The United States was founded upon the belief that there are certain things that are more important than life.
What is more important than life? Than living?
Some would argue that there is nothing more important than life. This is a common position of some communist ideologues. But even these communist ideologues, when pressed, would agree that their ideology is more important than life.
If life itself were paramount, than all else would fall by the wayside and wars would become meaningless. But life is not paramount and ideology is only one of several factors that are more important than life.
Wars are often fought on the basis of principle. Some of these principles include wealth, power and territory.
In the United States, our founding fathers and our traditions proclaim that human rights, universal democracy, freedom and liberty are all more important than life itself. These are the supposed reasons we are fighting the war in Iraq. If this is not true, then the war in Iraq is a sham, a mockery of the principles upon which America was founded. The war in Iraq would then be a war being fought by the rich and powerful, for the rich and powerful, to protect or to increase their wealth and power.
Whether or not this last statement is true - that the war in Iraq is being fought on bequest of the rich and powerful to maintain or expand their hold on wealth and power - is easily determined by observing the actions of our government in other areas.
If the government shows compassion, caring and attention to the individual rights of the people; to fairness, to peace, to honesty, to integrity, to liberty, to democracy, to freedom; then we can be assured that the government is one in which the Principles of America are a function of the character of the government. But if these principles are excluded in the way the government functions; if we see no or little evidence of such principles in the daily activities and operations of the government, then we can be certain that this administration is one in which only power and wealth have meaning.
Should this administration and the governmental apparatus under its control be found in activities which seek to preserve its wealth, power or security, then the Principles of America are being ignored by those who control the functions of the state. If this administration resorts to torture, secret detentions, abuse or violation of the rights of any individual foreign or domestic, then the reins of government are held by those who believe only in power and wealth and the maintenance of their own position (security).
The government may claim such actions are necessary to protect national security, but what is "national security"?
If our nation was founded upon the principles of freedom, liberty, human rights and democracy with such rights innate upon each individual, then our nation is dependent upon maintaining and securing (security) these rights and principles for each individual.
Our nation's security (National Security) then is based on the government preserving, maintaining and where and when possible expanding these rights for each person.
If the government fails to do this, it is not acting upon the basis of national security but only on the privilege and prestige of the rich and powerful - of those who lay claim to the functions of government.
Such a position is antithetical to a nation founded upon human rights, democracy, freedom and liberty for all. Such a position cannot be said to be "national security" but only the protection of those who seek to expand their wealth and power.
Is our nation protecting the rights of the individual which is true national security, or is it protecting only the power and riches of a few?
"Governments are mere machinery. It is the men who control them that count."
-unknown
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin
Decide for yourself. Does this administration believe in the Principles of our Founding Fathers? Or is the war in Iraq a sham conducted only to preserve the wealth and power of those running the government?
The truth is revealed in the evidence. The evidence is the actions of government. Katrina, domestic spying and lies from the White House are all evidence.
You decide. What kind of government do we have? What kind of Administration is this?
