Rodney Shakespeare

Bahraini police guards stand ready for the arrival of King Hamad
bin Issa al-Khalifa (portrait) during a National Day ceremony at
the University of Bahrain in Zallaq, South of Manama. (12/16/12)

When it comes to blatant hypocrisy, the King of Bahrain takes the cake. Outrageously ignoring the fact that he ordered citizens to be shot in the face, tortured and killed, he now poses as a man of peace who would like to have a “national dialogue”.

By “national”, of course, he does not mean everybody but rather a tiny section of the population i.e., those creepy-crawly individuals who adhere to the belief that the al-Khalifa regime represents civilised behaviour instead of barbarism.

By “dialogue” he means conversation with sycophants who will not only agree with everything he says but avow that their deepest desire is to have the King kick them in the face.

And, alas, the sycophants exist. Let nobody think that they, desiring nothing but their own advancement at the expense of everybody else, will not soon be crawling out of the woodwork to prostrate themselves before the duplicitous King. Yes, there are plenty of sycophants who are only too willing to sell their souls for a mere glimpse of the monarch’s face. Indeed, for a position of influence in the regime, most of them are only too willing to sell their bodies as well.

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Stephen Lendman

A previous article discussed America's quadrennial exercise in hypocrisy. It's institutionalized. It conceals the nation's dark side.

Pomp and circumstance hide neoliberal harshness. War is portrayed as peace. Lawless government is called legitimate. Democracy never existed and doesn't now. Freedom in America is endangered. Bipartisan complicity plans destroying it altogether. America is on a fast track toward tyranny and ruin. Police state laws threaten everyone.

Activism and dissent are marginalized. Increasingly they're not tolerated. Supporting what's right is called dangerous to national security. Peaceful demonstrations are attacked and disrupted. Protesters are called terrorists. They're arrested and jailed for expressing constitutionally guaranteed First Amendment and other rights. Authorities claim doing so gives material support to enemies. None exist except invented ones.

Monied interests run America. Obama's their front man. Doublespeak duplicity conceals his dark side. He supports wrong over right. Liberalism, progressive change, and populism are ideologically opposite his agenda. Militarism, corporatism, elitism and privilege reflect it. Don't expect media scoundrels to explain.

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Eric Peters

If you’ve ever lived in a big city, you’ve probably had to deal with the squeegee man. He approaches your car – even though you have not called him over. Without asking your consent, he commences to wiping your windshield with his greasy rag. In a moment, he will demand payment for his “services” – which you’d better hand over, if you don’t want him to attack you (or damage your car).

This vignette encompasses everything that is subsumed under government: Random people accosting you with demands for payment – for “services” you never asked for, don’t approve of and don’t use – with the menace of violence looming over everything. Neither the squeegee man nor the politician nor government “worker” ever asks whether you’re interested in what they have to offer – not really. Because they never give you the option to decline. To say, “no thank you.” And have them leave you alone.

Both take the position that “services” having been provided – asked for or not, used or not – translates to pay up! The only difference between the squeegee man and your local county commissioner, school board – or governor or president – is that some of them have better teeth (usually).

And of course, more “resources” (read: violence) at their disposal. After all, you can still roll up your windows – or better yet, just drive away – when you see the squeegee man. You’re even allowed to fight him off if he physically attacks. No such luck with the representatives of government.

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