Dear friends,
As our nation’s eyes were focused on the Super Bowl yesterday, I kept thinking about who we are, what we stand for, about the role violence plays as a tool of US foreign policy. . .
Every poll shows that we the people strongly oppose any further escalation in the Iraq war and that we do not want to invade Iran. We are intelligent enough to understand that threatening other people encourages terrorism.
We know that the way to create a safe and sustainable world is to alleviate the root causes of anger and hatred: starvation, poverty, disease, environmental degradation, and injustice. It is what we must do if we want to protect ourselves and our progeny. It is the right thing. It is the practical, pragmatic, and rational approach to solving our most serious problems.
There are voices shouting that a dictator has taken over our government. The Bush administration does indeed defy the will of the people; yet we must not lull ourselves into seeing the current crisis as “his” responsibility. We - you and I - must take action. This is not a football game where we are relegated to the sidelines.
Our politicians - Democrat and Republican alike - are beholden to big money, to the corporations and those who become rich enough from corporate ownership to sponsor candidates. It is essential during this year that kicks off the presidential election campaigns that we make ourselves heard by those who control the purse strings - the corporations - as well as by the politicians. The polls do count, but our voices, our emails, phone calls, marches, demonstrations, protests, and rallies count more. The message we send every time we buy a bottle of water, t-shirt, or loaf of bread is heard at all levels of government and business.
Complacency is our biggest enemy - and the corporatocracy's ally. All you had to do was watch the ads during the Super Bowl to comprehend that those who run our biggest businesses want us to feel like impotent spectators. This is the year when we must show them otherwise; we must stop complaining and instead commit to acting according to our principles. Please join with me. Become a member of Rainforest Action Network, the Pachamama Alliance, Amnesty International or other organizations that are forcing corporations to become good citizens.
Sign up with www.moveon.org to support their e-mail and phone-in campaigns. Subscribe to www.democracynow.org and other media outlets that offer real journalism. Call your Congresspeople. Buy as little as possible, make things last, and when you must shop do so consciously.
If the “surge” becomes a reality, if more troops are sent to Iraq, or if the White House launches an invasion of Iran, do not hesitate. Don't be complacent. Take to the streets. This is a time for courage - and actions that reflect the feelings in our hearts – and the love we hold for the Earth and future generations of all living creatures.
The Secret History of the American Empire by John Perkins
Pre-Order at Amazon.com
Visit the John Perkins Collection at the Global Dialogue Center
Confessions of Economic Hit Man with new material in paperback
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