Politics, society and Faith from a Christian liberal prospective. We believe that we can all accomplish great things in the world if we can just get past the lust of the powerful and the fear of the comfortable.
I hate using the fear word but its going to be prominent in ’08. Fear of Iran, Al Qaeda, terrorists everywhere among us, immigrant hordes, liberals and worst of all taxes.
I have hope that none of it will work; Hope that the best Democrat will win the nomination; Hope that this Democrat will be president; Hope that war crimes will be on the road to justice; Hope that the fascist threat from the right-wing will be left in the dustbin of history.
Torture provides nothing positive, it only destroys, both the victim and all who come in contact or support of it. . Psychologist: Gitmo detainee to be released is 'broken into pieces' David Edwards and Jason Rhyne Published: Friday December 28, 2007 http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Gitmo_detainee_faces_psychological_struggle_after_1227.html . Direct from Guantánamo Bay March 27, 2007 Jumana Musa Advocacy Director for Domestic Human Rights and International Justice http://www.amnestyusa.org/waronterror/reportonhicks.html . David Hicks pleads guilty on one count. AI observer attends arraignment at Guantánamo http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=ENGAMR510522007 . His confession was the result of torture and ill-treatment making it completely invalid. We are also expected to take the word of only his military accusers. This was a highly unconstitutional, immoral and again it must be stressed a completely un-American exercise in shame with much more in likeness to the old Soviet Union, China, or any other authoritarian government. . Justice delayed and justice denied? Trials under the Military Commissions Act(PDF) http://www.amnesty.org/en/alfresco_asset/04466604-a2cd-11dc-8d74-6f45f39984e5/amr510442007en.pdf . Close Guantanamo! Amnesty Speaks Out
. Once we believe that torture is okay, that we're still pure and clean and good for having accepted it, we open ourselves up to many evil embraced horrors of our own making. We already believe in pre-emptive war and collateral damage without a conscience thought, for even a moment of the results of our actions. . picture from: Amnesty International Volunteers http://www.amnesty-volunteer.org/
The assassination of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto highlights the folly of Neocon policy in this region.
.
When we disserted the people of Afghanistan and our troops who fought and died there in favor of an ill-conceived oil war in Iraq we aided in the situation that manifested itself as a murderous attack on the hope of democracy in nuke armed Pakistan.
It doesn’t matter who we think is responsible or who benefits as much as it matters who the people of Pakistan believe who is responsible and our response to them. .
The Cheney/Bush administration screwed the Afghanistan people and our troops who were fighting the terrorists who really did attack our country on 9/11 by running away from the ‘war on terror’ hijacking it for neoconservative desires in Iraq and at home.
.
The Taliban is regaining strength in Afghanistan. Osama Bin Laden is still free and in charge of Al Qaeda which is gaining strength and free reign in western Pakistan. We can’t do anything to curtail their growth because we are bogged down in Iraq while seriously running down the morale and readiness of our military. Our continuing occupation of Iraq is harming us while allowing Al Qaeda to grow in organization, strength and territory to be able to set up training camps along with a platform to attack us.
.
General Pervez Musharraf is a military dictator who acquired power by way of a coup. He’s just the latest example of ‘our dictator in the pocket’, at least until it all falls apart. Human Rights in Pakistan are horrendous, they have weapons of ‘mass destruction’, those who would attack us are educated, harbored and trained within their borders, and bin Laden is protected there.
.
So we are stuck with a dictator with the Bomb, pointed at India, facing a Taliban-like insurgency that will have the Bomb, pointed at whomever, if they launch a successful coup. There is general dissatisfaction and protest among the population who Musharraf abuses for his own power-lust.
.
The ‘declare success then cut and run’ tactic employed by the Bush administration in Afghanistan so we could engage in their dirty little occupation in Iraq has left this area of the globe much more unstable. And were left coddling another human rights violating dictator for short term gain hoping he will do for us what we should have done ourselves.
.
If we know where Bin Laden is we should get him regardless of what Musharraf might say but to launch any military attack against Pakistan after the mess which was made in Iraq would be fool hardy at best especially with this current group we have occupying the Whitehouse.
.
The next administration is left with diplomacy with human rights as its cornerstone. In all international dealings most feel that our national interests should be first and foremost. But when we side with a dictator against the best interests of the countries own citizens it always does them and us a great disservice.
The most threatening country to world piece, besides our nations threats on Iran, is Pakistan. If our little dictator ally falls to extremists we will have a radical Islamic government with the 'Bomb'.
Makes you wonder what they have planned for us if they view Musharraf's response to a puplic rising up peacefully against a military dictator as acceptable.
.
Zardari rejects claim of al-Qaida link to Bhutto's murder Declan Walsh in NauderoTuesday January 1, 2008
. The real threat is the existence of conditions which allow terrorism to grow within third world countries, such as poverty, ignorance, lack of adequate health care and human rights.
.
Those are the conditions which exist under the rule of self-serving dictators. The seeds of terrorism are sown in this environment and gradually grow to maturity. The mistake we make is that once terrorism rears its ugly head in a country, we support the dictatorship even more, thereby losing the trust and respect of the average citizens in that country.
.
Someone in the United States might say, "How can anyone choose an extremist form of Islam over democracy?" But if America supports your leader and you’re living on a dirt floor while your baby is dying and your brother is rotting in prison because he spoke his mind, you might think, "How could radical Islam be any worse than the way I have it now?".
.
If we wish to stop the rising tide of terrorism we must stop supporting or tolerating dictators and let the people of the country know this. At the same time we must encourage and help growth in the economy, education and human rights of these countries and not the military weaponry of tyrants.
.
War is a poor answer to a human problem; a diplomatic problem. Don’t let the militaristic neoconservatives lead you to believe the only road to peace is by the gun. They are wrong.
.
The threat and fear of radical fundamentalist Islam is morphing into a paranoid dread of all Islam.
“In Germany, they first came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist....
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.....
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist....
Then they came for the Catholics
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Catholic....
Then they came for me –
and by that time there was nobody left to speak up.”.....
Martin Niemoller
I hate using the fear word but its going to be prominent in ’08. Fear of Iran, Al Qaeda, terrorists everywhere among us, immigrant hordes, liberals and worst of all taxes.
