Our emerging evil empire

At one point, he went so far as to arrange the burning of his country's own Reichstag building where the Parliament held its sessions. Hitler and his cronies blamed the fire on the anarchists, and while history shows us that the whole affair had been contrived, the action frightened the people so much that they gave up all of their civil liberties in a vain attempt to increase their security. The Enabling Acts were passed, the Parliament was dissolved, and Germany fell into the hands of a ruthless dictatorship, which began a world war.
The history of humanity is scarred with endless wars; wars fought for conquest, religion. After all these thousands of years, one would hope that humanity would learn its lesson and find leaders who would implement more just ways of solving our differences. But apparently, history is repeating itself once again; and this time it is happening right here in the United States.
Back in 1992 the blueprint for our current foreign policy was being written by then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. In his writings he set out a new doctrine that called for U.S. power in the 21st century to be that of an aggressive and unilateral approach that would secure American dominance of world affairs "by force if necessary."
During the Clinton administration this new strategic planning continued with funding from the military-industrial complex, energy companies, and right wing foundations. Even as war weary Americans celebrated the election of Bill Clinton as president, the sinister planning continued.
Over time those working on these new strategic plans evolved into a new group called "The Project for a New American Century" (PNAC). Among it's members were and still are Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.
In September 2000, the PNAC updated the original Cheney plan into a new report entitled, "Strengthening America's Defenses." The plans in this report called for unprecedented hikes in military spending, locating American military bases in Central Asia and the Middle East, the toppling of recalcitrant regimes, the violation of international treaties, the militarization of outer space, control of the world's energy resources, and the willingness to use nuclear weapons to achieve American goals.
Does any of this sound familiar? It should, because just such a policy has been unfolding since the day that George W. Bush took office. Considering that our current president was not elected by a majority of the American people, the actions of his administration have been brazen to say the least.
In recent months the Bush administration has launched an all-out assault against the environment, and our civil liberties. It keeps the people in fear with countless terror alerts and talk of various nations having weapons of mass destruction, while failing to mention that many of those weapons were at one time supplied by the United States.
In its beating of the war drums against Iraq, the administration recently mentioned a 1998 report drawn up by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which allegedly stated that Iraq either had or was close to having a nuclear weapon. Shortly afterward, the IAEA denied ever having written such a report. To those who pay close attention to the news it should be perfectly clear that something is dreadfully wrong with the actions of our executive leadership in Washington, DC.
These days I seem to remain in a constant state of astonishment. Truth be told, I have never seen a "president" so eager to send American soldiers off to their deaths. I have never witnessed a leader of our nation, while in negotiation (if you can call it that) with other countries, constantly undermining diplomatic progress by continuing to move the goal posts.
In the case of Iraq, no matter what they agree to, it isn't good enough. That country has agreed to open itself up to weapons inspectors once again. Yet, the Bush administration kept throwing roadblock after roadblock in the way of letting inspectors back in! Now Bush has orderedthem out like the dictator he is swinging the U.S. military club we all have payed so dearly for.
I think it's time that we, as Americans begin asking some hard questions. We need to begin connecting the dots between plans drawn up by Dick Cheney and the Project for a New American Century, and our country's current war-like policy. For if the connection is more than coincidence, then we are witnessing the transformation of our great country from one that stands for freedom, justice, and the rule of law, to a new evil empire.
We must start questioning the morality of our new policy of endless war; remembering that war is much more sinister than the flashing of lights and fires across a TV screen. It extinguishes the lives of countless innocent human beings; children, mothers and fathers, the elderly; people who love others and love life just as we do.
Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak. For we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us.
We still have a choice today working together with all on this planet as one world towards peaceful co-existence or violent co-annihilation of humanity and the biosphere of earth. We must move past indecision to action. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without intelligence, might without morality, and strength without sight.