On the Justice of Roosting Chickens: Reflections on the Consequences of U.S. Imperial Arrogance and Criminality

Before 9/11 I had read practically nothing in the area of politics, but afterwards, as I assume most Americans were, I was terribly interested in the question "Why do they hate us so much?" Unlike most Americans, I began to seriously look for an answer to this question in the writings of Noam Chomsky, Chalmers Johnson, Samantha Power, William Blum, Ramsey Clark, etc., etc., etc., and most recently Ward Churchill. By presenting two chronologies Churchill demonstrates that a more appropriate question following 9/11 would have been "How could `they' possibly not hate `us'?" followed up with "Why did it take `them' so long to arrive?" and "Why, under the circumstances, did they conduct themselves with such obvious and admirable restraint?" The first chronology debunks the myth propagated by Woodrow Wilson that America is the "most peace-loving of nations." As the chronology shows, the U.S. "has after more than two centuries yet to evidence a single year during which it was not making war upon someone, somewhere, for some reason". The second chronology lists obstructions, subversions, refusals, and violations of international law by the U.S. since 1945. Upon reading this chronology it becomes painfully obvious that, contrary to the claim made by Justice Henry Brown, there are not "certain principles of natural justice inherent to the Anglo-Saxon character". Rather, it would seem that former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark was closer to the truth when he said that the "overriding purpose" of U.S. foreign policy is to "maintain the capacity to coerce everybody else on the planet, nonviolently if possible, violently if necessary, and once in a while just for kicks." Readers should be cautioned however. Those Americans with a shred of decency are likely to come away from this book rooting for the other side, the other side being for the most part the rest of the world. Holding such an opinion in a country where the average citizen, as defined by Churchill, is sanctimonious, smug, duplicitous, hypocritical, and ignorant could be unpleasant for those who'd prefer to avoid controversy. As for myself, in the immortal words of the Chief Ignoramus, "bring it on".

This book is a chilling 172-page "chronology of criminal comportment" documenting the true underpinning of US legalistic pretentions between 1945 and 2003 and exposes the lethal, mind-numbing efficiency with which the US has repeatedly violated international law in the past, and continues to do so in the present. A steller and eye-opening book, to put it simply.

Ward Churchill's opinion is shared by many in the CIA, and that is the US will experience "blowback" for its policies. It shouldn't surprise us that this country has some people who behave like "little Eichmanns," after all, US policy planners hired 1500 Nazis through "Operation Paperclip." We also have a mainstream media that is shaped and censored by the Pentagon (NBC is owned by the weapons contractor GE) which feeds us endless stories of how the empire is "liberating" the world. Ward Churchill documents the reality we often divert our attention from. Fortunately, the controversy around Churchill has sent his book sales skyrocketing, proving that the minds of "Good Americans" aren't as closed as they've been trained to be.

In the media furor that has swirled around this book, one thing has become increasingly clear: few people have read the darn thing. Most people seem to be quoting the distorted newspaper articles that have appeared in the last few weeks. This book, based on Churchill's essay "Some People Push Back: On the Justice of Roosting Chickens," is not an attempt to "excuse" the 9-11 attacks. Rather, it tries to figure out why they happened, and why Americans seem unable to understand why there's so much global anger directed our way. Using two detailed chronologies, Churchill recounts a long and sordid history of U.S. military assaults on other nations, millions of foreign civilians slaughted by our tax dollars, as well as countless violations of international law perpetrated by our government. Given this well-documented litany of abuse, Churchill's argument that some sort of response was--and is--inevitable makes perfect sense. Read the book!

It seems that due to the highly inflammatory atmosphere surrounding the author in the media right now that many ill-informed customers have been posting reviews. As someone who has read the book cover to cover I can say that it is a highly valuable tool in placing US foreign policy in context. As for the outrage the book supposedly has caused amongst conservatives, Churchill's social criticism is aimed at liberals and "radicals" in the US who seem confused as to the nature of state violence and have failed to force the government's hand to comply with International Human Rights Standards. The assembled chronologies are truly breathtaking and warrant serious reflection. Whether or not readers agree with every aspect of Professor Churchill's analysis they should decide for themselves as they will get a much different picture than the one that has been painted over the last week or so.