July 4th – Moon of Alabama

July 4, 2008

July 4th

July 4th – a day to think about Independence: Freedom from rule by others.

Many, many nations have suffered through foreign rule. Those who where able to fight against such and won, cherish the date they fought that decisive battle or finally dared to openly declare their freedom. The 4th of July is a very important day for many people.

On the 4th of July 1187 Saladin defeated the crusader King of Jerusalem in the Battle of Hattin:

The Muslim armies under Saladin captured or killed the vast majority of the Crusader forces, removing their capability to wage war. As a direct result of the battle, Islamic forces once again became the eminent military power in the Holy Land, reconquering Jerusalem and several other Crusader-held cities.

Whoever wants to understand the backgrounds of the struggles going on today in the Middle East needs to read up on Saladin:

Saladin, was a 12th century Kurd who became Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and a major Muslim political and military leader. At the height of his power, the Ayyubid dynasty, which he founded, ruled over Egypt, Syria, Iraq, The Hejaz [Mecca, Medina, Jeddah] and Yemen.

Saladin united the Arab Ummah, successfully fought the crusaders and freed Al-Quds (Jerusalem) from foreign rule. The petty fights of Lebanese fractions or of various groups in Iraq that we discuss today where mere nuances within his great nation.

The United States today practices colonialism despite its own experience as a foreign ruled colony. It cherishes the day it declared freedom from such rule but fights to death any foreign people who want to declare freedom from U.S rule. There is an inherent cognitive dissonance in this which will eventually destroy from the inside the position the U.S. assumes it has in today’s world.

When my friends in the U.S. watch tonight’s fireworks, I hope they will remember that the promise of July 4th is not a singularity, but something that many people in this world fought for relentlessly in ancient times and will fight for and cherish to death today just as everyone ever did.

May all readers here have a happy day of Independence.

Posted by b on July 4, 2008 at 19:35 UTC | Permalink

Comments

This morning, the NPR morning team read the Declaration of Independence, including the list of indictments against King George III. I found myself wishing they had segued directly into Kucinich’s 35 articles of impeachment against Prez George. The transition would have been seamless.
I’m not too excited about fireworks this year (or the past several, for that matter).

Posted by: catlady | Jul 4 2008 19:39 utc | 1

Reposting on this thread: American roots-rock.
Dave Alvin interviewed, sings
The last song is “The 4th of July”.

Posted by: Hamburger | Jul 4 2008 20:13 utc | 2

What we need is interdependence day. I fervently wish these furriners would observe this day by polishing up their war-crimes indictments and drafting ICCPR Article 41 communications – just in case it comes up.

Posted by: …—… | Jul 4 2008 20:24 utc | 3

The perfect celebration of Independence Day would be to watch Rummy the Rummy, Bush Cheney, and a few other key neoclowns being marched to their execution after their conviction for war crimes with “Danny Deever” playing in the background.

Posted by: Diogenes | Jul 4 2008 21:07 utc | 4

Oops. Meant to post here:
Jimi

Posted by: Hamburger | Jul 4 2008 21:13 utc | 5

Some things never change, it’s ground-hog without the links.
Alan Seeger. 1888–1916
121. “I Have a Rendezvous with Death”
I HAVE a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
And apple-blossoms fill the air—
I have a rendezvous with Death 5
When Spring brings back blue days and fair.

Posted by: Cloned Poster | Jul 4 2008 22:20 utc | 6

Alan Seeger (June 22, 1888 – July 4, 1916) was an American poet.

Posted by: Cloned Poster | Jul 4 2008 22:23 utc | 7

Talk about timing: Jesse Helms dies at 86

Posted by: Tantalus | Jul 4 2008 22:45 utc | 8

And this should be added to the sombre day, July 4th, 2008.
From Carolyn Forché. This from blue hour, an excerpt from America’s finest living poet:

un enfant qui meurt, wrapped in a trouser leg
under the blind sky’s surveillance
under the whip, invisible, in the not-there
under what conditions can we speak of
une enfant qui meurt wrapped in a trouser leg
unspeakable in language
unspoken thoughts, leaving us in their proximity, alone
until dawn in the fire tower
until this, that
vesture, vigil light, votive
visible only to God
walking the streets, tented in bedclothes
war-eyed in the warehouse of history
war no longer declared but only continued
warning us of its nature and our own
washing its windows until they vanish

Posted by: Copeland | Jul 4 2008 22:54 utc | 9

from a fellow who died 7/4/1826:
“I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale. ”
“Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.”
“Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence.”
“The advertisement is the most truthful part of a newspaper.”
“I have recently been examining all the known superstitions of the world, and do not find in our particular superstition (Christianity) one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology.”
more.
And from a rival, died later same day:
“In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress.”
“You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket.”
“Jefferson still survives.”
And what do we get? Jesse Helms.

Posted by: plushtown | Jul 5 2008 2:44 utc | 10

Protestors interupt July 4th Bush speech
CNN — It’s The Fourth of July, but not everyone was in a festive mood when President Bush delivered a speech Thursday at Thomas Jefferson’s famous home, Monticello.
The President, who was talking part in Monticello’s annual naturalization ceremony, was interrupted several times by protesters.
“War criminal!” one protester repeatedly yelled as she was escorted out by Secret Service members.
“He has brought fascism to this shore,” another man yelled.
The president did not appear to acknowledge the protesters.

Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 5 2008 3:44 utc | 11

“We have a record of conquest, colonization and expansion unequaled by any people in the Nineteenth century. We are not about to be curbed now.”
[Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, 1895 ]

Posted by: denk | Jul 5 2008 4:44 utc | 12

The president didn’t need to acknowledge the protestors. His dark minions will
be pawing over this for months, before the secret indictments and renditions:
“NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A U.S. judge’s order to Google Inc (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) to turn over YouTube user data to Viacom Inc (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) sparked an outcry on Thursday from privacy advocates in the midst of a legal showdown over video piracy.
Viacom, owner of movie studio Paramount and MTV Networks, requested the information as part of its $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit against the popular online video service and its deep-pocketed parent, Google.
Judge Louis Stanton of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered Google on Tuesday to turn over as evidence a database with usernames of YouTube viewers, what videos they watched when, and users’ computer addresses.”
There is nothing to prevent Viacom from handing that list over to Department of Homeland Services, especially after the Supreme Court granted immunity to the telecoms for domestic spying, and also eliminated civil liability for third party participation, even knowing financial mis-dealings, in deliberate fraud….
This precedent will eventually allow Department of Homeland Services to see every commercial website’s / blog’s visitor logs, usernames and server domains, claiming re-use or direct republication of copyrighted materials, as is this Reuters post.
—
Poland rejected NeoZi.con’s Space Defense Shyte, or however Boeing’s pimping it!
Kaczyński grew some balls, or else Medvedev outbid the NeoZi.con’s with cheap gas.

Posted by: Cher Nobyl | Jul 5 2008 7:06 utc | 13

Let’s face it, any country that fought a war for independence while practicing slavery had cognitive dissonance built into it’s constitution, the ink on which was barely dry before the US was suppressing independence in Haiti.

Posted by: BobS. | Jul 5 2008 12:28 utc | 14

BobS: You realise that keeping slavery was one of the key reasons American settlers fought for independance from UK? The British crown and government wanted to ban the slave trade, which in the long run would’ve been a problem for the American slavers. They also intended to honor the treatise with natives peoples and to forbid the colonists’ expansion West of the Appalachians. Both were sane and progressive policies, and were both anathema to the American settlers, who opted for war and independance.
Considering the British crown went nearly bankrupt with the huge war expenses to defend the colonists against French and their Indian allies a few decades before, the British have been totally owned by the settlers, who mostly let the British do the fighting and the billing until no one would be a threat to the colonies (French colonies being annexed by UK), and then decided they hadn’t any reason to pay more for their own defense and protection, past present and future.
Not that hypocrisy, slavery, racism, racket, imperialism, illegal conquests of independant peoples and other highly moral motives would ever be mentioned when disucssing the reasons for American war of independance in history class.

Posted by: CluelessJoe | Jul 5 2008 17:01 utc | 15

@15 You realise that keeping slavery was one of the key reasons American settlers fought for independance from UK?
You realize that keeping slavery was one of the key reasons Texans fought for their independence from Mexico — after Mexico banned slavery in its territories. The great heroes at the Alamo died to defend slavery.

Posted by: Ensley | Jul 5 2008 18:01 utc | 16

A small measure of the downgrading of the US’ image. Switzerland and the US are very close, despite murderous competition and quarrels in the field of finance. – Cutting away complexities.
In Geneva, as along as I can remember, the 4th of July party was a huge, popular bash, with tens of thousands of ppl gathering for hot dogs with salsa, beer, country music, famous singers, races, champagne, dancing till dawn, with Swissitude, fondue, raclette, white wine, grilled cervelas (a nasty sausage) mixed in.
You’d think Uncle Sam and William Tell were blood brothers.
It was a must-go occasion, for teeny boppers and politicians, housewives, bankers, lawyers, students, music fans, school children, recent immigrants, local people, fake cowboys, gipsies with donkeys, drunken policemen.
The next day the papers were filled with pictures, American Freedom and Fun on Swiss Soil.
Last year it didn’t take place at all, for lack of sponsors it was said.
This year the Democrats revived it, in a different place, more modestly. The papers reported, I didn’t go, that about 100 Obama supporters showed up. The pictures were few and only showed individuals, no crowds, all in the grip of Obama Mania.

Posted by: Tangerine | Jul 6 2008 14:23 utc | 17

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