War on Terror

I wrote this and submitted it to newspapers and sent it to congressional reps and senators years ago after Iraq was invaded and Congress had proposed a "National Day of Prayer": I believe that the American public and Congress and the President should all be required to sign a similar document before approving the next war -- undoubtedly to be touted as a totally new kind of war which will bear the exact same results...

Declaration of National Responsibility

We, the people of the United States of America, do fully understand that every unspeakable shade and shape of terror, horror, abomination and suffering are not consequences of war but war itself.

We recognize that truth is the first casualty of war.

We, the people, acknowledge that we consciously decided to make war while fully comprehending its nature.

We, the people of the United States, believe that our war is morally justified by our single purpose: self-defense: the destruction of any chemical, biological, and nuclear arms in Iraq in order to prevent an attack upon us with such weapons; we confess that we cannot define victory.

We, the American people, affirm that everything that happens in our war happens on our account. It is our war: we are paying for this nightmare to the tune of seventy-five billion dollars a month. It's our money with our fingerprints on it, and all the grief and pain that it buys is our own purchase and belongs to us.

We, the people of the United States of America, accept the killing of harmless civilians, for this is required of war: the willingness of all commanders to reduce military casualties by ordering or allowing the injury or death of trapped and helpless citizens.

We appreciate that in war uncounted numbers of civilians are purposely or by accident maimed, crushed, wounded, burned, blinded or driven mad.

We, the American people, do clearly foresee the destruction and devastation any war wreaks: hospitals in ruins, lands laid waste, homes burned, businesses made rubble, artwork and libraries sacked, sacred places defiled, roads and bridges made impassible; we know that thirst, hunger, and disease are all integral elements of war.

We, the people, know that war brings chaos: opportunistic acts of revenge, looting, pillaging, vandalization, massacres, mayhem, rape, kidnapping, sabotage, havoc, terror, lynchings, beatings, torture, shootings, lawless savagery.

We, the people of the United States, fully comprehend the degradation and desolation of the human spirit wrought by war: prostitution, separation from families, uprooting of communities, homelessness, bondage, poverty, orphaned children, trickery, thievery, beggary, hypocrisy, suspicion, and rapacious greed in the marketplace -- these too we foresaw.

We, the people of the United States, understand that in waging war a nation becomes far less safe, the object of yet more hatred and envy. This is a war of our own making. We assume that retaliatory assaults provoked by this war will be made upon our own innocent citizens at home and abroad.

We realize that in waging a war a nation's citizens become more fearful: more afraid of more things, more uncertain of the future, more timid in their ventures.

We, the American people, understand that while waging a war a nation becomes less prosperous: the unreliability of government propaganda, the frightful prospect of being attacked, the financial insecurity, and the diversion of money from public works all cause a decrease in travel, the loss of business, lower profits, fewer jobs, less tax revenue, slashed budgets, the demise of community betterment projects, and cuts in government services.

We, the people, know that in the waging of war a nation's people always forfeit some or all of their freedom by government mandate.

We, the people of the United States of America, are aware that war disrupts the status quo, making allies of former enemies: we further understand that when one lies down with dogs, one awakens with fleas.

We also are aware that war makes enemies of former allies, as it demands the sacrifice of old friendships and all the ill-will that sacrifice brings.

We, the people of the United States, harbor no illusions about the predictability of outcomes, tomorrow or generations from now, for such is the character of war.

We, the people, recognize that in a war of invasion, foreign military forces occupy and attempt to govern the subdued nation, and that the longer the occupiers remain the less welcome they are.

We, as Americans, realize that in all wars there are obscene profits to be made, first by making and selling weapons to megalomaniacs, then by supplying wars of disarmament, then by rebuilding after wars and by seizing control of the assets and resources of the conquered nation. We appreciate the fact that often the same men reap profit each step of the way. We realize that such men have government connections when not in the government themselves. This is the beating heart of modern war.

We, the American people, understand that although the Congress alone has the right to declare war, Congress gave that right to the president. We understand that he alone will decide when our war on Iraq is over.

We understand the president has said our war will be over when our general says we have achieved our objective, but that he himself is unable to state what our objective is. We understand that the president has declared "We shall prevail" but we confess that we do not know how we will know when we have prevailed.

