What if we, the common people, were to fully comprehend this? And act upon that comprehension? What would happen if we were to cut this power supply? By refusing to be manipulated any longer by fear?
Of course we want to have freedom and democracy and security for ourselves and others. Of course we don't want madmen or madwomen running around wreaking havoc all over the world, creating terror because of their own narrow and radical world-views, ideologies, and agendas. (Hmm...)
But if we are not to be considered by history as having been fully suckered by fear into an age of unreason--we must ask ourselves if more and more war is reasonable. If sacrificing more and more lives and money and resources and freedom--for a "freedom" that really isn't, for a "security" that really isn't, for a "democracy" that really isn't--is reasonable. We must ask if it's reasonable to drop more and more bombs, with our names written on them--literally, on thousands and thousands of innocent men, women, and children in foreign lands. If it is reasonable for there to be more and more gain for those few who believe in, profit from, and promulgate war as the only way--a war, by the way, that is fomenting terrorism rather than neutralizing it.
Do we really want this? Or this?
Do we the common people really believe that this is the reasonable way to establish security for ourselves and to advance freedom and democracy and peace for all? Is this the best we can imagine?
And if not, what can we the common people--aside from personally and collectively choosing not to be ruled and controlled by fear, do about it? If we recognize that we have a different kind of fear in common--a justified fear regarding our family, country, and world--what can we do?
For starters: We can demand an end to our illegal occupation of Iraq, and not stop until we achieve it. We can demand true and verifiable election reform. We can demand impeachment. Yes, impeachment. We can demand war crimes trials. We can demand serious media reform. We can demand political reform--including issues regarding campaign finance, getting lobbyists out of our government, and term limits. We can envision a world we the common people want to live in, and we can achieve it.
Yes, the list might seem daunting, especially when we realize it's just a beginning. But if we desire it, and have the will, we can achieve many things together.
After all--unless we allow ourselves to be herded by fear into an age of unreason--it is NOT the leaders of this great country who determine the policy.
Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.
--Franklin D. Roosevelt
Originally Published by Common Dreams on September 3, 2006
Of course we want to have freedom and democracy and security for ourselves and others. Of course we don't want madmen or madwomen running around wreaking havoc all over the world, creating terror because of their own narrow and radical world-views, ideologies, and agendas. (Hmm...)
But if we are not to be considered by history as having been fully suckered by fear into an age of unreason--we must ask ourselves if more and more war is reasonable. If sacrificing more and more lives and money and resources and freedom--for a "freedom" that really isn't, for a "security" that really isn't, for a "democracy" that really isn't--is reasonable. We must ask if it's reasonable to drop more and more bombs, with our names written on them--literally, on thousands and thousands of innocent men, women, and children in foreign lands. If it is reasonable for there to be more and more gain for those few who believe in, profit from, and promulgate war as the only way--a war, by the way, that is fomenting terrorism rather than neutralizing it.
Do we really want this? Or this?
And if not, what can we the common people--aside from personally and collectively choosing not to be ruled and controlled by fear, do about it? If we recognize that we have a different kind of fear in common--a justified fear regarding our family, country, and world--what can we do?
For starters: We can demand an end to our illegal occupation of Iraq, and not stop until we achieve it. We can demand true and verifiable election reform. We can demand impeachment. Yes, impeachment. We can demand war crimes trials. We can demand serious media reform. We can demand political reform--including issues regarding campaign finance, getting lobbyists out of our government, and term limits. We can envision a world we the common people want to live in, and we can achieve it.
Yes, the list might seem daunting, especially when we realize it's just a beginning. But if we desire it, and have the will, we can achieve many things together.
After all--unless we allow ourselves to be herded by fear into an age of unreason--it is NOT the leaders of this great country who determine the policy.
Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.
--Franklin D. Roosevelt
Originally Published by Common Dreams on September 3, 2006
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