ONE MANπS FREEDOM FIGHTER IS ANOTHER MANπS TERRORIST

By Andrew Cameron Williams

≥No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says, weπre here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people ... support your revolution,≤

--Harry Belafonte, addressing an audience in Venezuela in January, 2006

"We've come to this dark time in which the new Gestapo lurks here, where citizens are having their rights suspended."--Belafonte, in a speech to the annual meeting of the Arts Presenters Members Conference in January, 2006

Harry Belafonte made those comments about the Bush Adminstration earlier this month here and in Venezuela. You may have heard them. Or you may have heard about them. Those who may have agreed with him privately went scurrying for cover when confronted with his remarks publicly. And those who think George II is a great leader began foaming at the mouth, tripping over themselves to portray Belafonte as senile, insane, treasonous.

I love it when right-wing pundits foam at the mouth. They say the most amusing things, and in so doing reveal how shit-scared they are of a person who has a contrary opinion and isnπt afraid to state it. You may take issue with Belafonte for making these comments in a country whose leader openly derides Bush and embraces Castro, but he could have made those comments anywhere and faced the same pejorative charges.

For my part, I agree with the first part of Mr. Belafonteπs first statement and the entirely of his second statement. As a citizen of the world first and America second, I see George Bushπs vision of America as a great monster smashing all its opposition but also, like cancer chemotherapy, carelessly smashing its supporters. A Second Roman Empire headed by delusional psychopaths, who will use any argument, true or false, to have their way. Who will wiretap its own citizens without warrents in an atmosphere of chilling secrecy. And, when confronted with their lies and unconstitutional actions, they do what primates do: spin webs of delusion and confusion, laced with arguments ad hominem. (Just in case George is reading this: Mr. President, ad hominem is a Latin phrase meaning ≥against the man.≤ In other words, you attack the personπs character instead of countering his statement with facts and logic. Also known as the ≥straw man≤ argument.)

So, impugning Harry Belafonte is easier than defending your position. This is how the Bush Administration has been handling discord since Day One: attack your opponentås integrity, insert the magic words ≥9-11,≤ ≥weapons of mass destruction≤ and ≥War on Terror≤ where needed, and dispense through compliant and mostly unquestioning mass media outlets. Georgeπs people learned that from Joseph McCarthy, plus one other thing: Keep George off the sauce.

All that said, I take issue with Belafonteπs contention that ≥millions of Americans≤ support the Chavez government in Venezuela. I donπt know of any survey that claims millions of Americans support Hugo Chavezπs government. And while itπs nice to know that not every world government agrees with Bushπs agenda, I donπt see how a Communist government will survive economically without turning into a dictatorship, as in Cuba. How well will Chavez tolerate the dissent that will inevitably arise? Will he allow freedom of expression? Or will he follow Fidelπs lead and jail anyone who disagrees with the direction in which he guides Venezuela?

More than ever, dissenting voices such as Belafonteπs are a robust demonstration of a functioning democracy--as long as those who speak truth to power are not persecuted for their speech. We can question Belafonteπs statement of mass American support for Hugo Chavez. We can question, but not deny, his patriotism, because it is true patriotism: questioning your governmentπs actions if you believe them to be unethical and undemocratic. And if such speech is censored or persecuted, then we as a nation will have lost sight of the true definition of patriotism and will have settled for the conformist, reflexive kind--the kind that was seen all over Germany from 1933 to 1945.