Let’s Toast to Ten Good Things About 2007 - Medea Benjamin

[IndyOp]

Let’s Toast to Ten Good Things About 2007
by Medea Benjamin

As we close this year on the low of Congress giving Bush more billions for war, and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, let’s remember some of the year’s gains that can revive our spirits for the New Year. Here are just ten.

1. With the exception of the White House, this has been a banner year for environmental consciousness and action. Al Gore and the scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the Nobel Peace Prize. Green building and renewable energy have exploded. Congress passed the Green Jobs Act of 2007, authorizing $125 million for green job training...

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4. While the war in Iraq rages on, a new war was stopped. The specter of war with Iran loomed large throughout the year, with Washington accusing Iran of killing U.S . soldiers in Iraq and being a nuclear threat. Then in December came the National Intelligence Estimate showing that the Bush administration knew all along that Iran had shelved its nuclear weapons program in 2003...

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6. The Iraqi people have little to celebrate, but there was one important victory for the people this year. Remember how the Bush administration and Congress were insisting that the Iraqi Parliament pass a new oil law? Touted as a way to “share oil revenue among all Iraqis”, the oil law was really designed to transform the country’s currently nationalized oil system to one open to foreign corporate control. But opposition was fierce inside Iraq, especially from the nation’s oil worker unions. In a rare sign of independence from Washington and concern for domestic opinion, the Iraqi Parliament withstood intense U.S. pressure and refused to pass the oil law.

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9. Sometimes a loss is a win. Hugo Chavez had initiated a constitutional referendum that would have, among other changes, scrapped term limits. His immediate acceptance of a razor-thin margin of defeat before all the votes were even counted showed his democratic colors and made it a lot harder for Bush and the corporate media to label him a dictator. Despite the loss, Chavez remains extremely popular, especially among the poor and working class in Venezuela. And throughout Latin America, the historic transformation led by progressive leaders like Chavez continues to blossom.

10. Last but not least, this year saw the resignation of some of Bush’s closest allies in government - Donald Rumsfeld resigned as Secretary of Defense, Alberto Gonzalez as Attorney General, and Karl Rove as Deputy Chief of Staff. Best of all, we can give thanks that we only have ONE YEAR left of the criminal, war-mongering, constitution-shredding, rights-violating, torture-sanctioning Bush Administration! It’s just GOT to get better than this!

So here’s a toast to a green future, diplomacy, and surviving the last throes of the Bush regime. Que viva 2008!

[MasonJar]

1. When reading the comments after Benjamin's article, I noticed negative

vibes regarding this past year. Actually I think that Benjamin acknowledges this by her list of 10; it certainly is not a happy list, but it is one which finds some light peeking through the Bushista mirage of tar.

[Breeze54]

2. Thanks for posting this, IndyOp!

:kick: & Recommended!

[Maat]

3. K & R!

Thanks for the post. Kudos to Medea for helping me look at the bright side.

[Buns_of_Fire]

4. The best thing about 2007: It's over.

[ClayZ]

5. Yup! There is 15 minutes of this year,

on the left coast, and I don't remember a year I was so happy to see end.


K and R

[cascadiance]

7. Damn right!

In addition to all of the BS we had to endure in politics this year, we had fires here in San Diego disrupt things totally for a while, including a reunion I'd looked forward to that was going to be here for old classmates from around the country that was on the following weekend which might have even included Scott Ritter. And one of my very best friends, my cat, passing away the Monday following Thanksgiving, spoiled that holiday too! Wasn't even in to watching the bowl games this year either, with my college team not being in one for the first time in many years. 2007 SUCKED big time IMHO!

I'm certainly hoping that 2008 will be better than the last years of this century, but I'm not holding my breath. We need to do something to head off potential martial law from this idiot in power now, or else 2008 can even be worse than some of the earlier years too. But if congress gets some nads and holds these bums accountable, and we get the right people elected this coming year, it could be a good one to signal better things to come later!

I guess at least they put Brent Wilkes and Tom Kontogiannis in prison this year. No wait, they let Kontogiannis vacation in Greece while waiting for his sentence, and now he's trying to say he should be let off because he had a heart operation too! Things still aren't over until they are over! Thank god 2007 is OVER now!

[sjdnb]

6. This year, like all since 2000 SUCKED

because innocent folks continued to die for a lie, troops included; those who promoted a war to only put dollars in their pockets, continued to put even MORE dollars in their pockets; while the rest of us paid to feed their greed - through our tax dollars.

And, meanwhile, our kids can't afford college; we're losing our homes; the K-12 budgets are being slashed to feed Halliburton's coffers --- etc.

What I can't understand is how 29% of the country is willing to be screwed over, even when they've admitted what they've been led to believe is LIES.