Combat Boots (revised)

i walk for miles, my boots are wearing thin
i dont know where im going, but i wont go back to where ive been
out in the desert, under the blazing sun
i though id found salvation, in the barrel of a gun
you swore to me, the my body you did need
for god and king and country, so that others might be free
what you meant was, to fill your coffers full
and the tax we paid, was out everlasting souls
late at night, as im lying in my bed
im forced to think of all the friends, ill never see again
why they had to die, i doubt ill ever know
but im done taking orders, from you generals and cos

ill march for miles what ill find i couldnt tell
but anything is better then your everlasting hell
ill walk forever till i find my way home
i dont know what ill find there but it wont be a dog and pony show
and ive said it so many times before
im not your soldier anymore
no im not your soldier anymore
i said im not,
your soldier anymore...

Veterans Day

Today marks one of the biggest shams in modern day America. It's the day that the population pretends to give a damn about the veterans who have given everything. Stores throw sales. You can buy a cheap car. Spend, spend, spend, spend, spend.

Right...

Support the VA, IVAW, and the military project today instead of buying a new TV. Vets deserve more then the cheap parlor tricks of politicians and parades.

Lost Hope and Found Need

I think I'm going to go to Utah and tell them that they _must_ abide by my religious (or lack thereof) standards. I'll forbid churches _and_ non same-sex marriage. All in the name of 'freedom' for only myself.

Any faith I had left in humanity in this state is gone. The next time a Californian tries to tell me that they are 'liberal' or 'progressive' or anything even remotely like that I may just break their nose.

Obama won in landslide.

Justice lost by about 5%.

Fuck this state. Seriously.

A Good Day

I've been thinking a lot lately about why I do what I do. Why I fight. Why I yell. I yearn for something better in life. For myself. For everyone. Yet, at the root of it all, when you really get down to it; every day alive is a damn good day.

Rest easy friends.

Saber Pride

Disecting the Hate

Watching Bill O'Reilly talk is, to me, an educational experience. Before the second part of his interview with Senator Obama he called the AP and NBC left wing and dishonest and biased. He also refused to acknowledge that he had been shouting at the senator. He did this all with a self righteous air to him that one would imagine the pope must have.

Watching someone like that complain about media bias is entertaining but disturbing. It serves as a prime example of manipulation by the media on an almost 1984 level. Even more so when you consider what they say.

"We went into Iraq to liberate the people and get rid of Saadam"

"We have always been at war with Eurasia"

What's worse is how many still don't seem to know that both quotes are a matter of pure fiction.

These shows, networks, et all; they pander to the anger and fear in people. A recent study found that people who startled easily were more likely to vote Republican. No surprise to me. People are angry, and they should be. There is an awful lot to be angry about. However, there anger becomes misplaced as a result of people like O'Reilly telling them they should.

A guest on the show called people offended by racism 'pansies' in front of his ten year old son. The anchors encouraged his behavior. I couldn't help but be reminded of the man who took it upon himself to insult me and, ironically, call me ignorant (fucking ignorant actually) in front of his teenage son at a small demonstration by a recruiting station not long ago.

They are teaching there children to hate.

And for some reason so many people seem to think that it's perfectly ok.

Final note. Remember when Hannity flipped out on air? He was trying to convince the audience (and maybe himself) that the economy was great. I don't question in the least that if I were to turn on his show tonight he would be saying that we could have seen this coming a mile away and all the Democrats fault.

We have always been at war with Oceania

RELEASE THE RNC 8 NOW!!!!

aside from the obvious fact that all 800 some odd protesters arrested should be released immediately and on charges dropped I'm going to focus on the RNC 8. Eight members of the welcoming committee who are being charged with terrorism.

I have said it before and I say it here again. Every day that goes by brings us closer and closer to a true police state. We find ourselves now in a situation reminiscent of the May Day massacre several decades ago. Where people who were either not present or not able to carry out the attack were charged and convicted of the murders of police officers killed when a bomb was thrown.

