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by Tim Flanagan
Mr. Gates has got to go. His history of abuse during eight presidencies, has established that he is willing to lie to congress, presidents, or the American people to advance his personal agenda.
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Since that fated day, Sept. 11, 2001 ... this nation has been set on a perilous course. Before that date we endured, survived, and prevailed over threats more visceral and immediate than those we face today.
But we had not resorted to overt, unprincipled, “preemptive aggression.” We rejected such action as immoral, unconscienable, illegal, and beyond the pale.
But the “Bush Doctrine,” which proposes that America has some inherent “right” to attack, invade, occupy, or destroy any nation, is an abomination and betrays our most fundamental values and beliefs. Such tyranny flies in the face of our laws, traditions, and values.
The sad transgressions of the Bush/Cheney administration should have been roundly rejected by the Obama administration.
No prosecution... yet
Unfortunatley, this has not been the case. Barack Obama has embraced these unconstitutional claims and seems willing to violate extant US treaties and international law if it fits the purposes of Robert Gates and other hangers-on.
It is time for the American people to move beyond hope to demand real change in America. The misuse of our forces to attack soverign nations who have not attacked us is illegal, immoral, and does not serve this nation well. Since January, our nation has participated in unprovoked attacks on a number of nations. These attacks have precipitated civilian casualties, made untenable situations worse, and sullied our reputation and credibility.
“The New York Times reports that “The outrage over civilian deaths swelled again over the weekend. Hundreds of angry villagers demonstrated ... after an American raid on a village in the province on Friday night. The raid killed at least 16 villagers, including 2 women and 3 children, according to a statement from President Hamid Karzai.” ... Our attack wasn’t in self-defense; the Taliban isn’t massed on our border.
They’d not been indiscriminately lobbing missiles, on a daily basis, into Los Angeles or Chicago or Dallas. President Obama approved the unleashing of the drones, recognizing that there was a high probability civilians would be killed, including women and children.”
If Obama continues this extralegal behavior, our nation will be seen as a rogue state and our current decline will continue unabated. “Karzai warned the killing of innocent Afghans during U.S. military operations was “strengthening the terrorists.”
If we hope to find peace in our time, we must establish a cabinet level department of peace, reject the corporate enforcement tactics of the previous administration, and demand that our leaders in congress and the White house honor the letter and intent of constitutional and civil law. We must rejoin our brothers and sisters as part of a community of civlized nations who reject violence and aggression as first resorts.
Mr. Gates has got to go. His history of abuse during eight presidencies, has established that he is willing to lie to congress, presidents, or the American people to advance his personal agenda. We cannot afford such irresponsible acts. These are tantamount to treason against the state.
The interests of the American people must trump the interests and ambitions of corporate transnationals who may often have little if any loyalty to this nation or our people.
Embrace The Rule Of Law
We need not suffer war. We can restore the peace.
But these goals require that we embrace the rule of law and reject the Bush doctrine of unprincipled aggression, in favor of a more hopeful movements towards international peace, transnational reconciliation, reconstruction, rebuilding, and in time ... we may find redemption for the atrocities perpetrated in our name in recent times.
Tim Flanagan is a Portland writer and teacher, and a facilitator at PeaceResource.org.
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