Illinois GOP House delegation votes perpetual war

There could not have been a sharper contrast Thursday between Illinois Republicans and Democrats in the US House on perpetual war. Four of the five Republicans voted down two measures designed to curb the president’s war making powers. The fifth, Adam Kinzinger, a certain no vote, was absent. All 13 Illinois Democrats voted for both measures. The first prevents the president from waging war with Iran without congressional approval. The second repeals the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force used to wage our murderous, senseless Iraq war, and justify all murderous US operations in the Middle East and Africa since. Though passed, neither is likely to be even considered in the Republican controlled Senate. If by some miracle they pass, a certain presidential veto awaits.

Voters should pose this question to the four Illinois House Republicans running for re-election in November (John Shimkus in 15th District retiring): “Why do you continue to support perpetual war costing trillions while getting millions killed, injured or displaced for no national security benefit whatsoever?” Inquiring voters would like to know.

Fifth Third Bank, like Chase, not solution to Chicago's vast inner city wastelands

It’s a feel good story. Fifth Third Bank announced yesterday a $20 million investment in Chicago’s ravaged South and West Sides under a federal program that uses tax incentives to encourage private investment there. Fifth Third gets $20 million in good publicity, developers get tax incentives…and the South and West Sides will continue to languish. Why? That $20 million is a drop in the proverbial bucket to the many billions the federal government must invest to reclaim the shame of America’s racist history. Enlightened capitalism will never be the cure for 300 years of slavery, white supremacy following Emancipation, and institutional racism which keeps large pockets of poverty, crime and despair entrenched for hundreds of thousands on Chicago's South and West sides. A year ago, Chase Bank announced $40 million for Chicago inner city development. This amounted to under 1.5% of its $27 billion in 2018 net profits. For that Chicago’s dispossessed received 37 small business loans, preservation of 176 mixed income housing units and a college offering associate nursing degrees. We don’t know yet what Fifth Third’s half that amount will bring. But like Chase’s investment, a year later virtually nothing will change for Chicago’s pockets of despair. It was governmental policy and neglect that created the South and West Side ghettos. Only enlightened governmental policy can uplift them. If government can spend trillions on utterly senseless, murderous wars, it can spend the tens, maybe hundreds of billions to eliminate the war zones right here in our own back yard.

Palestinians to suffer same fate at Czechs in ’38?

A good indicator that a state is about to be sold out to a conqueror is when that state is not invited to the sellout. That happened to Czechoslovakia in 1938 when the carving up was attended by the France, Britain, Italy, and the beneficiary of their treachery, Germany, but not the beleaguered Czechs. They sanctioned Germany’s acquisition of Czechoslovak Sudetenland without of word of input from the Czechs. Eighty-two years on the US will participate in a sellout, this time of any meaningful autonomy and sovereignty for the State of Palestine, a nation established in 1988, recognized by 138 countries, but completely occupied and controlled by Israel.

This week President Trump has Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his political rival Benny Gantz, but not the Palestinian leaders to the White House to unveil the US peace proposal for Palestine. Not surprisingly, it gives Israel everything it wants and the Palestinians virtually nothing. How so? The US will continue to endorse full Israeli security and military control over the occupied West Bank. This will continue even if Israel recognizes a Palestinian state as it will not be allowed an army, ever sign a military treaty; even have control over its own borders. That doesn’t sound like a state, just an appendage of the occupier.