Comrades, Well, it looks like we'll be going to war again. We predicted it long ago; suspending civil-rights in the name of national defense to secure our nation's strength over all the nations of the world. Bush calls it "Good versus evil", I call it the arrogant versus the desperate, either way the taking of innocent life will not solve the threat of international terrorism nor will bring any other sollutions to modern problems, but it does serve as a keen excuse to boost the U.S. economy through military Keinsianism with another war. Patriotism has somehow become bastardized to somehow mean chauvenism and arrogance in U.S. wealth, support for U.S. hegemony and other superficial qualities of "greatness", not pride in the ideals the U.S. was founded upon and supposedly represents. No matter, the "patriots" are already silencing dissenters and those who protest the killing of more innocent people in Afghanistan just like they did during WWI, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. We are seeing this already in the revoking of the War Powers Act, suspension of more "inalienable" civil-rights and legislative discussions of legalizing "state sponsored" assination of rival political factions. Never mind reason, logic, peace or compassion. To the United States, peace means killing the world to be kings of the graveyard. One day soon people waving the American flag using slogans like "national defence", "national interest" and "patriotism" will start rounding folks like us up until there's no one left to protest, just like they've been doing around the world for the past 56 or so years, but that will no longer do. Now they've brought it home. It reminds me of what Pastor Martin Nielmoller wrote during the fascist's rise to power in Europe before WWII. Only this time they're going after the Arabs and Muslims. 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 was a Protestant. Then they came for me - and by that time no one was left to speak up. -Pastor Martin Niemöller Will we speak up now before it's too late? God knows I will. Josh _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp