Uncle Sam, what big ears you have!

By François Delapierre

We do not know what is more astonishing. The revelations about the spying on the European Union by the United States intelligence services? Or the surprise this causes among EU leaders? It seems that amid the rhetoric of the unity of the “free world” during the Cold War, prolonged by the idea of the unity of the “West” in the “clash of civilizations”, our dismal European leaders have forgotten that the dominant power in the world has a distinct position to their interests.

Yes the United States is an empire that has an active policy to maintain its hegemony. The naivety of European leaders is either fake, or overwhelming!

Do they really believe that Washington spends half the military budget of the entire planet only on the war on terrorism? Did they believe that the United States imperialism was threatened by Mullah Omar on his moped? The so-called ‘war against terrorism’ is used by the US to enlist these kind of dupes under the Stars and Stripes, and to get its hands on oil, the Achilles heel of the Empire, rather than to eliminate terrorists, who grow ever more numerous after each invasion.

What threatens the US hyperpower is in fact the rise of China or the risk that Russia will recover its martyred status that was imposed by the IMF’s puppet, Yeltsin. Or potentially the European Union, if it  became an independent power and not a NATO protectorate, delivered in turn to the IMF and its policies of mass destruction. It is therefore logical that the Empire has been spying on us, since the Empire is not compatible with the existence of rivals, even if they are allies.

Of course, if the facts do not surprise us, their discovery changes everything. First, the EU cannot remain inert. A sign of further weakness encourages an increasingly arrogant behaviour in our regard. Even in his time, [the hard right former interior minister Charles] Pasqua expelled American spies, who were posing as simple diplomats…. Now, many of our fellow citizens are discovering, to their cost, the behaviour of our “American friend.” They will understand quicker, and better our slogan, “No to an American Europe.”

The work of preparing opinion for the transatlantic free trade agreement is in full swing. Recall how the deal has been sold to us. It will be a mutually beneficial agreement where the balance of power will have no bearing. If Obama has proposed reviving this project it is for our common good … of course! The US system of snooping is probably the equivalent of the transmitter placed in the baby’s room to reassure parents brimming with affection! The attitude of the United States is one more reason to stop negotiations on the transatlantic trade deal.

We must remember that the negotiating mandate remains secret in the name of diplomatic effectiveness. It has not been shared with citizens nor with parliamentarians. In contrast, the US party has had access through the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Yesterday, diplomatic effectiveness justified violating democratic principles. Today, it should be abandoned in order not to upset Uncle Sam? On either side of a wide smile, our American friend has big ears. It also has big teeth.

François Delapierre is national secretary of France’s Front de Gauche (Left Front)

FDG website Monday, July 1, 2013

Translation by Revolting Europe

More on the spying scandal in The Guardian