These are the times we find ourselves in.

When to utter the word anarchist is to be immediately looked down upon by even the so called liberals as condemnable. Blamable.

We will not be blamed. We as a whole will not be blamed because we didn't do anything wrong. As an anarchist I call for non-violence in all but the most harrowing of situations. Of course if a police officer is about to kill somebody I think someone ought to step in but short of those circumstances individual acts of violence are to be frowned upon.

Those arrested committed no acts of violence.

They weren't there.

This is our May Day.

One of those arrested was tortured with tasings, beatings, and chemical weapons for asking for food as he had not eaten in over 12 hours.

This is how the police in our country deal with dissent.

One of the few industrial countries to officially sanction the use of torture.

This is our May Day

These injustices are being ignored by the media at large.

These problems don't fit neatly into there sound bytes about how everything is ok except everything's not ok and make sure your scared enough to wave the flag.

And sing the anthems.

And call for victory in the war on a definition and a word.

'I declare war on ignorance, let's occupy the senate!'

This can't be won.

It's not meant to be won.

It's hardly able to be called a war because in a war two armies or more fight each other.

Not one army and a world of civilians.

This is our May Day.

It's getting to be about that time.

Revolution never felt so close.

Unwarranted violence is never ok.

But when it's to defend yourselves no man or woman or child should be able to stand in your way.

I defend myself today

This is my May Day

Peace and Unity

Take that Asshole!

Well in case any of you missed it or haven't heard about it by now a member of IVAW, Adam Kokesh, rocked the RNC during McCain's speech by shouting... well something, it was hard to hear, and raising a banner that read "McCain Votes Against Vets."

The mainstream media has been ignoring the massive protests going on outside the convention in St Paul but they sure as hell didn't ignore this one. Several of the news stations even zoomed in on him and clearly showed both the banner and his Iraq Veterans Against the War t-shirt.

According to an interview he gave shortly after being released by the police he said that a Ron Paul supporter was the one who gave him the guest pass.

Sweet...

Peace and Unity

This Is What A Police State Looks Like!

It's expected at protests like those happening at the RNC that people will get arrested. Many who attend know that risk and take it. It's not ok that false arrests are made but at least they normally target protesters and only at the protest site. The police in St. Pual have really crossed the line now.

The arrest of Amy Goodman and other journalists along with bloggers and photographers is beyond reprhensible. I'm not saying that they have more rights then protestors do but sometimes protestors break the law commiting civil resistance. It happens and arrest is expected. A journalist should not be expecting arrest. They are not breaking the law or demostrating or doing anything else to deserve being held other then maybe holding opinions that differ from the ruling class.

Likewise the raids on private property are out of line even more. Plenty of people have a lot to say about the occupation and the goverment and the sorry state of affairs that is the police state we live in these days. Most of those people don't face having there homes raided by police for doing nothing other then talking about being angry. The homes were raided BEFORE the protests really began. They didn't do a damn thing.

Over 290 arrests have been made according to the last reliable statics I saw. Several of them are being charged with crimes ranging from obstruction to, get this, felony riot. Felony riot! You have got to be fucking kidding me! I was unaware that when police start attacking you it means your rioting.

You know what?

Fuck the State. Fuck the Police. Fuck the Ruling Class.

By the way, handy as google analytics is I have knowledge that my site is read by people accessing computers at the Department of Veteran Affairs in Washington D.C. So if you cronys of the state are reading this now then Fuck you too.

DNC Let Down

Another convention gone and done and another moment of history ignored by both the media and the politicians. At the moment I have nothing more to say being too disappointed to really form the words. Coming up though will be a comprehensive plan for a campaign of direct action I am calling 'Break the Chains.' Our voices will not fall on deaf on ears much longer for we as a people will make them listen.

