for years i was allowed easy access to my local fishwrap and they'd print most all material i sent them. i was even asked to do an opinion column for one of those newspapers which i sent some material in to be printed and then i found out my presentations would be edited, so i didn't continue. the following sums up a lot of my opinion of where we find ourselves and the true believers will be appalled;

“Why, my fellow-citizens, is there any man here or any woman, let me say, is there any child here, who does not know that the seed of war in the modern world is industrial and commercial rivalry? This war, in its inception, was a commercial and industrial war.” Woodrow Wilson

The Empire’s public relations organization works overtime to foster the myth of the country as a beacon of peace and freedom.  It demands that other nations adhere to some lofty standard of respect for human rights can’t withstand any close scrutiny. The Empire used its veto power at the UN at least 40 times to protect Israel, a nation that can only be described as apartheid, because of its barbaric practices. American cities aren’t safe for young, unarmed African-American men, who are shot and killed by white police officers. It’s rare for any of the officers pulling the trigger to be indicted, let alone convicted of these crimes.

The Empire condemned Syria for allegedly using chemical weapons, but finances all of Israel’s weaponry, including its chemical weapons, used routinely against the Palestinians. ISIL has been condemned for beheading its prisoners, but the Empire has full diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, which uses public beheading as a means of execution. Should ISIL ever establish a relatively stable government on oil-rich lands, its barbaric practices will also be overlooked.

Over half of ‘our’ senators are millionaires, and they increase taxes on the middle class and poor as they reduce taxes for the rich. The government condemns the deaths of innocent people in war-torn countries, as it sends drones around the world that kill thousands of innocent people. ‘Our’ government demands a ‘defense’ budget larger than that of most of the world’s military budgets combined, depriving schools of much-needed revenue as it strengthens its war machine. Those countries spending less on their military aren’t plagued with constant attacks and invasions, despite their much-smaller military budgets.

In America, there’s a separate justice system for the wealthy, with bankers confessing to felonies paying small fines, while poverty-stricken people caught with small amounts of marijuana spend years in prison. Wealthy pedophiles are sentenced to small fines and a few months in prison.

Poor and middle-class students who want to attend American colleges and universities can borrow money from the government at an interest rate of 4.66%. Banks borrow money from the government at an interest rate of 0.75%. And if the bank fails, ‘our’ government will rescue it. If a former student declares bankruptcy, his/her student loan isn’t absolved.

When in desperation a young person enlists in the military, he/she may find themselves killing men, woman and children that are no threat to them. Then, on returning home, not only is the tuition program offered to veterans minimal, good luck to them in trying to get assistance for post-traumatic stress disorder. Over 50% of veterans will experience homelessness at some point after their time in the military, and they have higher-than-average rates of suicide, substance abuse, divorce and domestic violence. ‘Our’ government is happy to send them off to war, but isn’t interested in them when they return, broken and bruised. They have served their corporate purpose, and are discarded.

This is life in the ‘land of opportunity’, the ‘home of the free and the brave’. Opportunity abounds for the rich, but for the poor and those who are struggling to maintain a middle-class standard, things are not so rosy. Ask the average ‘consumer’ what they believe to be the greatest country in the world, and their hearts will swell pride and their eyes become moist as they proclaim it to be; U.S.A., and the Empire’s public relations effort scores another victory, while the blind lemmings fall off the cliff.

An unprovoked attack on another state is “the supreme war crime”. The Empire has overextended its military reach attempting to secure broader markets and exert control over all regions of the globe.  In this, it spent its wealth on military adventure.

Through wars, clandestine operations, treaties, manipulation of nations’ debt, control of banks and money supplies, countries are turned into “managed units” for the Empire. All acts of war should be put to a national vote. Anyone voting yes must register for service in the Army.

The political class running the show has kept the Empire permanently at war, an emergency all the more astonishing in that it provokes remarkably little controversy. Show us evidence that America’s wars makes America better; safer, freer, and more prosperous. Evidence that war works to the benefit of the state and its clients is readily available: in the size of the national security apparatus, in the bottom line of weapons manufacturers, in the deference paid to those in ‘our’ government who claim that there is no alternative but to press on to the next battle.

