Tuesday, June 27, 2006
June 27th 2006
What happened to us?
We used to be the good guys. America, the world's cavalry charging in to save some poor SOB's who were being picked on by the big meanie.
Then we began to believe in something called the "Domino Effect" and wham! Vietnam. Noriega tells the CIA he doesn't want to play any more so we toss him into a bottomless pit and forget about him. We sell arms to BOTH sides of the Iran/Iraq war hoping they'll just beat the crap out of each other. THEN get bent when Saddam uses the weapons and the technology we sold him to start the Gulf War...Yes THE Gulf War, those years inbetween George I and George II were an aberration. And to top it off we feel we have the right to imprison and torture those who simply disagree with us.
The most disturbing thing about all this is that the only thing its accomplished is that we as a country have gone from everybody's best bud to the kid from the rich family that nobody wanted to hang out with inspite of the fact that he had a pool, a cool car and a hot sister because he was such a raging asshole.
I worry about the world we are leaving our kids. Instead of bringing everybody together and saying "hey, space is getting tight on this little blue/green ball and we got to get along or there won't be nobody left to shut the door"
We go around pointing fingers at the way other people worship or live or what they have or don't have and tell them that they had better fall in line with us or else.
Now, I undertstand that there is a time and a season for everything, even force. But except for Bosnia and Darfur, it hasn't been the time or the season since 1945.
What the politicos here and the world over don't seem to get is that people are fairly simple; they want to make money, spend money (for both necessary and fun things) and be left alone. Because if left alone, 98 percent of the world's population will go about their happy lives.
The other two percent?
That's when we step in. But it doesn't require a massive military, nuclear weapons, or hideous prisons on small islands that strip away every shred of human dignity.
Just the concern and gentle persuasion of the other 98 percent.
I have signed a petition that Amnesty International has demanding our government close the doors on the most hideous desecration of human rights on our soil since civil rights or perhaps even slavery...Guantanamo
(with much respect and much apologies to Civil Rights leaders, but they were at least charged with a crime when they were illegally arrested and jailed)
I hope you guys do the same.
Peace,
R
What happened to us?
We used to be the good guys. America, the world's cavalry charging in to save some poor SOB's who were being picked on by the big meanie.
Then we began to believe in something called the "Domino Effect" and wham! Vietnam. Noriega tells the CIA he doesn't want to play any more so we toss him into a bottomless pit and forget about him. We sell arms to BOTH sides of the Iran/Iraq war hoping they'll just beat the crap out of each other. THEN get bent when Saddam uses the weapons and the technology we sold him to start the Gulf War...Yes THE Gulf War, those years inbetween George I and George II were an aberration. And to top it off we feel we have the right to imprison and torture those who simply disagree with us.
The most disturbing thing about all this is that the only thing its accomplished is that we as a country have gone from everybody's best bud to the kid from the rich family that nobody wanted to hang out with inspite of the fact that he had a pool, a cool car and a hot sister because he was such a raging asshole.
I worry about the world we are leaving our kids. Instead of bringing everybody together and saying "hey, space is getting tight on this little blue/green ball and we got to get along or there won't be nobody left to shut the door"
We go around pointing fingers at the way other people worship or live or what they have or don't have and tell them that they had better fall in line with us or else.
Now, I undertstand that there is a time and a season for everything, even force. But except for Bosnia and Darfur, it hasn't been the time or the season since 1945.
What the politicos here and the world over don't seem to get is that people are fairly simple; they want to make money, spend money (for both necessary and fun things) and be left alone. Because if left alone, 98 percent of the world's population will go about their happy lives.
The other two percent?
That's when we step in. But it doesn't require a massive military, nuclear weapons, or hideous prisons on small islands that strip away every shred of human dignity.
Just the concern and gentle persuasion of the other 98 percent.
I have signed a petition that Amnesty International has demanding our government close the doors on the most hideous desecration of human rights on our soil since civil rights or perhaps even slavery...Guantanamo
(with much respect and much apologies to Civil Rights leaders, but they were at least charged with a crime when they were illegally arrested and jailed)
I hope you guys do the same.
Peace,
R
# posted by Unknown @ 4:00 PM 