We believe that our war is morally justified by our single purpose: self-defense: the destruction of any chemical, biological, and nuclear arms and factories , but we do not know what a paucity of such discovery may imply: Did they never exist? Are they so well concealed they can’t be found? Have they fallen into the wrong hands? If some are discovered, can we be sure that was all? Were components trundled out before the eyes of soldiers by gaily waving "looters"? Have we already won or has all this been for naught? We confess we do not know.

We do not know the cost in dollars, lives, or the goodwill of fellow nations, we do not know how long we will be at war, and we do not know what the goal is, we do not know how to decide that we have won or lost. Such is war.

We do know one true thing: only we, the people, are responsible. Such is democracy.

For all of the death, wounds, sorrow, anger, ruin, brutality and fear, for all of the lies, ignorance, stupidity and insanity, for all of the stinking alliances with evil despots and all the spurned friendships, for all of the rights taken away, for all that is lost and can never be regained -- for all of that, we, the people, are solely responsible.

Amen, and go shopping.

Link Text

You would think with Dubya's ongoing crusade to bring democracy to the heathen masses in the middle east, he would be funding our military so they can do the job he's demanding of them. But fully two-thirds of the active U.S. Army is officially classified as "not ready for combat", The National Guard is in an even more dire situation than the active Army. The Army has almost no nondeployed combat-ready brigades at its disposal. The equipment in Iraq is wearing out at nine times the normal peacetime rate because of combat losses and harsh operating conditions. The total Army, active and reserves, now faces at least a $50 billion equipment shortfall. Since 2001 approx 40,000 members of the military have gone AWOL with approx 27,000 currently residing in Canada awaiting asylum. After failing to meet its recruitment target for 2005, the Army raised the maximum age for enlistment from 35 to 40 in January only to find it necessary to raise it again to 42 in June. The number of Army recruits who scored below average on their aptitude tests doubled in 2005, and the Army has doubled the number of non-high school graduates it can enlist this year. Basic training, which is an important tool for testing the mettle of recruits, has increasingly become a rubber-stamping ritual. Through the first six months of 2006, only 7.6 percent of new recruits failed basic training, down from 18.1 percent in May 2005. Thousands of white supremacists have been able to infiltrate the military due to pressure from recruitment shortfalls. There’s plenty more to the story of course; crappy body armor, inappropriate assignments, medical benefits slashed, encouragement to torture. Considering the dismal condition of our military today, it seems Dubya's crusade to bring good old American values to the middle east could be in jeopardy.

I am an old and not very well informed woman, therefore I have some very serious questions. I was under the impression that Sadam was interested in expanding his reach into Saudi Arabia and therefore controling the vast oil reserves in that area. It is now my impression that is the intention of the terrorists. It is well known that taking over saudi arabia has always been on their adgenda. If we pull out of Iraq or we lose the war what will happen to us and the rest of the world? We could survive without the oil from over there but all of the countries who ship our goods, and produce the materials that we survive on, cannot, most of them are totally dependant on the oil from there. Wouldn't that be the best way to wipe us out? Wouldn't we be dead in the water in very short order if all of the ships that come in and out of our ports daily were suddenly without fuel? Maybe there are answers to this I would be very interested in knowing what they are. Since we are the only super power left in the world, isn't it at least part of our responsibility to help protect the needs of some of the smaller countries? If not wouldn't it be in our own self interest to be sure that the worlds oil supply be protected?

I am an old and not very well informed woman, therefore I have some very serious questions. I was under the impression that Sadam was interested in expanding his reach into Saudi Arabia and therefore controling the vast oil reserves in that area. It is now my impression that is the intention of the terrorists. It is well known that taking over saudi arabia has always been on their adgenda. If we pull out of Iraq or we lose the war what will happen to us and the rest of the world? We could survive without the oil from over there but all of the countries who ship our goods, and produce the materials that we survive on, cannot, most of them are totally dependant on the oil from there. Wouldn't that be the best way to wipe us out? Wouldn't we be dead in the water in very short order if all of the ships that come in and out of our ports daily were suddenly without fuel? Maybe there are answers to this I would be very interested in knowing what they are. Since we are the only super power left in the world, isn't it at least part of our responsibility to help protect the needs of some of the smaller countries? If not wouldn't it be in our own self interest to be sure that the worlds oil supply be protected?

'Since we are the only super power left in the world'

hahahahahhahaha you really think that? I've read your post and I did notice that the only thing you can think off is oil and America.

Let me tell you this, America is nothing without the support of Europe, Asia and the middle east. The only thing you have is a big millitary force. And you use this army to get wat you need, I think you are a good example of the American simple mind.

