I just finished watching and listening to Michael Higgins. Mr. Higgins is a member of the Labour party in West Galway, Ireland. He gave a speech on or around May 20th. This speech was aired tonight on CSPAN. Essentially, he spoke of things that I'd been thinking and saying for over two years, up to right now this very minute. He spoke of his disgust with Ireland for siding with America, with the media and American politicians for putting a PR spin on the prison abuse/torture scandal, and with Colin Powel and others for rushing into a probably unnecessary war with Iraq--and with all of the above people and others around the world, for making sorry excuses and lack of responsibility.

I could not agree with you more, Mr. Higgins, and may God truly bless you for both your clarity of insight, for your civilized human decency, and for your strength to stand up and shout the truth to the rafters. Because of you, I feel less alone in my beliefs. Because of you, I know that the true legacy of democracy is still alive in this world.

We in America keep hearing from our fearless (???) leader tired rhetoric: the "T" terrorism (which replaces communism in such a convenient way, and sadly, sometimes serves as a term for ANYONE who opposes this administration.) Freedom, and democracy....these words are hustled out and paraded in front of the public, every time Bush and his neo-conservative cronies have to make a speech. The words freedom and democracy use to mean something. Now they are put on display, trotted out like cheap prostitutes in a Texas whorehouse.

Bush is clever...he knows many Americans have short attention spans (the dumbing down of America is real...and politically, it works) Therefore our president uses key words in short sentiences, and makes it sound like he's saying something, when really he's just foaming at the mouth most of the time. Attention America: common sense has left the building! Many people have become too lazy to bother getting their news from a variety of sources==especially foreign & independent sources.

Many Americans are fearful of thinking independently...often because the educational system and the media don't challenge them to think that way. These same Americans President Bush, are so insecure, that the only response they have to any challenges to their (often narrow and one=sided) way of thinking, is to yell, get sarcastic, and do some name calling. Their way is the only way, and anyone who doesn't agree with them is labeled: "liberal", or "traitor", "unchristian" or "anti-american." There is an old saying: "he who yells the loudest, is usually the one who knows the least." (Which means the Rush Limbaughs of this world are probably drooling idiots by now.) People like this are afraid, because they are trapped in a box of their own making, a box in which true democracy has no place.

You see, the one real gem of democracy, is the ability to say "NO!" and not get killed, tortured, imprisoned, or censured for it. The ability to say to your government, to the people, "NO, I don't agree," or "NO this is wrong!", without fear of retaliation or retribution. Clearly the catholic church does not belong in a democracy, when they can threaten people who don't vote the way the church thinks it should...and what's really more alarming, I think, is that people are not outraged by this...if Americans truly cared about their precious democracy, they would be picketing the roman catholic church leaders en mass. But they're not.

The American people are not calling for Bush's resignation, or impeachment. In fact SOME Americans are making excuses for what happened at that Iraqi prison. This makes me sick to my stomach! I've heard several politicians and members of the media, trying to lessen the blow, by comparing what happened at the prison, to Saddam's tortures and killings. This is outrageous! It's truly like comparing apples to oranges. I believe that if a nuclear bomb were to wipe out Los Angles, Bush and his neo-conservatives would issue this statement: "well, it looks bad, but bear in mind no one in New York was killed."

Have many Americans become mindless sheep, slaves to their pop culture? Our country's founders HAD to think for themselves. Even the lowliest, illiterate farmer had to think for himself--he had to solve his own problems, and make his own living. Independent thinking in America is an endangered species. Oh sure, we have NPR, CSPAN, BBC, DWN, The Nation, The Guardian, PBS, and others, but too many people are being lazy or are afraid. They can't make the effort to listen to quiet, intelligent conversation. This is how fanaticism begins. People stop asking questions and listening between the lines, and start swallowing shallow rhetoric wholesale. Hook, line, and sinker. The unconstitutional monopolies of American media are every bit a danger to American democracy as any terrorism.

Democracy is in danger from ignorance. It is in danger from unconstitutional religious interference. It is in danger from things that are simply not being said: no one, and I mean no one, in the media has ever mentioned that it was America that put Saddam into power in the first place! And we think we can do better the second time around??? Think, people..think about that, roll it around your mind, like a cherry lifesaver....

Yes, I was against this war. I was against the first Gulf War...I don't' like what Israel is doing--what's next, Egypt??? I don't like what the USA is doing=more Americans have died from lack of medical care, food, and shelter than all the people on 911 100 times over, but we can go overseas and kill hundreds of innocent Iraqi children (did I mention that more than half the population of Iraq is under 18?) and do business with Turkey---who completely and brutally wiped out the entire Armenian population in 1915 and still refuses to admit it publicly, with China--who imprisoned and killed (without protest from us) all the Tienimen Square democratic reformers, a US govt., who even now is doing business with a ruthless dictator only because he (supposedly) is giving up his nuclear weapons program?

Yes I was against this war. And every time I say I'm against the wars, I'm told the same thing: "but you HAVE to support the troops you know." These sheep-people could not separate the two. I did support the troops, but I was against the war. Duh...you can do both you know...you don't have to lump them both together...but nobody could get off their American couch potato butts long enough to sit up and think about that....so finally, I got mad. Then, I took action. The next time someone said to me..."but you gotta support the troops, you know..." I said NO. I won't support the troops, if my only option means that supporting the troops means supporting the war. If I can only do one--support troops/war, or be against the war/troops, if that's the ONLY choice I'm being given by these so=called patriotic Americans...then I go with my heart. My heart tells me this war, and the other one, were wrong! If given these two choices, what choice would you make...could you even make the tough choice, and go with your beliefs?
And the people who call me unpatriotic...tell that to Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the rest....Just saying NO is what they did best, ask any Englishman....

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"Political dissent is the highest form of patriotism." TJ. Thinking is patriotic!

War is not about going in and being nice to everyone,WAR IS ABOUT KILLING YOUR ENEMIES. The resistance fighters killing our sons, daughters, husbands, brothers, aunts, uncles, and sisters do not fear death, if they die they will become a martyr who died valiantly fighting the infidels. They don't fear death, the only thing they fear is humiliation. We must use whatever means necessary to defeat our enemies. If anti-war people would grow a back-bone they would realize that the time we live in does not allow for kindness and tolerance of our enemies. Come out of your fantasy world and start living in the real world.

War is not about being nice, but nowadays there are standards by which nations have agreed to conduct wars. Just because someone doesn't follow the rules doesn't means you are allowed to bend and break the rules yourself.

If you see no need for common respect for your captives, do not expect any for their captives.

My statement was about D-E=M=O=C=R-A=C-Y. It wasn't only about war. It was about the right to object to war. My right, your right, everybody's right, no matter what the reasons are. Without censure! Do you understand, or do you not get it???

You did not state any reasons for your opinions, or any facts to back up your opinions...which leads me to believe that you just like to (*)(*)(*)(*)(*) and complain. Maybe you should try living in a third world country for a while. ..have you been in a war??? Do you like seeing children with their guts hanging out from picking up one of our (illegally dropped in a civialian area) unexploded cluster bomb? Maybe you are so removed from the human race that you've lost the courage to care?

It takes stentgh, honor, anc courage to care. It takes absolutely nothing to not care. This is the truth. You can run away from it and pretend it's not there, but it's still the truth and it won't go away. It's called being a civilized human being. In fact, you sound a lot more like a terriorist, are you?

And further more, your bold caps are considered SHOUTING!!! Don't you dare shout at me. Even livestock has manners. People without manners are beneath even cows. They have left humanity behind. If you can't state your case calmly and rationally, then as far as I am concered, your opinions are compeletly, and utterly without merit. I don't ever listen to shouters, I won't waste my valuable time on people who don't think. (if you are screaming, yelling, shouting, foaming at the mouth, you are definately not thinking.)

NOTICE: If you respond to my postings, don't shout. Only postings by human beings will be read here from now on. I do not mind hearing opposing views, as long as they are at least semi= logical and reasonably respctful. I do not listen to the stupid rude things who's mother's didn't love them enough to teach them manners.

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"Political dissent is the highest form of patriotism." TJ. Thinking is patriotic!

How ironic, you speak of my lack of manners when you say derogatory things about me throughout your post.

Now about my arguements, if you actually knew what Islam is you would realize that radical Muslims do not fear death, they fear being humiliated. We were doing what we had to do in order to defeat the enemy. I am not without honor nor do I not care about others. I just have the sense to realize that honor does not have a place in a war like the one in Iraq. It is sad but necessary that we have to do whatever is needed to defeat our enemies. It is a sad fact that the time we live in does not allow for honorable warfare and tactics if you want to defeat your enemies.

Note: the bold and caps were not meant as a shout, I just wanted to point out the main idea of the post. Sorry.

Even your own President found the actions of the soldiers at the prison disgusting and did not represent the ideals of the US.

Now I might be wrong Asty but I don't think GWB is a puny leftie or lacks a backbone to take the bad guys on, although I may be wrong.

This is a time when it is most important for the US to act with honour and decency. To do anything less is to allow the country to be attacked as hypocritical undermines the moderate Muslim leaders and ensures a constant supply of recruits for the terrorists.

Cheers,

Trot