It has been many decades since a noble war was fought. There really have been wars that needed to be fought.
I understand why we attacked the Taliban in Afghanistan, and if the christian fundamentalists and their puppets in the republican party were capable of following-up that military action with the appropriate rebuilding to make right what was so wrong, I might actually accept that we attacked Afghanistan. Since we have no intention of doing anything more than letting the Taliban back in power, because fundamentalists adore fundamentalists, then those attacks are just another public relations move to justify a bloated military budget that benefits not the American citizenry but a small number of very wealthy industrialists.
I understand why we attacked Iraq: to regain control of its oil. There is little more reprehensible than killing for natural resources, especially when they are available on the open market.
I know that many want to believe the lies that cloak this war in patriotism, and I know many people can't help it. We've watched too many episodes of Friends, think Court TV is a valid representation of the Judicial branch of our once-noble Republic, and subscribe to the notion that news equals information.
We are all angry about crime, especially international crime, especially the crimes perpetrated against the owners and inhabitants of the World Trade Center, and I know the christian fundamentalists have packaged the war against Iraq as a salve for that anger.
Sadly, the war against Iraq is about neither patriotism nor safety nor retribution. It is about a small number of very wealthy Americans, and their British and Arabian cohorts, making vulgar amounts of money from the equity of our tax dollars and the blood of our youth. They are playing our fear for their profit.
Jews, Christians, and Muslims all build their beliefs on the same theology put forth originally in the Hebrew bible. There are some differences, but in the big picture they are nominal differences. Apologists for each group will go to great and tearful lengths to insist otherwise, but I know I am correct. A mere glance at the timeline of humanity and the development of western civilization will show this, and it doesn't take a doctorate in history to see my point.
Irrespective of how the fundamentalists in each of these religions interpret and justify killing for profit, it is basically still a sin to kill another person. Each of these religions have had (or are having) their crusades and sprees of killing that they justify with tracts from religious writings that allegedly prove it is OK for each of them to kill or enslave their neighbors. This is not new. It is sad, but it is not new.
The conflict I have as a human being, an American, a Christian, and an intellectual is how we can continue to kill while draping ourselves in the mantle of religion. Just in case you have forgotten: it is a sin to kill. The next time a fundamentalist, whether American, European, African or Arabian, whether Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, talks to you about justifying war, please remind them it is a sin to kill. Fundamentalists, however, must distort religion to justify their movements, wars, and profiteering. Fundamentalism of all stripes must be stopped. If fundamentalists are not stopped, they will have us all dead. They will have you obeying commandments and giving your money and support to criminals that steal their way into your government then use your name and money to commit the most mortal of sins.
Our war against Iraq is not about our safety; don't let the fundamentalist whackos currently controlling the United States government convince you of it, either!
Pay attention to the Orwellian information and the contradictions they put forth:
Church Sign Generator by Ryland Sanders.
