Last night at the vigil for Cindy....

[GOPFighter]

...it dawned on me that there is something terribly wrong with a society that has to work so hard to end an illegal and unnecessary war. Shouldn't it be the other way around? The people who ADVOCATE going to war should be the ones that have to organize and hold vigils and convince the rest of us war is the answer.

We've got it bass ackwards here in America. Will it ever change?

[Jade Fox]

1. What's terribly wrong is....

that our elected officials and media are completely non-representative of
the wishes and concerns of the majority of Americans! Don't these people
(the government and the media) read the same freaking polls that we
do?

We are functionally no longer a democracy.

[obxhead]

2. One day it will change.

Right after the real collapse of our economic, social, and political systems.

[Terran1212]

3. You're completely right

60% of americans oppose the war and we can't end it? What democracy?

[JohnyCanuck]

4. I like your line of thinking.

But unfortunately humans can be easily manipulated with propaganda techniques into thinking war is a necessity, and since the politicians with the power to start wars to a large extent are heavily influenced, if not outright controled, by powerful business interests which find war very profitable and good for the bottom line, we get war out the ying yang. This is exactly what Ike was no doubt concerned about when he warned about the "Military/Industrial complex."

I read somewhere that Eisenhower had originally intended to warn about the dangers of a "Military/Industrial/CONGRESSIONAL Complex" in his famous farewell speech, but decided it would be a bit too hard for the audience to take if he warned them that their politicians couldn't be trusted along with their military and business leadership, so he removed the "Congressional" part from the name of the complex leaving just Military/Industrial. Of course if he were writing that speech today. He'd have to warn of the "Military/Industrial/Congressional/Presidential/Vice-Presidential/Judicial Complex."

Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

-- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.htm

See also:

Brainwashing America by Dr. Norman Livergood.

The puppet Bush regime is using new, aggressive forms of brainwashing to change the very way Americans think and feel.

This is the psychological dimension of the demonic cabal's general onslaught against American workers, just as the "war on terrorism" is the military dimension and corporate crime and tax cuts for the rich comprise the economic dimension.

We are living under the beginning stages of a military dictatorship in precisely the same way that 1930s Germans suffered under the Nazi regime.

As in the case of Nazi Germany, state-sponsored propaganda (brainwashing) is a vital part of the Bush regime's strategy.

http://www.hermes-press.com/brainwash1.htm

[JohnyCanuck]

5. kick

[Lisa]

6. wouldn't it be great if the White House had to hold bake sales ...

... in order to justify going to war!