The only message American politicians want to send to the Russians is a war message. The Pentagon has upgraded the newly orchestrated “Russian threat” to “potentially aggressive” and is updating its plans for war with Russia. Cable news anchors, with furrowed brows and glaring eyes, warn their viewers that Moscow’s support for the Assad regime is a “worrisome development”. What has Russia done to cause Washington to plan war with Russia? Don’t you know? Russia invaded Ukraine, just like Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and al-Qaeda connections. Moscow might add that it has maintained a naval base at Tartus on the Syrian coast since 1971 and an airbase at Latakia. These are among Russia’s foreign military basis, which you can count on one hand. The Empire, in contrast has well over 1000 military bases in over 135 countries where around 300,000 American troops are stationed.

If Russia invaded Ukraine, how come Ukraine is still there? If weak insignificant Ukraine fought off a Russian invasion, then how’s it possible that Russia is a threat? Russia’s president Putin has often remarked that Washington’s provocations and propaganda are destroying trust between nuclear powers, thus raising the risk of nuclear war. But ‘our’ government is too arrogant and only hears itself.

Americans have little real awareness of its countries real, complete history. With that partial awareness they then decide they should attack and ruin other countries with puffed out chests and “patriotism”. They make claims about what should be done about Syria but none about what Saudi Arabia does: They rant about Iran and ignore worse behavior by Israel, because they have only partial awareness.

American bombs never hit civilians: only Russian bombs kill civilians. The Empire’s national-security establishment has a monopoly on determining who exactly a “terrorist” is, and determining the best way to fight “terrorism”. In Egypt, American officials take the side of the military dictators by saying that the Egyptian citizens who are trying to oust the dictatorship from power are the “terrorists.” In Syria it’s the other way round. The Empire’s national-security establishment lacks any moral standing whatsoever to complain about Russia’s intervention into Syria. Everywhere you look, the old Cold War era national-security state leaves nothing but death, destruction, suffering, impoverishment, enslavement, tyranny, and bankruptcy.

How long are the American people going to let this go on? How bad do things have to get before Americans say: Enough is enough, it’s time to dismantle the old Cold War era Pentagon, CIA, NSA, military-industrial complex, and America’s foreign empire of military bases and restore the limited-government, constitutional republic that our American ancestors intended, which would finally bring us the freedom, peace, prosperity, and harmony which we all want?

The Empire has no shame and no decency left. It boasts about democracy and freedom, while it doesn’t even bother to wash the blood of tens of millions off its hands. We’re all different, and we should respect that. No one has to conform to a single model that someone has once and for all recognized as the right one. If America’s elites continue to assert their right to intervene in the internal affairs of nations, to make them conform to an American ideal of what’s a good society and legitimate government, then we’re headed for endless conflict. And, one day, this will inevitably result in war, as more and more nations resist America’s moral imperialism. Nations have a right to be themselves.

Europe is overrun by refugees from American bombing campaigns in Libya, Syria and Afghanistan. You can’t fight ISIS in Iraq, yet support it in Syria. There’s one war and one enemy. The Empire should give up its hypocrisy. People aren’t brainless. The Syrian government is awful and murderous. It used to torture people for the Empire. It, indeed, attacks “its own citizens”. If every government that attacked its own citizens had to be overthrown, the list would be unending, and could begin with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Iraq, and various other governments just in that region that the Empire props up, funds, and arms with the weapons used to commit those attacks. Overthrowing foreign governments and launching wars are in fact illegal acts, and rightly so, regardless of the nature of the governments. We’re so well trained to think in terms of war, that when we hear that one side of a war is in the wrong, we imagine that must be an argument for backing the other side.

The mainstream press ran headlines like “America Says Russia Faces Strategic Choice as Assad Can’t Stay,” but this is an ultimatum. Obama was calling out Putin over Syria, regardless of whether or not he was in a position to do so. What would happen if, say, President Putin made a statement that Trump wasn’t legitimate and he had to go? Where does the Empire get to declare when other heads of state must be removed and when did America openly declare themselves as ruler supreme of the regime change business?

American Christians accept all this because they’ve failed to integrate their faith into their life. They separate these things so they can live how they choose.