America's "strong and resolute" Commander in Chief is safely enjoying a five-week vacation on his Texas ranch. Yes, that would be the ranch he owns by virtue of that silver spoon that was dangling out of his mouth as he passed down the birth canal. Following his example from Vietnam, his daughters remain stateside as Bush pontificates the nobility of the cause for which 2,000 Americans have died in Iraq. Despite his unflinching conviction, Mr. Bush lacks the courage to confront Cindy Sheehan and explain to her why her son really died. Ultimately George Bush bears the responsibility for the death of Casey Sheehan, yet he refuses to take a few minutes of his precious "R&R" to impart his wisdom to Cindy about the noble reasons for which he is putting our troops in harm's way. He owes her and the rest of America an answer, but this Evangelical crusader cannot summon the mettle to meet with her on his own doorstep.

Your lies are revealed and your cover is blown

Support for the war continues to wane. According to a recent poll conducted by the highly respected, non-partisan Pew Research Center, 51 percent of Americans believe that Bush deliberately misled the public about whether or not Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction (the primary justification for initiating the war). 58 percent of Americans now believe that the United States will not be able to establish a democratic, stable government in Iraq (the notion that the United States would establish the Iraqi government underscores the imperialistic nature of America's intentions). Only 43 percent of Americans are now predicting a victory in Iraq. It is time to start bringing our troops home to safety and to stop the senseless slaughter of Iraqi civilians (the "collateral damage").

The Grimm truth

If fairy tales were true, the United States would be involved in the truly noble cause of "spreading freedom," and America would have "firmly planted the flag of liberty" in Iraq. However, reality keeps rearing its ugly head to mock the fiction that the United States is an altruistic, benevolent super-power sowing the seeds of democracy in the Middle East. For openers, consider the deaths of thousands of innocent Iraqis resulting from "collateral damage" inflicted by the American military. Bestowing a "better government" as an altruistic gesture would not involve obscene and scandalous profits for members of the military industrial complex like Bechtel and Halliburton, would it? What spiritually aware human being could overlook the widespread Iraqi civilian suffering and death caused by the brutal economic sanctions the United States spear-headed for 10 years prior to the war and perpetuated by the American invasion and occupation? How about the use of lies and defiance of the UN to initiate the invasion? Torture and abuse of prisoners of war are not characteristic actions of a nation "spreading freedom" or planting a "flag of liberty." Suffering, war, terror, and death are the bitter harvest the Iraqis are reaping, and the flag firmly planted in their soil is one of economic servitude to the American Empire.

"We the People" still have a voice

On September 24, United for Peace and Justice (http://unitedforpeace.org/) and International ANSWER (http://www.internationalanswer.org/) will orchestrate a non-violent march to the White House (involving an anticipated hundreds of thousands of advocates for peace and social justice). The participants will make the following demands upon the administration:

1. Stop the war in Iraq

2. End colonial occupation from Iraq to Palestine to Haiti

3. Support the Palestinian People's Right of Return

4. Stop the threats against Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, and North Korea

5. United Stats out of the Philippines and Puerto Rico

6. Bring all the troops home now

7. Stop the racist, anti-immigrant and anti-labor offensive at home

8. Defend Civil Rights

9. Military recruiters out of our schools and communities

Not coincidentally, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, two of the American Empire's primary vehicles for enhancing corporate profits and wielding financial tyranny over other nations, will be meeting to plan further economic conquest as protestors are delivering their demands to the White House.

You've got to change your evil ways, baby...

America needs to drop its obsession with being number one. It is time for the United States to become a member of the world community rather than a murderous bully. Obscene over-consumption is the hallmark of the United States. People of other industrialized nations enjoy a respectable standard of living without consuming a quarter of the world's resources (while representing only 5 percent of the world's population). Other nations face reprisals and penalties for the violation of international law. Without regard for justice, the United States wields International law like a club or blatantly defies it, depending on what best suits American interests at the time. Ongoing support of repressive regimes (like Saudi Arabia's) to further America's economic interests, unflinching support of its proxy military enforcer in the Middle East (Israel), disregard for the plight of the Palestinians, and hypocrisy over who gets to join the "nuclear club" are but a few more examples of how America's government engenders more abhorrence of America and invites continued terrorism.

Remember when the "good old days" were not so good?

Emma Goldman, a crusader for social justice until her death in 1940, was imprisoned by the US government during World War I for daring to criticize mandatory conscription, and was eventually deported to Russia (with J. Edgar Hoover presiding at her deportation hearing). Despite her US citizenship, she was banished from the US for having the audacity to question the leaders of the American Empire. With great clarity, she described the Empire of her time:

"The history of the American kings of capital and authority is the history of repeated crimes, injustice, oppression, outrage, and abuse, all aiming at the suppression of individual liberties and the exploitation of the people. A vast country, rich enough to supply all her children with all possible comforts, and insure well-being to all, is in the hands of a few, while the nameless millions are at the mercy of ruthless wealth gatherers, unscrupulous lawmakers, and corrupt politicians. Sturdy sons of America are forced to tramp the country in a fruitless search for bread, and many of her daughters are driven into the street, while thousands of tender children are daily sacrificed on the altar of Mammon. The reign of these kings is holding mankind in slavery, perpetuating poverty and disease, maintaining crime and corruption; it is fettering the spirit of liberty, throttling the voice of justice, and degrading and oppressing humanity. It is engaged in continual war and slaughter, devastating the country and destroying the best and finest qualities of man; it nurtures superstition and ignorance, sows prejudice and strife, and turns the human family into a camp of Ishmaelites."

She published these words as part of her New Declaration of Independence in 1909. In spite of the humanitarian gains of the Twentieth Century, the American Empire is thriving, and Emma Goldman's words ring as true today as they did in 1909.

I leave you with one final thought, complements of Theodor Seuss Geisel, from The Lorax: "Unless someone like you cares a whole, awful lot. Things aren't going to get better, they're NOT!"

--Jason Miller, a longer version of this can be found at http://civillibertarian.blogspot.com/.