Peace and Unity

The FBI and Terrorism Part 2

Now that I've had a chance to analyze the situation we find ourselves in I've decided to write a more comprehensive article regarding the matter of the FBI. I feel a need to do this for a couple of reasons. The first is that I want to exercise my freedom of speech while I still can. The second is that what little I have left of my rights I dearly wish to maintain and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that this ruling may have a direct impact on me due to my background and political inclinations.

Every month that goes by I see this country look more and more like the nations of Sudan or Zimbabwe. Rigged elections, suppression of the freedom of speech, a dangerously unrestrained police force and rampant disregard for it's own citizens.

When I joined the army I swore an oath. "...To support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic..." Now many people know how I feel about the idea of needing a piece of paper to tell me I'm free. That does not mean that I don't think that we ought to protect what rights we do have. If I, or any other soldier for that matter, is going to uphold that oath then we need to start doing what we were taught to do.

Fight tooth and fucking nail.

I am not one to suggest violence and almost everyone I know knows that I condemn all acts of terrorism and unwarranted vanguardian retribution. Indeed I am not saying that violence should be needed or used at all in this conflict that the FBI and other government entities have forced upon us. Not when we have so many other resources at our disposal.

A voice alone is a target. A voice in unison is a revolution.

At this time every veteran of this nation should be cocking an eyebrow and giving some time to some deep thought. What is the notion that we were told we were fighting for? If not freedom and liberty and justice for what did we lay down our lives? If any duty we have as veterans is still owed to the people of this nation it is to protect them from all enemies, foreign and domestic, and right now one of those enemies is the FBI.

The guidelines have not been officially released. The scary part is that they most likely will not be released to the public until they are actually implanted. So we won't know until it's too late what they have decided they can do. It is known that the primary thing they want to be able to do is investigate American citizens without any clear evidence that they have committed a crime. Times like these I think maybe we should simply decide that next year should be 1984 instead of 2009.

Some of the more notable concerns being raised involve the nature under which people could be investigated. Race, ethnicity, political affiliation, military experience, ties to foreign countries, etc. Go down that list one more time before you continue. Sure you read it all? That comes from an AP article regarding this matter. I didn't just pull it out of my ass. Mind you in the same article Attorney Justice spokesman Brian Roehrkasse says in one part that "an investigation would not be opened based solely on a person's race, ethnicity or religion." However, later in the article it's noted;

"The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the rules, said factors that could trigger an inquiry would include travel to regions of the world known for terrorist activity and access to weapons or military training, along with the person's race or ethnicity."

Lie much Mr. Roehrkasse?

Given the nature of what we're currently staring down the barrel of I think I can justly say that we are, as a nation, approaching Third Reich status. It is only a matter of time from here before people are openly murdered over there race, ethnicity, or political beliefs. If you think that's a stretch just remember. We've done it before! Or have we all forgotten such timeless events as the labor and anarchist executions of the early 20th century late 19th century, the needless bombing of civilians in um... well, every fucking war we've fought?

There is no stretch here, this is what we're heading towards and the general public seems oh so unconcerned. Of course this is of great concern to me because as an anti-war anarcho-communist military veteran I'm a false arrest waiting to happen as it is. Under these new guidelines I don't know that I could safely reside in the country anymore. Which as it turns out, may be half the point.

Actually, quite a few members of groups such as IVAW and ISO would be heavily affected by these new guidelines. Not to mention VFP, Code Pink, ANSWER, CFI, and countless others mostly manned by well meaning social liberals who have probably never held a gun let alone considered terrorism as an option.

Of course that won't be a concern to the heads of state as dissenters are locked away systematically. When the people start to buck the system the system knows it must buck back.

So this is my final plea for this article. If you love freedom, your rights, your family, your friends, your country, your life then let them know. Let them know that this can not and will not be tolerated. Let them know that this may be the straw that breaks the camels back. Veterans especially, remember what we were told we were fighting for and fight for it now.

Peace and Unity

FBI and Terrorism? Maybe not....

The FBI seems to think that military training and race are grounds to investigate and potentially arrest someone on suspicion of terrorism. I suppose that means that with a military that is over 30% minorities we are an army of terrorists... I won't necessarily debate that point but really. Some people need to take a step back and ask if they're ready to live in the Reich. If they're not they better start making a fuss because it may already be too late.

I Am An American Soldier

I was almost everything they could want in a soldier.

I had pride and honor. I was loyal. I would work hard to prove my worth.

I was disenfranchised with my home town, with my life. A high school drop out I needed a place to belong.

I told my wife after about a year in that I loved it. I didn't always agree with how things were done and I hated the war, but I could deal with that. I told her that I was going to be a soldier until the day I died or they told me I couldn't do it anymore.

There was just one thing that kept me from being what they truly wanted.

It wasn't that I questioned things. They could deal with that and my better leaders learned to use it. I would figure things out and notice things that nobody else would or could.

It was something that had been ingrained in my from childhood that kept me from being what they truly wanted in a soldier.

A love of freedom. True freedom, not democratic republic bill of rights constitution four more years pretend your free freedom. I was taught never to let anyone take away the rights that I had and to be willing to fight for the ones that I didn't have but knew I should.

And somebody crossed the line. I threw everything I had at him. I read the manual of courts martial and quoted obscure rulings and appendixes. I read DOD and Army regulations about everything. Every single time he tried to do something illegal I would do everything in my power to stop him.

He swore that I would never get promoted. That he would see to it that I was dishonorably discharged. That I would never get an award.

Well in the end I won.

I was promoted once after he told me that. I was honorably discharged for medical reasons. Right before I got out I received an award for doing his job while he was gone. The commander allowed it even though I was flagged due to pending discharge. He couldn't stop me from getting what I deserved.

After it was all said and done I had lost my sense of my place. The time when they told me I couldn't be a soldier anymore came far sooner then I wanted it to. But that's ok.

I found something in myself that no one can suppress. That beating core of life and freedom and justice and love that makes me who I am, makes me fight for my brothers and sisters of the world, makes me know that we may not win today but we can not lose. Even if the battle rages a thousand years we can not lose. Because we have that core and nothing can crush it.

I am an American Soldier
I am a guardian of freedom and ... life

Just not the way they wanted me to be

Peace and Unity

Not a Serious Number

So I'm reading this article online today and a note at the top of the site says that the article have nothing to do with politics and are all about facts.

Right.

The first article I read starts off by saying that the people of Iraq are the most ruthless enemy America has ever faced and that this 'war' simply has to be won or they'll kill us all.

From there in goes into a discussion about how the loss of life is such a small percentage of life lost in other wars and to other factors and so it's really not a serious number.

Two things I have to say to you buddy.

If the people of Iraq are oh so hell bent on killing us all then why have they not tried in the past? I sure hope your not pulling the old "They attacked us on 9/11" routine because anyone left paying attention, even the pro side, knows that this is simply not true. The pentagon even said it's not true. Maybe you missed the major article that came out about the DOD finally admitted that before the war in Iraq there was no connection between Al Queda and Sadaam, Iraq, etc. Oh I wouldn't doubt that there is now. After all we lumbered in, told them that we were there to liberate them, and now refuse to leave and let them choose there own path. Preferring instead to make sure that the vote for the right people and that we kill off the ones that don't like us and others who happen to get in the way. Wow, we sure are keeping our nation safe by making more enemies. What logic would you call that? Oh yes, Republicanism.

Second thing I have to note on this. The number isn't small to the friends and family you jack ass. Having known some of those that have lost there lives and been injured, traumatized, etc. I can't help but think of some ugly ugly language I want to say about someone telling me that the number dead is small enough not to really matter in the long run. I know that more people die every year driving, and from cancer, and heart disease. You know what? Most of the people weren't forced into facing that death by commanding officers doing the president's bidding. (Well maybe certain medical cases but that's a whole other issue) So don't you tell me for one second that we shouldn't mind the loss of life because it's 'only' 4100+ of our side. Don't you ever fucking tell me that my friends lives were an acceptable loss because more of us didn't die with them.

You people love to say that you support the military and then you pull out some shit like that? Man I'd hate to see how you love your families. "Don't worry about your brother's death son, he was only 20% of the family." Come on now. Stop screaming from the soapboxes how much supporting the war is the only real way of supporting the troops while you demean and degrade those very men you say you're there for.

So many people can see past your nonsense. It leaves me hoping that you don't know how mixed up you are. I'm not even saying that from an emotional point of view. I just can't believe logically that anyone would say things like "I support the troops therefore I support them being killed" and "I support the troops but I think that the number lost is ok, cause it's not too high." Guess what? Behind all the gibberish about 'telling it like it is' that's what your saying.

Damn.

I'm done for now, I'm gonna give myself a fucking ulcer if I keep this rant up.

Assholes

Peace and Unity

I always feel like I can never say enough.

Like no matter how many times I raise my voice and yell and block traffic they will just keep doing what they're doing.

There has to be a better way.

Many who know me know that I am a huge fan of direct action. Having taken part in a protest in Olympia that effectively shut down a port shipping military equipment for hours a time and days on end I saw what effect these sorts of actions can truly have.

Here in Southern California where I currently reside I simply don't see these actions taking place. Many have argued that we just don't have the sort of support that one would need to truly have an impact in this way.

Well I say they're wrong. Building support by performing actions can be a wonderful way to attract people to contribute to a cause. There is no need to wait for them to come to you. Put your self out there and you just wait and see how many people come up to say that they want to help.

Some have also said that to perform such actions would present a bad face to the media or to the politicians. To hell with them both. They got me into this mess they are not going to get me out. Democrat, Republican, journalist, whatever. They have all shown a general disregard for truly stopping this brutal occupation. If they don't like what I'm doing, oh well. I'm not interested in making good headlines or connections. I'm interested in saving lives.

At some point everyone has to make a choice.

Do I care about "blank" enough to take my time and resources and so everything I can to stop it, start it, whatever.

If it takes until the day I die, I will help stop this war.

Short of violence and breaking various laws, this has to be what matters. This has to be what is on my mind, because this is my friends lives. This is other people's lives. This is a trio of nations whose health and welfare are at stake.

And I can't rest knowing that something can be done.

Peace and Unity

Angry Veteran Comic #1!

And here you go, the first and oh so crudely drawn Angry Veteran Comic. More to follow and hopefully I'll get better at using Inkscape and Gimp and these will come out looking decent one day. And what better way to kick it off then to make fun of Republicans?

Open Source Goodness: Reasons to Use Linux

So I know it's been a while since I posted something in regards to computers and what not. This will be my post for the week regarding the open source issues of activism. Also stay tuned because a regularly updated comic for the web site is on the way! Construction is still on going in terms of making this it's own hosted website. Unfortunately for all the Linux networking goodness that is my tech background. I have ZERO web construction experience and can't even format proper html. So if you have any web coding experience and would like to help out please let me know. Well here's your open source post for the week, enjoy.

This week I'm going to talk a little bit about some reasons why you should use Gnu/Linux instead of other operating systems like one that comes from Redmond. Some of the reasons are certainly are the personal side, but most are technical reasons that should be hard to ignore.

1. Linux is free. Really free. You not only don't have to pay for the software or the updates, but you can modify and use the software however you like. While that may be out of reach of anyone without solid coding experience it's still nice to know. It also means that many people already have. As a result there is a distribution for every taste and the vast majority of them don't cost a dime.

