I opposed the war on Iraq. But, I support our troops, for they did not make the
decision to make war.
My opposition to the war in Iraq has nothing to do with opposing the liberation of
Iraqi citizens, or with the expulsion of Saddam Hussein and his regime, or the fight
against terrorism. I am one who believes that war is sometimes appropriate and necessary.
My opposition to the war has everything to do with being unable to trust the leadership
of an administration that does not hesitate to lie to the American people in order to
manipulate us.
Americans were erroneously caused to believe that Iraq had participated in the attacks
on 911, and that Iraq presented an imminent threat to the United States. Both of these
premises were false, but the media's polls and, in many cases, clear bias for the Bush
Administration agenda repeated and repeated the rhetoric of the Bush Administration until
Americans believed the lie.
As Bob Graham and Russell Feingold both have said, there have been no intelligence
reports, in public or in secret sessions, which suggest that Iraq had anything to do with
the attacks on September 11, 2001.
We were shown supposed evidence that Iraq attempted to acquire nuclear materials in
Nigeria. Our own intelligence agencies said the documents were amateurish forgeries.
But, the Bush administration continued to tell you that the documents proved Iraq's
actions displayed an imminent threat.
Americans believed the lie that the Bush Administration had been patient when persuing
its policies in the United Nations as well. Those who remember the 1991 Gulf War might
recall that it required approximately 6 months to build up the forces necessary to repel
Iraq from Kuwait. The time spent in the U.N. was a media show to incite fear in the
American public, using a delay and deceive strategy while they implemented their ulterior
motives.
These motives were not a response to 911 or the threat of terrorism. It was a
plan clearly known of and endorsed by key members of the Bush Cabinet, including Paul
Wolfowicz and Donald Rumsfeld dating back to 1996. It's called the Project for a New
American Century. This plan and intent was never mentioned in the Bush Election
Campaign in 2002.
Now, as (2) so-called mobile biological weapons facilities have been located in Iraq
without bilogical evidence of use to manufacture biological weapons, the administration
says it is proof that Iraq has had a biological weapons program. But when? How many years
ago?
The video and reports you've heard on certain news channels boast exclusives regarding
Dr. Germ's test of biological weapons - in particular, anthrax - but what is only
mentioned briefly is that these tests were done before the 1991 Gulf War.
I have a problem with leaders who lie to citizens in order to manipulate them. Go
figure.
It's very similar to the case of Viet Nam. Back then, they accused anyone who
opposed the war as being unpatriotic and obstructive. They claimed that those
opposed to that war disgraced out troops. In the beginning, I did not oppose that
war.
And then, the truth was told. And I, like many others, became the opponent of a
war promoted by the lies of my government. Lies that led to many covert atrocities,
including the use of Sarin gas in Southeast Asia.
Viet Nam veterans rightfully claimed that they did not receive deserved honor for their
service when they returned to our homeland. But that was not due to dishonor heaped
upon them by citizens like me who came to oppose that war.
It was caused by the government's desire to cause the truth of Viet Nam to fade away
from the public conversation, as if to sweep it under the rug so that we citizens would
simply forget about our government's deception.
When I finally discovered the truth about the Viet Nam war, I made a promise to myself.
That promise was simple: it was to seek the facts before making up my mind about
issues, particularly when so much rhetoric is cast about that causes divisiveness and
hostility amongs us for one purpose: to manipulate us into believing political lies.
It's the simple strategy "Divide and Conquer" at work. And those in the
government, and certain biased media veterans do it very, very well... for their benefit,
but to the detriment of the United States as a whole.
Questioning your government is neither unpatriotic or paranoid, it's a
responsibility. History has provided us example after example of deceptions by our
government. I am not suggesting a purely cynical or untrusting approach to the
issues of the day or our leaders.
I am simply suggesting that, as you may have noticed in your day to day life, that you
acknoweldge that people who are granted authority sometimes get "a little too big for
their own britches". They do things, they take liberties with the law that they
have no right to claim. They believe that the ends justify the means.
There is great wisdom to Lord Acton's words: Power Corrupts. Absolute power
corrupts absolutely.
That phrase is applicable to every form of leadership, and the United States government
is no exception. That fact has been proven time and time again.
