Placid Consent

We all have entered a state of placid acceptance—where no one even thinks to ask a question, much less raise an objection. Historical precedence, independent analysis, and common sense are rapidly becoming abstractions of the past as we wallow in the unchecked jingoism and imperial fantasies that our leaders have embraced.

War in Iraq seems inevitable. It is not. Neither is the concealment of truth. The ostensible reasons for our invasion of Iraq change with the wind. First they were helping the 9/11 terrorists, then they would not allow weapons inspectors, and now, as the curtain rises, everything becomes clear. The nepotism and imperial greed that drives the Bush Administration cannot allow Saddam to survive—the outward motive changes but blood and oil are thicker than any conjuring of truth could ever be.

Recently I heard a snippet from a news network’s talking head. He contrasted the robber barons of the 19th century with today’s “wrongdoers”. Both abused and misused the markets, the labor force, and the public, but the founding fathers of today’s criminal CEO left us a morsel in their gluttonous wake. The robber barons built railroads and bridges; today’s CEO’s built themselves mansions. Do we need to go half around the world to find the enemy of the downtrodden? A short trip to any affluent suburb would yield the most change for those who suffer beneath the yoke of inequity.

Government does more to facilitate injustices perpetrated by the rich than to stem the tide of greed and misfortune they have unleashed on the world. We are willing to quickly attribute the failures of the system to others instead of looking within. “Overthrow Saddam! Regime Change Now!” is the mantra the Bush Administration uses to deflect nasty inquiries into any number of real issues that have begun to trouble the people. How will an attack on Iraq ensure that another CEO does not destroy his employees’ lives? How will an attack on Iraq avert terror when our imperial policies produce poverty and disdain in a huge portion of the world’s people?

Our supposed focus is on the terrorist. It is he who is destroying our society. What can we say to the terrorist when we use the same violence to enact our beliefs? What can we say about cooperation when we renounce or break every treaty we are party to? Many Americans don’t recognize the dramatic changes that have occurred in US policy and threaten their lives. Deterrence was considered the cornerstone of our country’s foreign policy. It has been usurped by a policy of pre-emptive action that has turned us into the bully that we proclaim to hate. If we strike first, regardless of the battle’s final outcome, democracy, justice, and peace will surely lose. We must not become the aggressor. The world already stands aghast as our Congress rubber stamps a war fit for our new Empire. Peace and diplomacy will restore our dignity and honor—bombs and bullets will only bring us shame and isolation.