Bush' war
 

http://www.nion.us




A STATEMENT OF CONSCIENCE


Not In
Our Name


Let it not be said that people in the United States did nothing when their government declared a war without limit and instituted stark new measures of repression.



The signers of this statement call on the people of the U.S. to resist the policies and overall political direction that have emerged since September 11, 2001, and which pose grave dangers to the people of the world.



We believe that peoples and nations have the right to determine their own destiny, free from military coercion by great powers. We believe that all persons detained or prosecuted by the United States government should have the same rights of due process. We believe that questioning, criticism, and dissent must be valued and protected. We understand that such rights and values are always contested and must be fought for.



We believe that people of conscience must take responsibility for what their own governments do -- we must first of all oppose the injustice that is done in our own name. Thus we call on all Americans to RESIST the war and repression that has been loosed on the world by the Bush administration. It is unjust, immoral, and illegitimate. We choose to make common cause with the people of the world.



We too watched with shock the horrific events of September 11, 2001. We too mourned the thousands of innocent dead and shook our heads at the terrible scenes of carnage -- even as we recalled similar scenes in Baghdad, Panama City, and, a generation ago, Vietnam. We too joined the anguished questioning of millions of Americans who asked why such a thing could happen.



But the mourning had barely begun, when the highest leaders of the land unleashed a spirit of revenge. They put out a simplistic script of “good vs. evil” that was taken up by a pliant and intimidated media. They told us that asking why these terrible events had happened verged on treason. There was to be no debate. There were by definition no valid political or moral questions. The only possible answer was to be war abroad and repression at home.




In our name, the Bush administration, with near unanimity from Congress, not only attacked Afghanistan but arrogated to itself and its allies the right to rain down military force anywhere and anytime. The brutal repercussions have been felt from the Philippines to Palestine, where Israeli tanks and bulldozers have left a terrible trail of death and destruction. The government now openly prepares to wage all-out war on Iraq -- a country which has no connection to the horror of September 11. What kind of world will this become if the U.S. government has a blank check to drop commandos, assassins, and bombs wherever it wants?



In our name, within the U.S., the government has created two classes of people: those to whom the basic rights of the U.S. legal system are at least promised, and those who now seem to have no rights at all. The government rounded up over 1,000 immigrants and detained them in secret and indefinitely. Hundreds have been deported and hundreds of others still languish today in prison. This smacks of the infamous concentration camps for Japanese-Americans in World War 2. For the first time in decades, immigration procedures single out certain nationalities for unequal treatment.



In our name, the government has brought down a pall of repression over society. The President’s spokesperson warns people to “watch what they say.” Dissident artists, intellectuals, and professors find their views distorted, attacked, and suppressed. The so-called Patriot Act -- along with a host of similar measures on the state level -- gives police sweeping new powers of search and seizure, supervised if at all by secret proceedings before secret courts.



In our name, the executive has steadily usurped the roles and functions of the other branches of government. Military tribunals with lax rules of evidence and no right to appeal to the regular courts are put in place by executive order. Groups are declared “terrorist” at the stroke of a presidential pen.



We must take the highest officers of the land seriously when they talk of a war that will last a generation and when they speak of a new domestic order. We are confronting a new openly imperial policy towards the world and a domestic policy that manufactures and manipulates fear to curtail rights.



There is a deadly trajectory to the events of the past months that must be seen for what it is and resisted. Too many times in history people have waited until it was too late to resist.




President Bush has declared: “you’re either with us or against us.” Here is our answer: We refuse to allow you to speak for all the American people. We will not give up our right to question. We will not hand over our consciences in return for a hollow promise of safety. We say NOT IN OUR NAME. We refuse to be party to these wars and we repudiate any inference that they are being waged in our name or for our welfare. We extend a hand to those around the world suffering from these policies; we will show our solidarity in word and deed.



We who sign this statement call on all Americans to join together to rise to this challenge. We applaud and support the questioning and protest now going on, even as we recognize the need for much, much more to actually stop this juggernaut. We draw inspiration from the Israeli reservists who, at great personal risk, declare “there IS a limit” and refuse to serve in the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.



We also draw on the many examples of resistance and conscience from the past of the United States: from those who fought slavery with rebellions and the underground railroad, to those who defied the Vietnam war by refusing orders, resisting the draft, and standing in solidarity with resisters.



Let us not allow the watching world today to despair of our silence and our failure to act. Instead, let the world hear our pledge: we will resist the machinery of war and repression and rally others to do everything possible to stop it.

bump

That bastard

Ugh UN#1, that was waaay too long. I found myself randomly skipping paragraphs just to get through it. Although confusing at times, there was only one sentence that stuck out to me as complete idiocy.

"We refuse to allow you to speak for all the American people."

