Still under wraps…

      By Paul Balles,  Posted on » Saturday, October 15, 2011

USS Liberty (AGTR-5) The ship Israel couldn't sink and still can't 40+ years later.

HERE’s a story to contemplate: from a passenger ship everyone can see a bearded man on a small island, he is shouting and desperately waving his hands.

“Who is it?” one passenger asks the captain.

“I’ve no idea. Every year when we pass, he goes nuts,” he answers.

At times I feel like the bearded old man going nuts over the passing ship, with a crew completely missing the point.

Last week in this column I mentioned seven subjects that have been covered up.

The taboo topics included the USS Liberty cover-up, Israel’s nuclear programme, 9/11 truth-seekers’ discoveries, big business corruption, Bush administration crimes, the plight of the Palestinians and murders by un-manned drones.

The last of these seven items has entered the public domain following criticism over the assassination of an American citizen by a remote-controlled drone.

I received several comments and a letter from a reader who indicated a desire to know more about the other topics.

She wrote: “I would love to know more about the obscured issues that deserve more than a passing interest… Could you please send me the websites so that I can educate myself and get to have an idea of what is really going on?”

In the age of Google and other available research tools, the request came as something of a surprise. It shouldn’t have.

Those who find the Internet a treasure trove of answers to almost any question concern ourselves with reliability, not availability.

The best brief answer to the question about where to look is to type the whole question into Google.

If the sites that Google brings up don’t appear to answer your question, reword your query.

Another reader wrote: “Yes, these subjects should be investigated, but it won’t happen.”

He’s right. Unless those of us who believe they should be investigated keep harping on these issues, they will fade away.

Strangely enough, the controversy over murders by unmanned drones forced that issue into the open.

Fortunately, the legality, the morality and the danger of blowback associated with assassinations reached the public arena.

The plight of the Palestinians has received more than usual attention since the Palestinian National Authority decided to petition the United Nations for more complete recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Forced into a corner by the prospect of becoming a one-state apartheid regime, Netanyahu has now agreed to negotiate all issues related to a two-state solution. He’s buying time with words.

Big business corruption has been garnering the best kind of attention to its self-serving oligarchy by demonstrations now taking place in major cities internationally.

With steadfast attention to their goal and public action, the jobless may have found truly rewarding employment.

However, it’s doubtful that the remaining four issues will elicit enough public attention or support to force action or investigations.

The USS Liberty cover-up receives occasional attention from veterans’ groups who usually have more urgent needs and broader concerns demanding their time and energy.

Israel’s nuclear weapons programme will continue under wraps with the US and European Union giving no more than occasional lip service to International Atomic Energy Agency, whose findings they ignore.

Too many of the US government’s present staff were also part of the Bush administration for those guilty of war crimes to be prosecuted.

And despite the plethora of legitimate questions about the 9/11 attacks, the fantasies of some have led to all truth-seekers being dismissed as conspiracy theorists.

But going nuts as the ship passes helps, there are at least three potential rescues on the horizon.