Florida Vapor Trail 2.0

An invitation to cross the line

In an opinion article published today in the journal Republic, Alberto Adrianzén has put a point on one of the i's that should worry the left-wing politicians and intellectuals in Peru, leaving the defensive and willing to live surviving within a system that is criticized and condemned.

And this observation is not directed only to the "old" leftist leaders of the 70 and 80, but also after they have committed ourselves, at least lip service to bet on a new order and a new society. It is not only aimed at those who move within the official sphere and state (parliament, municipalities, universities) but also those from civil society (or "bases") consist of collective labor, student and neighborhood, are active "militants" not going to hold rallies in downtown Lima and in some districts the cones of Lima which broadcasts a self-congratulatory rhetoric and assertion of "ideas" that make up the old orthodoxy, but is incapable of any action and creative prensamiento.

It is worth noting that those desperate for creative sterility to formulate and promote a social transformation project in our country, they prefer the easy attitude of leaders subordinate their ideals do not represent those ideals. We refer to driving a deal with nationalism, which at best achieve an electoral agreement for 2011, or those who are attached and promoting the Chavez project in Peru as an expression of XXI century socialism, but manage to comfortable travel and internships abroad that allows them to practice the "political tourism." This found a way to justify living within the existing system without supposedly betrayed their revolutionary ideals.

Nor should we forget the union leaders today have become bureaucratic entities that live off their union positions, with the privileges involved. Driving demands union leaderships of the utmost importance for the worker but are unable to make it a transformative social force, namely, to turn into a political movement. An example is the rights of workers in Construction, whose workers are killed or maimed by working in appalling conditions without any protection. The State, through the Ministry of Labour and the municipalities, does not perform inspections or they are compliant with business Constructure, most of them informal. What does the guild Construction? Nothing. Because in a real project of social transformation, civil society must begin to assume the responsibilities of the old state, replacing it in its functions to make it obsolete. Why does the main guild Construction workers do not visit the hundreds of buildings that are constructed according to the current speculation agreed between the State and construction companies, with more and more flexible regulation, and reporting these cases to the public seeking their support? Prefer the radical discourse of the guild meetings and the media, but the failure to act on the reality of workers. Prefer the interviews and photos of official scenario hard work and hard to organize workers.

Nor do we stay on the mere claim to these leaders. But are willing to cross the line, why must we wait? Why do we have to demand that we lead? Let's do it ourselves.

The invitation is released. Who dare?

Speedo With Italian Flag On It

Incident in the Persian Gulf

few days ago, the world press published an article that shows, again, the intentions of the United States government to obtain an excuse to attack Iran, a member of the so called "Axis of Evil." At that news, the government complaint alleged provocation nortemarericano five boats of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard against three U.S. warships located in international waters of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. This has been listed by the Pentagon as "the most serious provocation of this sort we have seen so far ( The Country ).

The interesting news is that the boats are considered "attack craft" in front of three warships and, according to military sources nortemaericanas, made intimidation tactics and threats made over the radio: "I come to you. Explotaréis a couple of minutes. " That is, besides being obviously inferior force, the Iranian speedboats announced his evil intentions in advance so that American ships could make any forecast of the case. Is not to doubt the military superiority of the American ships (which would make any attack useless), we can see the video released by the Department of Defense United States ( video) or photo below.



Photo: AFP. El País. Madrid, January 9, 2008.
Of course, Iranian state television as their own version of events or, rather, their own video ( here ). U.S. intentions to provoke an alleged incident with Iran to justify further U.S. intervention in the Middle East, are manifested through statements of Stephen Hadley, National Security Adviser, who argues that "will have to be careful, because if it happens again, will face the consequences. It's the kind of incident that can provoke exchange of fire and we believe that Iranians need to know that fishing in troubled waters "( The Country ).

later started his tour of the Middle East, U.S. President George Bush has said that Iran will face "serious consequences" if it attacks U.S. ships deployed in the Persian Gulf. Moreover, to leave no doubt of their intentions, stated that "My advice to them is not to do so, "adding that" We've made it clear publicly and they know our position, and there will be serious consequences if they attack our ships "( The Country ). Can not be clearer.

What brought me to mind reading this news was the famous "Gulf of Tonkin Incident" and served as a pretext for direct military intervention by the United States against North Vietnam in 1964. According to the website Historiasiglo20.org history: "In 1964, the situation seemed desperate to South Vietnam. The U.S., citing as justification the Tonkin incident against the destroyer Maddox on 2 August 1964, launched an open intervention. He spent the 4000 American soldiers in 1962 to almost 500,000 in 1967. The massive bombing, the use of chemical agents, the cruelty of War retransmitted by the media were hugely unpopular U.S. policy. "

According to other sources ," in April 1999, the Library Lindon B. Johnson has made public the transcripts of recorded phone calls between Johnson and his Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in showing that Johnson and his government misled the Congress to hide covert operations carried out with the intention of provocation in the Gulf of Tonkin. " Any matches with the lies of the Bush administration the U.S. Congress and the UN General Assembly on weapons of mass destruction in the hands of Saddam Hussein, who justified the Gulf War and led to the current situation in Iraq, not is arbitrary. It is part of the imperial policy of the United States that has become the "policemen of the world order."

U.S. intentions These are not new. In April last year published an article Embid Alfredo ( here ) explaining that such incidents are "repetitions of historical fraud." For what interests us, mentions a similar occurrence to what happened in recent days, but this time British naval forces: "On Friday 23 March, 15 members of the British naval forces were captured by Iranian forces when they were patrolling the coast off the Iraqi borders. The British government published satellite coordinates which he says show that the ship was captured when sailing in Iraqi waters. [Did you mean international]. This came as the U.S. military launched a new maneuvers in the Persian Gulf which was first used various aircraft since the U.S. invasion of Iraq. " If this had happened to American naval forces, may have been precipitated events much earlier than expected by the government of Mr. Bush.

For a more detailed "Tonkin Incident" can check the version of the English edition of Wikipedia . There you can notice the tremendous similarities to the events of recent days.