Simon from Holland (That's in Europe by the way :D)

Like it or not, sometimes you have to fight. I don't care if you are a child on the playground or a woman working your way up in the corporate boardroom, there are some times when you simply have to fight or lose. For our nation this is one of those times. There is no kindly little old lady that is going to come over and insist that we "play nicely." There is no sympathetic liberal judge to whom we may turn for help in facing a unfair labor environment. This is something our nation is going to have to face. We are going to have to face it because it will not go away.
As I stated in my subject line, this war is a good thing. For as long as we did nothing the entire world could drift along in denial of the now undeniable threat militant islam presents to that way of life that is the common experience of Western culture. Imagine, were it not for the 911, intelligent people might possibly excuse the excesses of islamic fundamentalist who long for the tribal simplicity of a world that never existed. Imagine, were it not for video evidence of faithful islamist sawing off the head of a Jewish man or shooting a woman in a cage, thoughtful people might possibly be able to feel some sympathy for those who present the world view of islam as reasonable. If it were not for the senseless acts of violence planned and executed in numerous foreign countries it might be possible for a reasonable man to consider the spokesmen (for there are no spokeswomen) of islam to be worthy of a hearing.
In the same way, if it were not for the overwhelming historical record, all of the above might be applied to the regimes of Hitler or Stalin, Tito, Franco or Sadaam. No intelligent person would argue that Hitler and his evil empire was not evil. While almost any reasonable person would affirm that Stalin was evil, some are uncomfortable describing the former Soviet state as evil. But thought they might be uncomfortable with such a affirmation, the evidence of history drives one to exactly that precise conclusion. Interestingly, Franco was facist. Yet oddly, following the successful conclusion of WWII, the european community so no need to finish the revolution that he destroyed. In hindsight no decent person can say that was a decent decision. Sadaam was no different than any of the foregoing. The only difference is that he was in a position to cause negatively affect America by constraining the oil supply.
Again I believe this war is a good thing. Alone among the nations of the world, America occupies that rare position of being remarkable free. This is something to which most european nations can only aspire. Throughout the rest of the world, that remarkable freedom that is the norm for America is just a dream with little hope of becoming reality. The current American norm of freedom is not the product of a reasonable men coming to a consensus, it is not the result of some intellectual playing with a keyboard. It is a reality made possible by men who refused to be subjects of any man. It is a reality made possible by men who would not accept anything less than citizenship along with those rights and responsibilities that it entails.
Doubtless there are those who take freedom for granted. Many of the nations that comprise the european comunity are numbered among this group. They take even what freedom they enjoy as normative. But they have no idea what exactly must be done if that norm is to continue. They are like the residents of so many nursings homes, shells of what were once vigorous men and women who were not afraid, who preferred to take care of themselves and who refused to be dependent upon anyone.
This war is a good thing for it requires the entire world community to decide if it will retreat into a tribalistic past or live in a open future. The choice is just that stark. The anger of the fundamentalist islamic community is not unlike the quivering of a snake that has just been broken. For they see their way of life coming to an end. They can quiver with anger, but their world view is dying. And when the Western world finally pats the last mullah in the face with a spade, there will be no monument apart from a wet spot where the world has just urinated. The faster fundamentalist islam and its advocates can been helped to exit the world and enter that grave the better. This war is one step toward easing that exit. This war is a good thing.

your attack on a woman meaning well shows your lack of communication and by far if our armies depended on thoughts like yours we would be without oil and everything. why is it we have everything? because we use our army to take it? what have we took from you lately,except your balls? we will survive without you but if you were at my side in war you would not be there tomorrow. When your countries over population of Muslims make you convert or die! do not come crying to us for help you have everything you need.. right?

dear lady if we were the only super power in the world we would need to help regulate the worlds oil supply. Yes we would. We are not the world only super power this is one of the reasons were are at war. the country needing us was, is Iraq they have thugs who claim all the oil and give not to their citizens. these citizens have rights too. they want their share of their countries wealth. we are there to see it gets done. you see they are just a little country not a super power and we have to respect their rights if they did not care, we would not be there, trying to help them. Of course when you help some body you get benefits or so you hope, we hope a lot.
China, Russia, Germany, Japan, Iran, North & South Korea, are somewhat super powers and US. & Canada. Even Israel is a little super power supposed. keep asking your questions some one will share with you what you want to know, sometimes you will need to put up with the insolence of hateful know it all's. sorry for that.. (-:)