The
Power Of The Truth And
The Power Of The People
Are Synergistic
By Kevin Zeese
15 September, 2007
Countercurrents.org
Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave
When First We Practice to Deceive
This war started on a pack
of lies and continues with more lies piled on. To end this war we must
break the tangled web of deceit with the truth.
The lies of Petraeus are
so obvious as we see the failure in Iraq every day. They are so obvious
I’m not going to use my limited time to dissect them here but
I will express amazement at the regard the Congress, especially the
Democrats, showed to someone practicing such obvious deception.
President Bush is perhaps
the boldest deceiver – calling a country we are occupying our
“ally,” and claiming the draw down of troops is due to success,
rather than admitting it is to relieve an exhausted military that is
fighting a failed occupation.
Bush’s lies have gotten
bolder and bolder as Congress fails to exercise their constitutional
duty to impeach this president who defines ‘high crimes and misdemeanors.’
But let’s talk about
some more difficult truths – about the situation we face as a
country, as a peace movement and as citizens.
What is it in our culture
and politics that makes Bush possible?
What is it that makes Hillary
Clinton the front runner – despite being wrong on the war and
deeply indebted to the corporate powers and the right wing pro-Israel
lobby that wanted this war and wants a war with Iran?
What is it that makes Barak
Obama a peace candidate to some – even though he voted to fund
this war, would consider a military attack on Iran, would use the military
in Pakistan without that government’s approval, and is advocating
an expanded military by 100,000 more troops? Sen. Obama is not peace
candidate.
My fellow Americans, we are
living in a manipulated democracy where corporate-militarists rule.
We must remember the role Halliburton and the oil industry play in making
occupation pay for war profiteers.
But, we are not powerless.
Those in power know they lack the support of the American people and
are forced to manipulate elections and the media to keep control. They
are forced to use the power of police and the courts to try and suppress
demonstrations like these. Is everyone aware that a SWAT team was used
to arrest those posting flyers for this rally? And $35,000 in fines
have been levied for legally placed posters? The establishment shows
they fear the power of the people. Their actions demonstrate that we
do have the power to end this war.
How can we use the power
we have, to stand and face our situation – one of life and death
– for our country and our world?
Let’s make the truth
viral. Stay fully informed. Visit DemocracyRising.US and get our weekly
newsletter to stay aware of the latest news from our nation’s
capital and from Iraq which you can share with friends, neighbors, family
and colleagues. Become a virus of truth by being fully informed and
spreading the word.
Let’s use our economic
power – to support peace groups that stand strong on war and peace.
Let’s use our economic
power to create a new economy one that is not oil-based, but green and
sustainable; when we do we will weaken the military industrial complex
and no longer fight wars for oil.
Let’s use our economic
power to boycott those who profit from or support war.
Use our economic power for
mass walk-outs from work – for an hour, or a day, or longer.
And, our political power.
Yes, the system is stacked against us but we have power - more power
than we realize because it is mostly untapped.
Our political power is not
just in voting, the peace movement has the power to shut down this Congress,
to shut down this city – the modern Rome – if we are organized
enough and fearless enough to do so.
As voters we must first organize
as peace voters. Sign the voters pledge at Voters For Peace.US –
say you will only support peace candidates by signing the peace pledge
at VotersForPeace.US.
We cannot compromise on the
issue of life and death, war and peace or the survival of our planet.
These are issues of no compromise.
Those who recognize the importance
of peace cannot use their votes for those who compromise on these life
and death issues.
Not only should peace voters
refuse to give their vote to war wafflers, we cannot give our money
or our time to them. Indeed, we should give our money and time to insurgents
who challenge the corporate-militarist parties from within and more
importantly to greens, libertarians and independents who oppose the
corporate-militarist parties.
If we want to end militarism
we must use our electoral power to end militarism.
If the people want to take
back their government it begins with us – us insisting on what
we want. In the next election, you cannot waste your vote on candidates
who disagree with you on the fundamental issue of war and peace. Voting
for war wafflers is a crime of democracy – because you have been
manipulated to vote for what you don’t want.
Recognize your power, do
not fear your power, use your power – when we use our power than
power will return to the people, the government will return to the people
and war will become an embarrassment of history.
Kevin Zeese is
the Director of VotersForPeace.US and DemocracyRising.US.
A speech given by Kevin Zeese at the September 15th peace demonstration
in Washington, DC.
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