...all resistance.
On a busy Los Angeles area intersection, Dick Kazan has hosted a weekly peace vigil for 31/2 years. In this summary he connects the wars with the collapse of the economy and how it will affect you.Candlelight Vigil No. 176, 7/8/09 "Now I'll also need to support you on Afghanistan," called out a 35 ish woman from her car, early in last night's candlelight vigil.
We know the U.S. is escalating the tragedy that is the Afghanistan war and spreading it to Pakistan, as if Iraq isn't a big enough disaster. But we don't see the horror of men, women and children being incinerated by our bombs nor their homes blown to bits for it is censored from us.
By the millions, Afghanis and Pakistanis flee the spreading war zones and struggle for food. But we don't see that either for it too is censored from us. Nor do we see the widows and orphans we've created for that is censored as well. And some of those widows and orphans are right here in America!
All of this is done in the name of national security. We are told America is under siege by its enemies. Yet in fact the U.S. is attempting to control the Middle East as it kills or jails and tortures those who oppose it.
For 6 years in Iraq and 8 in Afghanistan, the U.S. has occupied these nations trying to crush all resistance. But it will fail for no-one wants an occupier, not even the U.S. who 230 years ago rid itself of British control.
Candidate Obama promised to get the U.S. out of Iraq in 16 months. But President Obama reversed himself and adopted the Bush plan for Iraq, even retaining Mr. Bush's military leadership including the Defense Secretary.
Why? To satisfy the military and its contractors the latter of whom profit immensely from the hell they cause.
In turn they make "campaign contributions" to politicians. These are just bribes to ensure no real opposition arises and for the appropriation of vast funding for endless weapons and wars as our nation has gone war mad.
Meanwhile, Americans are understandably focused on their fears for the economy and the well-being of themselves and their families. At last night's vigil, a 50 year old well read woman who sometimes joins did last night.
But her primary interest was not in the war but in the economy, and her desire to refinance her home now, while money is artificially cheap thanks to the Federal Reserve Board. She noted how much the value of her home had fallen and was thankful she and her husband still have jobs.
People realize the economy may collapse. Yet most of them don't make the connection that the staggering size of military spending is leading the way to this collapse.
What has spending all this money on wars brought? The violence across Iraq is soaring. Today, a U.S. soldier died as did 60 Iraqis, while another 172 Iraqis were severely injured.
In Afghanistan, a truck laden with explosives blew-up killing 25 people, at least 13 of them children walking to school.
Imagine an Afghani mother who takes the hand of her 6 year old child and walks him to school. But on the way, an ear shattering explosion rocks the community like an earthquake.
The father is working in the field when he hears the explosion and sees the black plumes of smoke rising. He runs to the scene, his heart racing and his mind begging that this not be his wife or his child.
But as people pull him back, he knows his worst nightmare happened and he is sick to his stomach. His life is shattered and he begins to cry as his heart aches. For days he will be inconsolable. And for what? So the U.S. can occupy Afghanistan and endlessly fight the Taliban.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is going broke. People en masse are losing their jobs, many are losing their homes, basic services like schools and libraries are threatened, food banks are overwhelmed and prisoners are being released early for lack of funding.
Last night, there were many horn honks and waves of support for the vigil. At the end of the vigil, a 50 ish man on a motorcycle stared intensely at the sign and then lifted his black helmet to the top of his head. His face was framed by a gray goatee.
"My son came home from Iraq," he said in a serious tone, while looking me squarely in the eyes. "He came home in February."
"Did he come home safely," I asked. "Yes," he replied. "And he served two tours of duty there. I'm sorry for your loss."
"My loss was not an immediate family member," I replied. "But the loss of everyone who has paid so severe a price because of that war."
He nodded, appearing surprised that anyone could get involved with a vigil who had not lost a family member. But we are all family and are all affected by the tragedy of these wars. Most Americans will understand this better when the economy collapses jeopardizing everything they have worked for.
But it's not too late. We can stop these wars and the financial catastrophe. It starts with you and me raising our voices on behalf of those who have none, the victims of the U.S.'s wars. They need you and your nation needs you to speak up before it destroys itself.
(posted with permission from
http://candlelightvigils.blogspot.com/2009/07/candlelight-vigil-no-176-7809.html )
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