students can now see how eager college administrators are to curtail freedom of speech on campus. Anything to please those rich alums, who expect their million dollar donations will cover up any mass slaughter of Palestinian innocents. College presidents turn out to be as venal as politicians.
Finally, students now realize how subservient our national media is to rich corporations and their war machine. That same media has kept us ignorant of empire for all these years.
The message to new activists is simple. Down with the empire and the corruption that feeds its war machine.
Fred Nagel