This was the quote of an American in response to Bush stating, "You are either with us, or against us."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason behind our President is to have someone elected by the majority of the nation's people, for the reason of having that person speak for our nation in all circumstances.

When your enemy has no conciense, morals, or even a rational objective the rules change considerably. If we do not adapt to contest them we will lose much more then some basic freedoms or a few hours of our lives in line at the airport. I would rather live in an "opressive" America then anywhere else in the world.

UN#1, You have a good point, From what I saw it was 'Just don't fight'

Even if the US took that advice, Iraq, and others would not, and would severely damage us.

That's just pointless... No country has actually threatened the US, just the US has threatened OTHER countries

God, why are some people so blind that they can't seem to get past the facts of the matter?

Why are you so sure we are the "blinded"???? I refuse to believe that anyone is threatening the US, I just can see hypocrisy in this stupid war, with the only purpose of having whole control over middle-orient (and It's oil) by leaving kuwait and Israel (US allies) to have control over the area...

BTW, don't claim any other country to be threatening of using nuclear warfare on you when
1st- There's NO evidence
2nd- Us is the country with more nuclear weapons of the whole earth
3rd- US is the only country who has ever used nuclear weapons against populated areas.

Now, WHO'S BLIND????

Now, who understood what the fuck was just written?

Heh all they want is to Take Sadam out, but if the point is taking all dictators out why dotn they do it in cuba? china? and the other load of countries with dictators

I did.

Wow, I hope so, you wrote it shmuck.

I keep thinking that it's legible, my english is even worse now but, I think you prefer not to understand it, just cuz u have no points to give a valid reply

:bitch:

I know English isn't your first language, I was just busting your chops. Anyway, I'm not replying because I haven't heard of one original idea of why Bush is such an idiot for pushing towards war. Everyone hear just listens to the news, hears the opinons of a few protestors, and posts that shit here.

Think for yourselves people.

There's no need of other "protestors" to think for us when the matter is SO OBVIOUS...
-An Imperialist chief of the world wanting whole control over middle orient (or it's oil).
-An Imperialist chief of the world that feeds other "loyal to USA" sanguinaire tyrants going into war agains "unloyal" ones
-An Imperialist chief of the world who violates every single UN resolution (and 2 UN "laws or decrets or however you call it".
-Thousands of ciivilians killed while they're suppossedly being freed.
-Hans Blix requesting 1 extra month to investigate about mass destruction weps: Bush doesn't care
-UN requesting 1 extra month to investigate about mass destruction weps: Bush doesn't care
- Countries as Chile resquesting 3xtra weeks to investigate about mass destruction weps: Bush doesn't care
-Why bush doesn't care??? CUZ EVERY INVESTIGATION DONE TILL NOW HAVE PROVEN HIM WRONG



- To sum up: A POINTLESS WAR

Now again, i think it's pretty obvious that there's no point for this war but go ahead and keep saying whatever about people thinking for us.... Won't it be that people like you that "think for theirselves" and hold the same points as their dummy president does HAVE NO PROVEN POINT TO HOLD AND ONLY DESIRE BLOOD, now this may not prove bush being such and idiot but can prove him being such a mutherfucker.



EDIT: forgot to say that i NEVER listen to the news (biased in here, Aznar is as nazi as bush) But i have my sources and those sources are not "protestors". Think for yourself people.

Bush doesnt care because all this is is more bullshit. All he is doing is talking, and we are sick of it... How many times does he have to fail this fucking exam by the UN inspectors before we go to war.... What would 30 days do anyways? At the end of those 30 days, it would just be 30 MORE days, and I think bush is taking the right stance on this by pushing towards war, no more talk.

And Surp, were do you live anyways?

Why the F*** should we follow UN resolutions when the ball less wonders wont lift a finger to stop an insane (yes he is QUITE insane) want to be Hitler. We have had 12 yrs. and tons of their usual diplomatic, hide their head in the sand, and wait for the problem to go away, bullshit already.

Jeezus man the world seems to think that the USA is off to conquer the world but it just aint so. The USA wants SECURITY for its people. And please do not say we are not threatened.

Remember 9-11 jackass?? That little plan was hatched in some shithole cave halfway around the world in an Afghan shithole. The conditions that are created when a country is lawless and in anarchy or controlled by a wacko despot create and foster the conditions that help terrorists thrive, and in this modern age one Al Qaeda sicko with a plane could kill a half million people with sponsorship from a taliban or saddam.

I have my problems with the USA and its policies at times, I dont see why our defense budget for next year will be more then every other country in the world COMBINED! (yes, all 191 of em lol) But I dont think its to conquer the world, not just yet anyway.

We will start with the french first. :killgrin:

Of course they will just surrender lol.

I think one of the reasons why Bush wants to war with Iraq is because of the rich natural resources...