2. Linux is stable. Way more stable then other operating systems that make you pay. Gnu (which stands for Gnu is not Unix) is modeled after the Unix platform which has long been considered the most stable, secure, and powerful platform availible. Just like Linux, Unix comes in many flavors but they are generally propitiatory, closed source, expensive, and designed to work only with certain hardware. One notable exception is FreeBSD, a version of BSD that is open source and free to download. It's use is not for the faint of heart, however, and it generally requires far more system knowledge to use then modern versions of Linux do. (Ever wonder why MacOS is generally more stable then Windows? MacOS is a prime example of pay to use software based on BSD)

3. Linux is Secure. Of course there are still viruses and there are still security flaws and bugs. Just not like certain other operating systems that can hardly keep up with hackers. Oh yes, they don't keep up. Part of the reason why Linux is more secure is because less people use it making it a less valuable target. Of course this logic fades when you consider that Linux is the OS of choice for many networks, scientific computers, super computers, and development platforms. The other important factor is that unlike in a closed source project, bugs are discovered and fixed by the community (with an oversight process of course), this causes updates to be released far faster as well as more issues being discovered within a shorter time frame. You should still run anti-virus software and take other security precautions.

4. Linux is fun. Yeah it really is. The days of terminal only distros has long come to an end. Check out Compiz sometime and see how much fun it is to play with. Better yet try "The Mana World", "Super Tux", "Frozen Bubble", or "Metal Blob Solid" and see just how much fun Linux can be. These of course are just a handful of games available for Linux. There are hundreds if not thousands more, many of which are just as capable as similar games would be for Windows or MacOS. Of course any Windows based game you just can't do without can generally be run with Wine (Wine is not an emulator) which simulates the Windows APIs, registry, etc. and with some minor tweaking will allow you to run most popular games within Linux.

5. There's a Penguin. His name is Tux. He's awesome. He has games based on him (SuperTux, SuperTux Racing, etc.) and he's just darn cute.

6. With freedom of information comes freedom of society. Using open source software and operating systems contributes to a society that survives without restrictive patents, and copyrights that take information out of the hands of the masses. Information really is power and Linux helps us to take it back.

7. If you want to try Linux and you're concerned about the install I'll help you. That's right. If you're getting on this on the listserve and you live nearby drop me a line and I'll install and configure Linux for you free of charge. Pretty good considering my normal tech support fees hover around sixty dollars and hour, but in the name of true freedom I'll do it for free. Now you really don't have an excuse not to try it.

So there you have it. Seven good reasons to use the ultimate open source operating system. Join the Open Source Revolution.

Libertarians: Anarchists Who Hate Poor People

Libertarians are an interesting bunch of people. They are so far as I'm concerned Anarcho-Capitalists. People who value freedom of in all aspects including commerce. Now there's nothing wrong in and of itself of embracing freedom if commerce. It is the embracing of capitalism as the means of commerce that leads me to ponder there motivations.

Capitalism has two major opponents. Anarchism and Communism (For this article socialists and other such are included under communism as they are in fact simply lesser forms.). The traditional communist opposition to capitalism is that it is the means to oppression. Also commonly referred to as wage slavery, it seeks to keep the power in the hands of an elite few while the majority works long hours with low pay to support that power. Therefore communists see the down fall of capitalism as the means to liberation of the working class. Note that communists however do not want to do away with a monetary system or private property. They say that once the majority controls the commerce then they will be liberated.

The anarchist argument that I most hear differs signifigantly. There argument says that capatilsm commodifies life and humanity. For instance in our present system if you steal a car worth $25,000 and go to jail for 5 years the state has valued your life at $5,000 a year. Other instances of commodifcation include having to pay for food, shelter, and health care. Your life has a clear value to those who control the means of producing necessaties of life. Sexuality is commidified through strip clubs, pornography, and in a less explicit way, the gender dating norms that suggest payment for love and sex through dinners, gifts and trips to the movies. So many anarchists say that once capatilism is torn down it will liberate the people by seperating commerce from the value of a human life (or in some cases animal lives depending on the personal beliefs of any given anarchist).

