Fiat justitia, ruat caelum

An article written by Glenn Greenwald recently brought to light the intention of the US government to continue its “war on terror” for two more decades.  What initially began as a campaign to annihilate some cave dwellers supposedly* responsible for a terrorist attack on the United States has morphed into a global war of aggression against anyone who would advocate or support egalitarian humanism on behalf of the citizens of Mother Earth. It is the humble recommendation of this blogger that a re-branding is in order.  From this day forth the global “war on terror” shall hereinafter be referred to as the, ready for it, drumroll please… “War against Justice.” Why should the sphere of war and real terror escape the application of proper nomenclature?

The latest victims of the club-wielding mouth breathers are two young men who decided to speak out against the spectre presented by unchecked abuses of power – Bradley Manning and Jeremy Hammond. Please do not depend upon Faux News, CBS (Crony Broadcasting Service) or any of the other “mainstream” news outlets to inform yourselves about these issues.   There are great journalists covering these stories with an unusual bias for truth and accuracy in journalism.  For example, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now recently penned a piece that addresses the situation confronting these champions of justice. Meanwhile, another of our SuperFriends- Julian Assange sits in limbo at the Ecuadorean embassy in London thanks to the civility of President Rafael Correa.

The perpetrators of this war against justice (has a nice ring to it right?) have decreed that the general public MUST remain in the dark concerning the abuses conducted in the name of democracy. Abu Ghraib, water-boarding, the lies to the UN to facilitate the pillage and colonization of Iraq, and other stories should never have reached the American public. The Fourth Estate must be repossessed by the government in the same manner that Citibank and Chase, after receiving T.A.R.P. funds, repossessed millions of homes belonging to lower income families.  Moreover, whistleblowers in the US experience the harsh reality of discovering what occurs when you actually defend the Constitution and speak out against wrongful acts and miscarriages of justice.

So where am I going with this? I did not intend this to be merely preaching to the choir but a plea for help.  We need to raise awareness of issues where the government actions are adverse to the public interest. A successful democracy requires public discourse to remain successful. Talking about the Independent candidates running for public office can’t hurt as well. I’m sure a few more guys like Bernie Sanders running around on Capitol Hill won’t hurt the public interest.

I must warn you that this is not going to be an easy task. Here in America materialism is often used as an insulator from intelligence and critical thinking.  There are many who live on the “right” side of the tracks and drive the “right” model automobile. This often translates into an increased sense of self-worth and importance.  They buttress this ego with the notion that poverty is a function of laziness and society is a well-oiled meritocracy.  The “official” version of events is also the correct one. Ergo, raising delicate issues that contradict Bill O’Reilly and Rush Limbaugh may not be well received.  Courage will definitely be a prerequisite on this one. But, if you see an improved world within your horizon then the prereq is satisfied.

Bradley Manning has taught me about the definition of courage. His actions can only be defined as heroic. Throughout history, the rank and file often justify the atrocity of their conduct by raising the defense of “I was only following orders.” Here is a man who did not see that as satisfactory. He did not care about commanding officers and the hierarchical structure of oppression used in the military. If something cannot be reconciled with justice, the fact that the command was issued by General Idontvaluehumanlife or President Wemustkillandtaketheoil  does not change the character of the action. The ends never justify the means as the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. Another blogger wrote a great piece discussing the issue confronting Mr. Manning that is well worth reading.

This young man deserves a monument in Washington D.C. alongside good ole’ Honest Abe. He possesses an intuitive understanding of that which philosophers have often struggled to define- JUSTICE.

One love,

HJ

*I used the word supposedly because there are many around the globe who have often questioned the suspension of the laws of chemistry and physics on the grounds where the World Trade Centers were erected. Here is a calculation that is logically sound. If you understand some chemistry and can refute the argument, I would enjoy looking at your analysis. The thrust of it is that the exothermic reaction caused by explosion of the airplane fuel is insufficient to cause collapse, additional energy needs to be introduced into the system. “Remember the Maine!!”