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by Mickey Z.

If there is anyone left who questions the depth of the hypocrisy and the blood lust of the American Empire, the events of the last week left little doubt. The hanging of Saddam Hussein was greeted with unmitigated glee by god's country. No detail was spared in describing the holiday season execution to a hungry and receptive U.S. audience. Consider this excerpt from the liberal (sic) media's role model, the New York Times: "At 6:10 a.m., the trapdoor swung open. He seemed to fall a good distance, but he died swiftly. After just a minute, his body was still. His eyes still were open but he was dead. Despite the scarf, the rope cut a gash into his neck. His body stayed hanging for another nine minutes as those in attendance broke out in prayer, praising the Prophet, at the death of a dictator." (Apparently unfit to print was any mention of Hussein's former ties to the U.S.) Indeed, what better way is there to show the world that America is morally superior than to murder a man on global television?

Reminder: They hate us because we're free.

Competing for airtime with the erstwhile Butcher of Baghdad was one Gerald Ford...who died peacefully at age 93. The nation dutifully mourned the unelected president as the corporate media dusted off paeans about post-Watergate healing. If citizens of East Timor had a say, Ford's corpse might not be laying in state. In fact, he just may be hanging side-by-side with Saddam.



East Timor is island nation-a former Portuguese colony just above Australia-that became the target of a relentless and murderous assault by Indonesia on December 7, 1975. That assault was made possible through the sale of US arms to its loyal client-state, the silent complicity of the American press, and permission from President Ford.

"Gerald Ford actually met twice with (Indonesian leader) Suharto, first in July of 1975 when Suharto came to the United States and later in December of 1975, of course, on the eve of his invasion of East Timor," journalist Brad Simpson told Amy Goodman on Democracy Now. "And we now know that for more than a year Indonesia had been planning its armed takeover of East Timor, and the United States had of course been aware of Indonesian military plans.

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