So this brings us to libertarians. According to a handful of interviews I read regarding there beliefs taken from this week's TIME(r) magazine, they would like to see zero goverment interferece in there lives EXCEPT for protecting private proprty. Here is where the complication comes into play. Many of the them are anti-union, anti-socialized healthcare, etc. While this makes sense to a point it ignores some prime features of an ideal society. Unions are not goverment control. They are bodies made up of workers who seek to bettert here working conditiond and salaries. Even in a society without money unions would be needed to ensure that workers were working in a safe and fair envoirment. Opposing socialized healthcare is borderline. While this indeed does not fit in to the anarchist perspective of freedom in the long run many feel that we should be taking care of each other within the system in the meantime. Finnaly we come to protecting private property. This is the beating heart of capatilism. If I'm starving and you have more food then you need why should I not take some? In theory you should be willing to share, especially since I probably have a skill that you could use in return for the food. Libertarians, however, are not intrested in sharing. They seem to think that a system where everyone fends for themselves is ideal. Yet they must see that even in small collective societies where they feed and cloth and shelter each other they are in fact practicing a form of communism.

I feel a lot of these problems of varying opinions (which often leads to fierce emotions) are due to a lack of undertstandingi n each other. I wonder how many people would oppose the ideals of communism and anarchism if they were only given different names? If they were phrased a little differently, and therefore untainted by the propoganda that has opposed them for over a century. Propoganda that proetcts the ruling class. If I told you that you could have all the food you need, a free place to live that was comfertable, free healthcare until the day you died, and even a variety if luxieries to keep you occupied and all you had to do was work in a job that you were good at, I doubt that you would say no. If instead I said "How would like to be an anarcho-communist?" You would probably say no. It's the words that are poison these days, not the ideals behind them.

I reach my hand out to libertarians in hopes that they will see that we work towards a common goal in the end. People don't need a leader to guide them. We are smart enough, capable enough to guide ourselves. The day will come when the masses see that a capatilist government cares more about money and power then they do about them. Otherwise there would be no prisons. There would be less crime after all if no one needed to steal. There would be less violence if the culture didn't insist upon it. And anyone who was having issues that may lead to violence would be helped rather then ignored until the straw broke and then thrown to the wolves. This is not takign away individual responsibilty. On the contrary, this is forcing it. If you can help someone and in doing so prevent them or someone else from getting hurt then why shouldn't you? Becauset hey can't pay your fees? Because they can't buy your overpriced medication?

We the people have the power to form a society that loves rather then hates. That helps rather then hurts. The pieces are all there. We all have one piece and the puzzle can not be put together until everyone sees the picture.

Disclaimer: This is not a call for revolution or any kind of violent uprising, act, etc. The author abhors violence in all forms and seeks change through education not terrorism or other such ill-conceived notions of guerralism that only hurts rather then helps in the long run. "You can't blow up a social relationship" We can not oppose violence by the goverment and commit it ourselves. So please don't think that violence will solve any problems here. It just won't. Thank you.

An Exercise in Logic or Why Republicans Have no Sense of Reality

One of the things I hear the most from the right about anti-war veterans goes something along the lines of "They joined after the war started. They knew what it was going to be like. They should just stop whining." Note that this is the same logic that one would use to say that a man who had been i n gang in his youth shouldn't speak out against gang violence. "He knew the gang was violent when he joined it. He should just stop whining." See the similarities. According to many Republicans you aren't allowed to decide that you made a bad decision, or that you've changed your mind. Doing so makes you either a coward or a flip-flopper or both.

