The Real Terrorists

by Thomas Dahlheimer

Our so-called leaders are the real terrorists, responsible for more deaths than Osama bin Laden. When I hear about our military men and women who are sent off to war in the name of God and Country, and who give up their lives for no rational cause at all, my heart is troubled . What has happened to our country? We have become worse than the imagined enemy - killing civilians and calling it "collateral damage", torturing and trampling human rights, violating our Constitution, lying about why we went to war, more concerned with sports on television and cell-phones than the future of the world....half the population is drinking alcohol and/or using drugs because they cannot face the daily stress of living in the richest nation in the world. We attacked an Arab nation under the deception of "Weapons of Mass Destruction". Our invasion and occupation has destroyed Iraq, and destabilized the entire region. Everyone who pays taxes has blood on their hands.

The violent turmoil initiated by the our nation's military invasion of Iraq will beget future wars of slaughter and mayhem. First we insult the United Nations, then we expect them to clean up our mess. Our elected representatives are supposed to find diplomatic solutions to these situations. Anyone can lash out and retaliate, that is not leadership or vision. Where is the wisdom and honor of the people that we have elected to lead us?

To the rest of the world we are cowards - demanding Iraq to disarm, and after they comply, we attack with remote-control high-tech weapons. And then lie about our reasons for invading. We the people bear complete responsibility for all that will follow, and it won't be pleasant.

This slaughter and mayhem is instigated by people who claim to believe in God. Many people turn away from religion, faced with the insanity of the "true believers". God does not endorse military actions by the self- righteous. "Who would Jesus bomb?" God's message is tolerance and love, not self-righteousness and hatred. God says: "Thou shalt not kill", however, "We the people of the United States of America", disobey and kill. "What thou hath sown, thou shalt also reap", thus saideth the Lord.

This war is a sad and useless national tragedy. I apologize for what we have done to the Arab nations, I am ashamed for the mayhem and turmoil caused by my country. I am sorry for the actions of Dick Cheney's puppet, himself a pawn of the real rulers, the greedy and corrupt corporate elite who profit from war.

The upcoming elections are not a solution - our two party system is a failure of democracy. Our government has lost its way. The world has gone wrong by all of its unrelenting sectarianism. We need to enter into the process of unification, integrating all people into a one world cultural - a culture made up of the best of the past of all the earth's different peoples traditions and cultures. Our so-called leaders are not wise persons with integrity and vision - they are actors reading from teleprompters, trying to stir up their brainwashed mob. Our country slaughters Arabs, abandons New Orleans, and ignores the global-warming environment crisis. Our economy can be destroyed by a single nuclear, chemical or biological attack, it's as fragile as our reputation around the world. We as a nation face the consequences of our dishonorable and horrendous actions.

"Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government... " - Abraham Lincoln

Thomas Ivan Dahlheimer