Profiles in Courage
One U.S. Congressman stood up on the House Floor yesterday, February 12th, and ticked off a litany of questions about the absurdity, deceit, and horror of our U.S. Foreign Policy, that challenges all the familiar myths, bromides, and false arguments, and requires us to stop and think anew.
The questions raised are too important not to reflect upon, and so I have posted them here.
The Congressman began:
"Thank you Madam Speaker, Madam Speaker I have a few questions for my colleagues:"
And then he read off his list of questions..
- What if our Foreign Policy of the past Century is deeply flawed, and has not served our National Security interests?
- What if we wake up one day and realize that the "terrorist threat" is a predictable consequence of our meddling in the affairs of others, and has nothing to do with us being "free" and prosperous?
- What if propping up repressive regimes in the Middle East endangers both the United States and Israel?
- What if Occupying Countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, and Bombing Pakistan, is directly related to [ motivates ] the hatred directed toward us?
- What if someday it dawns on us that losing over 5,000 American military personnel in the Middle East since 9/11 is not a fair trade off for the loss of nearly 3,000 American citizens, no matter how many Iraqi, Pakistani, or Afghan people are killed or displaced?
- What if we finally decide that Torture, even if called "enhanced interrogation technique" is self-destructive and produces no useful information, and that contracting it out to a third world nation is just as Evil?
- What if it is finally realized that War and Military Spending, is always destructive to the Economy?
- What if all Wartime Spending is paid for throught the deceitful and evil process of Inflating and Borrowing?
- What if we finally see that Wartime conditions always undermine personal Liberty?
- What if "conservatives" who preach "small government" wake up and realize that our interventionist Foreign Policy provides the greatest incentive to expand the government?
- What if "conservatives" understood once again, that their only logical position is to reject Military Intervention, and managing an Empire throughout the World?
- What if the American people woke up and understood that the official reasons for going to War are almost always based on lies and promoted by War propaganda, in order to serve special interests?
- What if we as a Nation came to realize that the quest for Empire eventually destroys all great Nations?
- What if a Military draft is being planned for, for the Wars that will spread, if our Foreign Policy is not changed?
- What if the American people learn the truth that our Foreign Policy has nothing to do with "National Security", and that it never really changes from one administration to the next?
- What if War and the preparation for War is a racket, serving special interests?
- What if President Obama is completely wrong about Afghanistan, and it turns out worse than Iraq and Vietnam put together?
- What if Christianity actually teaches peace, and not preventive Wars of aggression?
- What if diplomacy is superior to Bombs and bribes in protecting America?
The Congressman then concluded his remarks, with the following warning to us all:
"What happens if my concerns are completely unfounded? Nothing.
But what happens if my concerns are completely justified and ignored? Nothing good"
And who was this honest and courageous U.S. Congressman, speaking real truth to power, and asking these important questions?
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Regardless of your political ideology or Party affiliation, these the are questions that every American politician, and every American Citizen should also be asking, and demanding answers to.
The video will be posted below: