When I began this blog in 2001, I was appalled by President Bush's headlong rush to an illegal war (we were not in fact under attack). As time wore on and Bush began his assault on the Constitution and any people bold enough to criticize, I believed that "the republic is endangered more by actions of our own government than by those of any terrorist." With the election of a high-minded, compassionate, intelligent man like Barack Obama, my fears have ceased.
"Honor them with peace, not war"
United for Peace
Saturday, May 08, 2004
We have taken a break from the news - the numbing horror of it has finally done what mere exhortations to patriotism could not: shut us up.
But now again, we are forced to speak up.
The degrading treatment of prisoners that was recently revealed is utterly repugnant to the vast majority of Americans and we won't stand for it. The Bush administration knows this, which is why they tried to keep it under wraps.
They also know we wont stand for a killing war. Quick and dirty police action, sure- but a long drawn out war , no way. We all know here in the US we are not fighting to protect ourselves. Most of us understand that the Iraq war has little to do with combatting terrorism; many have come to accept that although the justification for going into it -- getting rid of weapons of mass destruction-- turned out to be a flimsy excuse, it was nevertheless justified by getting rid of that brutal dictator Saddam Hussein. But if we merely replace him with more brutality, as it appear we have done, much to the horror of us at home, the reason and the justification have vanished.
All that is left is naked aggression.
We must all speak out against this! Understand that the Bushies desperately want to win one more election, and by then they will have sewed up power in this country --and the world!-- and the rest will just be about mopping up.
One of the ploys this administration uses to ward off criticism is to brand it "political" as if politics were a bad thing.
Rumsfield, in acknowledging his responsibility for flagrant flouting of the Geneva Conventions by US troops and civilian employees said he would not, however, resign:
It's not legitimate to make "a political issue" out of something that is not relevant to politics, suchs as an office-holder's personal life. But it is the very essence of politics (and democracy, may I add) to make an issue of questions of how the country shall be run and what decisions government makes. What will benefit the public good? How shall we reward those who promote the public good, and what disincentives to those who detract from the public good? Those ARE political issues, to be decided in part by politcal means, ie., elections.
If Rumsfeld has promoted or condoned -- or even merely failed to notice -- these egregious wrongs in an area that was decidely under his scrutiny and control, he has failed on his watch. He has put the American people at the least on the bad side of the rest of the civilized world, and even, worse, in harm's way by arousing a thirsting hatred and desire for revenge among the people we have treated so shamefully.
He must resign. If he refuses to resign, Bush must fire him. If Bush refuses, the American people must fire them both.
Copyright © 2001-03 Pam Shorey
(except the specific sources credited in quotes)
Not in my name
We have taken a break from the news - the numbing horror of it has finally done what mere exhortations to patriotism could not: shut us up.
But now again, we are forced to speak up.
The degrading treatment of prisoners that was recently revealed is utterly repugnant to the vast majority of Americans and we won't stand for it. The Bush administration knows this, which is why they tried to keep it under wraps.
They also know we wont stand for a killing war. Quick and dirty police action, sure- but a long drawn out war , no way. We all know here in the US we are not fighting to protect ourselves. Most of us understand that the Iraq war has little to do with combatting terrorism; many have come to accept that although the justification for going into it -- getting rid of weapons of mass destruction-- turned out to be a flimsy excuse, it was nevertheless justified by getting rid of that brutal dictator Saddam Hussein. But if we merely replace him with more brutality, as it appear we have done, much to the horror of us at home, the reason and the justification have vanished.
All that is left is naked aggression.
We must all speak out against this! Understand that the Bushies desperately want to win one more election, and by then they will have sewed up power in this country --and the world!-- and the rest will just be about mopping up.
One of the ploys this administration uses to ward off criticism is to brand it "political" as if politics were a bad thing.
Rumsfield, in acknowledging his responsibility for flagrant flouting of the Geneva Conventions by US troops and civilian employees said he would not, however, resign:
"Needless to say, if I felt I could not be effective, I'd resign in a minute," he said. "I would not resign simply because people try to make a political issue out of it."--NY Times, 5-8-04
It's not legitimate to make "a political issue" out of something that is not relevant to politics, suchs as an office-holder's personal life. But it is the very essence of politics (and democracy, may I add) to make an issue of questions of how the country shall be run and what decisions government makes. What will benefit the public good? How shall we reward those who promote the public good, and what disincentives to those who detract from the public good? Those ARE political issues, to be decided in part by politcal means, ie., elections.
If Rumsfeld has promoted or condoned -- or even merely failed to notice -- these egregious wrongs in an area that was decidely under his scrutiny and control, he has failed on his watch. He has put the American people at the least on the bad side of the rest of the civilized world, and even, worse, in harm's way by arousing a thirsting hatred and desire for revenge among the people we have treated so shamefully.
He must resign. If he refuses to resign, Bush must fire him. If Bush refuses, the American people must fire them both.
Palema
8:06 AM
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Copyright © 2001-03 Pam Shorey
(except the specific sources credited in quotes)
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