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November 16, 2006
This image captures the reality of power in the world of nations. The US is the hegemonic imperial power and the UK, a former imperial power, is the subordinate power, which tailors its national interest to that of the US. In this case it was the neo-con strategy in favour of the Iraq war. The logic was that the road to Jerusalem led through Baghdad: an invasion would install an Iraqi democracy that would force the Palestinians to submit to the Israelis.
Steve Bell
This is a fairly standard interpretation of Tony Blair in the UK and it is argued that a little more independence is required. It is held that the British Prime Minister should have taken a firm stand against US policy in Iraq and Lebanon. Tony Blair now finds himself begging President Bush to make a serious effort to broker an Israel-Palestine deal. Bush continues to maintain a stony silence. Neither dares to talk about Israeli state terrorism.
This cartoon depicts the conservative mythmaking constructed around the subordinate power relationships to disguise the subservience that is expressed in John Howard merely echoing President Bush in foreign policy:
Bill Leak
It is the neo-cons' warrior-heroes last stand amidst the wreckage. It's just a question of political will. The neo-conservatives see things thus:
We face a stark choice now. We can either maintain bases and large forces in Iraq, or we can withdraw. If we withdraw, the Iraqi Army will collapse, and we will not be able to help it except by re-entering the country in large numbers and in a much worse situation. Attempts to mask this reality with militarily nonsensical solutions are dangerous. They will lead to higher U.S. casualties or to defeat-and quite possibly to both.
These hawkish conservatives are right when they say that a U.S. pullout would be a disaster for Iraq. However, their option of "One Last Push" ---more troops to get things sorted-- won't make that much of difference. Most of Iraq's trouble is homegrown, caused by the occupation and its gross recklessness, carelessness, and indifference to the range of possible consequences.
Any questioning of the power relationships, the myths, or the Canberra-Washington relationship is still routinely denounced as anti-Americanism by the spinners for the ideologically driven US imperialists in Washington. What cannot be questioned is American nationalism - a blind belief in America's right and ability to spread its values in combination with the expansion of American power. What is endlessly reproduced is the reproduction of vicarious hatred of the "other".
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