It seems odd to me that people from this right leaning side would read this and say "Oh no, that's not the same." Isn't it? The examples given use identical logic. Both involve someone joining an organization prone to violence where exposure to death and injury is likely. Both later decide that what that organization is doing/did is wrong. Both decide to speak out against it. The difference that Republicans would most likely quote is that the 'war' in Iraq isn't about crime like being in a gang is. Well that of course just starts an endless debate (endless because anyone left supporting this war must be insane or stupid or both, and you can't argue with a stupid crazy person) over the legality of the 'war.' Ok fine, let's pretend that the war is perfectly legal and we as a country are not just a lumbering giant of an asshole. The logic is still identical between the two. Right and wrong are purely subjective concepts. So whether or not you happen to think that gangs or the 'war' or anything else is wrong, it is up to the person making the decision to speak out to figure that out for themselves. This right to freedom of thought can not be suppressed.

So what do we learn from example one? That Republican's don't think it's ok to change your mind or reform a decision based on environmental input. Interestingly enough this also contributes to an explanation of the right winged resistance to evolution and similar concepts that require analyzing information rather then being spoon fed it by a minister. This also suggests that the far right prefers to have other people think for them.

The second example goes along similar lines. They say "We have to finish what we started. We can't cut and run because then everything would be a waste." This is argument compares to "I can't stop doing cocaine. I know it's damage my body and costing thousands of dollars that should be going to food shelter medicine and education, but if I stop using now then everything would be a waste." Note again how similar these arguments are. I know that this is causing harm but if I stop then I'll have said that all the harm already caused didn't matter.

No cocaine addict trying to quit is going to make suggestions like "Well I'll consult with my dealer and we'll start negotiating a time table for me to stop using, but expect it to be gradual and happen over the next five to ten years. During this time countless more damage will be done and money wasted, but if I quit all at once then my dealer may have a hard time finding new clients." Anyone saying that would be thrown into rehab faster then he could blurt out the entire paragraph. So why should this logic be reasonable when dealing with something that impacts millions of lives rather then just a handful? No one wants to admit that the human lives lost so far were lost over something that shouldn't be going on in the first place. They were. Saying this does not disrespect the dead. On the contrary admitting this means less dead in the long run which is something soldier's generally prefer. So who are we helping by staying in this mess? The estimated cost of the war is over five hundred billion dollars and growing by the day. That's one pricey addiction. And that's only the financial side, which frankly isn't what bothers me. Money is money. A plaything for the rich and a drug for the poor. No, the thing that concerns me is the over 1.2 million lives lost and the countless millions affected by this ordeal. Imagine a country occupied by drug dealers running around injecting people with heroin. No one would allow that to happen. In this case however, we have a few men at the top injecting the proverbial heroin into millions of people in three different countries.

There is no strictly logical refute to these analogies. Any argument would have to be based on either lies, mis truths, or subjective statements. When you can no longer provide a concrete logical argument based on fact (i.e. no subjectivity or opinion involved. So no exclaiming moral rights and wrongs.) then it is time to admit a wrong and cease activity. We are not going to cause further damage by stopping the 'war.' This is the same as saying a coke addict would only be hurting himself if he stopped using as soon as physically possible. Leaving Iraq quickly won't cause a seizure. It may cause a semblance of peace, however, and we all know that peace is not in the best interest of the 'dealers' of the United States. i.e. Haliburton, GE, Texaco, Bush et all, etc.

The question basically comes down to this. Are we as a nation willing to take care of ourselves and dictate our own futures based on logic and reason, or are we going to let the king think for us? No one tells me how to think and I highly recommend it. Thinking for yourself is better then cocaine and best of all it doesn't cost a dime.

More then War

This is about more then war
This is about more then peace
This is about a society
A people
And a dream

This is about more then money
This is about more then cash
This is about life
And freedom
And death

This is about more then food
This is about more then water
This is about the earth
And oceans
Growing hotter

This is about more then an election
This is about a fucking revolution

- Join the Open Source Revolution
"Free Information = Free Society"


Live

Angry Veteran Comic???

I'm thinking about it. I can't imagine what it would wind up looking like though.... Stick figures with rifles and peace signs? Just maybe. Any talented comic/cartoon artist who feels like volunteering there services for this project please contact me via this website or the standard e-mail if your receiving this message through the list serve.