Gadhafi hanging on as military joins rebels. Hugo Chavez must condemn Gadhafi and support the uprisings. US and EU hypocrisy exposed

There is so much happening in the world today it is almost impossible to keep up. The situation in Libya is turning pretty violent.  The British right wing paper, the Daily Mail, reports on the invasion of the red light district in Tunis by Islamist religious nuts with Molotov cocktails and clubs. "In keeping with Tunisia’s deep-rooted secularism and unprecedented championing of Muslim womens' rights, the prostitutes carry cards issued by the Interior Ministry, pay taxes like everyone else and enjoy (along with their clients) the full protection of the law." the Mail writes.  The Islamo fascists were driven back but the workers movement while taking up the issue of prostitution must deal with this crowd. There motivation is not to liberate the women from prostitution but to enshrine it in religious trappings and law.

In Libya Gadhafi is threatening to fight to the death and his mercenaries armed with weapons provided by the British and other western governments are shooting unarmed protesters in the streets. The possibility of Gaddafi staying seems unlikely given that seven army colonels have joined the rebels and have dispatched armed units to fight the regime, some arriving in Tripoli yesterday according to the Wall Street Journal,

The US and the European governments have been criticized for their slow response in condemning the madman Gadhafi. The US has avoided condemning him up until the end of this week, announcing, along with the Europeans on Friday that they will impose financial sanctions and a military embargo on the regime. The US and the former colonial powers have no credibility with the Arab masses whose conditions stem from years of colonial and then imperialist plunder and control of their economies.  "We are implementing a series of steps at the unilateral and multilateral level to pressure the regime in Libya to stop killing its own people." White House spokesperson, Jay Carney said yesterday. The Gadhafi regime has billions stashed away in US and European banks and a $30 billion sovereign wealth fund.

The Obama administration has indicated that it may well bring a case against Gadhafi and his "chief lieutenants" to the International Criminal Court for possible "crimes against humanity" the WSJ reports.  The International Criminal Court headquartered in the Hague is not normally a body that US capitalism recognizes as quite a few US war criminals would be first in line at the dock.  The US also blockaded and mined Managua's harbor during the Contra years folks may remember despite violating international law and a country's sovereignty. Then there's Guantanamo, the illegal war in Iraq, the Israeli occupation and Gaza; you see what I mean------the mouthpieces of US capitalism have no credibility among the workers and oppressed people's of the world.  Before Gadhafi sits in the dock at the International Criminal Court, Kissinger, Rumsfeld, Bush, Blair and Condy Rice are a few others that should precede him.  Gadhafi is a mad man after all, these folks are much more dangerous methodical supporters of the market and acting in its interests.

The Wall Street Journal also claims Hugo Chavez has publicly announced his support for Gadhafi on his twitter page.  If this is true we unconditionally condemn Chavez.  If it is not true then Chavez should come out and publicly condemn Gadhafi and support the Arab masses in their struggle for democratic rights.  Chavez is not a man afraid to speak his mind so the longer he waits the worse it is.

The WSJ also reports that Ortega of Nicaragua has called Gadhafi and offering him support and Castro has hesitated to condemn him.  If this is true we condemn these so-called socialist leaders also and if it is not, these regimes need to speak loudly and with condemnation of these thugs.

As I write, I see a tweet from Sarah Abdallah: "Today in Bahrain: Tens of thousands of Bahraini protesters were back in Roundabout to demand end of the regime."  "End of the regime" this, as we stressed yesterday, and as we were informed by bloggers on the ground,  is the overwhelming demand throughout the Arab world including Iraq.  The Arab masses have tired of the term reform. The US/European and Zionist supported dictators and thugs that have held their boots on the necks of the Arab workers and middle class for decades are falling; the Arab masses have lost their fear.  The US has 30,000 troops in Bahrain to protect the interests of Chevron, Shell, BP Exxon and other oil companies in the Middle East.

To protect the interests of the corporations unhindered, the US has propped up this absolute monarchy, in Bahrain, a family that has ruled the island for 200 years.  So much for the declarations of human rights in the US Constitution.  The class that fought a revolution against a British monarchy does not play the same role globally  The same could be said of Cromwell whose revolution broke the hold of the feudal aristocracy in England and opened the door to the development of capitalism and the ascendancy of that class. He crushed his radical supporters like the Levelers and played the most reactionary role in Ireland slaughtering the Irish people and ensuring domination of that country for hundreds of years by British capitalism-----the six counties in the North are still occupied.

As an earlier blog pointed out, capitalism is incapable of creating healthy democratic societies in the former colonial world. Even here in the US, the belly of the beast, the capitalist class is wagging a war against workers and the middle class that will drive us back 60 years. Capitalaism cannot even provide a decent life for all in the USA.

Al Jazeera reported today on the judicial committee that the Egyptian military has set up to develop a new constitution. They are limiting presidents to a total of 8 years in office.  A new constitution drawn up by these forces will defend  and advance the interests of the Egyptian capitalist class and their imperialist masters in the advanced capitalist countries.  Such a constitution will ensure the plundering of the economy by an elite, slightly less abusive dictatorship. The question remains to be seen whether the masses will allow it but we have limited idea what forces and developments are taking place on the ground in these areas.

In Egypt and other liberated areas a Constituent Assembly should be convened and delegates to this assembly should be freely elected from the neighborhood, trade Union and rank and file committees in the military (no officers) and all other working and middle class community bodies to draw up a constitution that will defend and advance the interests of the masses; that will ensure the collective ownership, control and management of the productive forces of society and their distribution. This process and the formation of a federation of socialist states in the region is what will ensure democratic rights, global capitalism cannot.