Once again our military is engaged in a war. Once again under the same premise as it was 12 years ago. And once again, the benefit of humanity is at stake.
Where have the ideals gone that we value and what have learned since September 11th?
The US government with the backing of Great Britain, Spain and help from a list of third world nations, are attempting to once again “rid the world of a threatening regime” who hold weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. At least these are the lies that are fed to the American public.
Who will we bomb next? Great Britain has weapons of mass destruction. So does Spain. So does Germany, France, Pakistan, India, North Korea, China, Russia and lists of other politically dominant countries. And so does the US itself. If that’s the real issue here, than we got a lot more work to do to eliminate nuclear arms not just in Iraq.
The reoccurring hypocritical excuses told to the world by the US government is nothing new. In the Vietnam war, the excuse was that Vietnam was a Communist country that was threatening the peace of the world. In reality, Vietnam was a Communist country that favored independent development and ignored the interests of foreign investors. Fearful of this movement spreading to the rest of Southeast Asia, and losing potential strong financial investments, the US led one of the longest and bloodiest wars in history in order to distinguish this potential risk...And eventually reestablishing its foreign interests.
Since when was being a strong independent nation such a bad thing? Isn’t that what America was based on, but yet it only pertains here and not to the rest of the world?
And yet here we are involved in a similar situation, but Iraq has something Vietnam didn't, it has OIL. A rich resource with a quick return.
To fight a war under the excuse that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, supports terrorism, is controlled by a man who only has his interests at stake and who was not put into office not by the nations people sounds awfully familiar to me....The US is guilty of all of these things (see School of the Americas and Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Co-operation, the US’s terrorist training school in Georgia).
George W. Bush and his fellow cronies may not be considered ‘brutal dictators” however, to preemptively attack a weaker nation reeks of an act that should fall under the charge of a war crime and risking the stability of the world. What if Pakistan preemptively attacks India? Or what if North Korea (being another one on the list for the Bush administration) preemptively attacks the US? Just what exactly are the lessons being taught here?
Although Saddam Hussein is not necessarily a nice, pleasant man, one must question the truth behind an act so vicious and selfish as a preemptive war, that it would indeed risk the lives of millions of innocent people who do and don’t agree with Bush administration.
Is it not obvious that George JR. is cleaning up the mess his father never finished? Is it not obvious that George, who is a Texas Oil tycoon and was bought, not brought, into power by major industries such as the oil industry, is involved in a conflict solely to control one of the worlds most sought after resources?
The absurd excuses these people give to the world to inflict war on another country must be called out. The real criminals of this conflict must be brought to justice. A regime change needs to happen in more places than just Iraq.
As it is important to support the troops, it is also important to think about what exactly you are supporting by making such a statement. Do you support the killing of people? Do you support the military actions the troops are engaged in? Are the lines clearly drawn between supporting life and supporting death? It is important to support life and the human race and the progression of people as one. And In that case yes, supporting the safe return of the troops is a trait that should indeed be valued.
Sometimes I like to daydream and think that the US government would have learned a lesson about its foreign policy after the events of 9/11. The US government spends billions of dollars every year to destroy, overthrow, and/or assassinate either publicly or not, foreign political systems and leaders that are threatening to the dollar in the already inflated pockets of the US leaders. Meanwhile, the real atrocities of the world such as disease, hunger, and homelessness, to name a few, get bypassed as helping or curing these problems offer no immediate or short-term return on the investment. People in these countries and even within the US, while still suffering, become angry, become restless,become resentful, and get tired of being controlled by a government that has one goal in mind...financial gain and supremacy. Where do some people turn? Well some don’t do anything. Some try to become more politically involved and join activist groups or organizations. Some may turn to writing, creating art and music as means to express their opinion. And some may feel that the only chance they have at doing anything is by involving themselves in terroristic means. I nor the rest of BSF agree or stand behind using terroristic means, but it is necessary for us as people to realize the cause and effect that US foreign policy has on the world and the major potential that another terrorist attack may be fueled by the US’s current military involvement.
Each day is a struggle just to keep the hope and spirit of compassionate revolution alive, but we must not give up the fight. We need to educate ourselves, humanize ourselves, and protest when we feel there is wrong in the world. To protest your beliefs in the hope that it will one day bring about positive change is the most patriotic act we can do as a race and as a people.
Protest is Patriotism.
