"It's an obvious question: Why don't our leaders tell the people the truth? When they're going
to destroy Iraq, say, why don't they announce: "Look, we want to control the international oil system. We want to establish the
principle that the world is ruled by force, because that's the only thing that we're good at. We want to prevent any
independent nationalism. We've got nothing against Saddam Hussein. He's a friend of ours. He's tortured and gassed people.
That was fine. But then he disobeyed orders. Therefore, he must be destroyed as a lesson to other people: Don't disobey orders."
Why don't they just say that? It has the advantage of being true. It's much easier to tell the truth than to concoct all sorts
of crazy lies. Much less work. Why don't they say that? Because they know that people are basically decent. In fact, that's
the only reason for all the fabrication. Our leaders believe that people are decent and that there is hope.
And I think they're right. In fact, the more distortion and lies and deceit you hear, the more you know that people have an
instinct for freedom."
-Noam Chomsky 1992
"He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake,
since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at
command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so
base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder."
-Albert Einstein
"The gospel of the monarchical patriotism is: 'The King can do no wrong.' We have adopted it with all its servility, with an
important change in the wording: 'Our country, right or wrong!' We have thrown away the most valuable asset we had: the
individual's right to oppose both flag and country when he believed them to be wrong. We have thrown it away; and with it
all that was really respectable about that grotesque and laughable word, Patriotism."
-Mark Twain, criticizing the nationalist fervor after the
US invasion of the Philippines
Democracy, the modern world's holy cow, is in crisis. And the crisis is a profound one.
Every kind of outrage is being committed in the name of democracy. It has become little more than a hollow word, a
pretty shell, emptied of all content or meaning. It can be whatever you want it to be. Democracy is the Free World's
whore, willing to dress up, dress down, willing to satisfy a whole range of taste, available to be used and abused
at will.
-Arundathi Roy
Annotated critique of President Bush's March 17 Address
Status of the Occupation
US Bombing Watch
Afghan civilian body count, daily update
In the event of a terrorist attack, be prepared.
Donald Rumsfeld with good friend Saddam Hussein, December 20, 1983
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