Resident Scholars of the A.P.I.
Memorial Day 2008
Another Memorial Day. Another yearly reminder of one of the many costs of war, lest we forget. A media occasion for politicians and pundits alike to "catapult the propaganda" over the graves they, themselves, excavated and filled with the dead of yet another generation. Hours of mind-numbing oration, crocodile tears, and movies starring American's favorite pretend warrior, Marion Morrison (John Wayne), mark today's tribute to this nation's militarism. Another Memorial Day. Been there. Done that. It is time to turn the page.
Of course, we mourn those who have been taken from this life by provocateurs who dream of wealth, power, and domination. There are 365 days in a year. We remember our lost loved ones on each and every day. What we must not forget is that the war against Iraq, like its predecessor in Vietnam 40 years ago, began in a fog of falsehoods and is being fought in vain. The American people were deliberately lied to and the Iraqi people were intentionally lied about.
Our society has long been dominated by a culture that differs little from the ancient civilizations that practiced human sacrifice. The young are nurtured, harvested, and indoctrinated to obediently surrender their lives to the ruling class. Ceremonial incantations obfuscate the true purpose of the "ultimate sacrifice" that awaits. Liberty, valor, duty, perseverance, freedom, and honor are the magic words that marched two generations into wars of choice fought to advance the imperial profiteering of a ruthless corporate elite.
It is in the Temple of Greed that the pageant nears its end. There, the cold-blooded priests who claim moral high ground, circle and kill to appease the voracious appetite of their God. We are then called upon to play our parts. We are to memorialize by observing a "moment of remembrance" to honor "the fallen".
"The fallen" have been exploited continuously since the pre "Shock and Awe" soften 'em up bombing sorties over Iraq to post-surge present. A moment of truth begs observation as well.THEY DIDN'T FALL. THEY WERE PUSHED!
During a "moment of remembrance" another page was turned. It turned away from John Wayne's simulated silver screen heroism and away from both the flames of war and the ill winds that fan them. The next page focuses entirely on justice for we must remember that "our fallen" and the war dead in Iraq have been murdered by a sociopathic American leadership and its entourage of obedient groupies.
So spare the mock sentimentality, pompous rituals, and patriotic platitudes. We must strip away the camouflage that has shrouded our nation's capitol in secrecy for eight long years to expose those whose crimes against humanity demand punishment. Let us pledge to memorialize and honor "the fallen" by seeking justice for the crimes that extinguished their lives and the lives of over one million innocent Iraqi citizens. Let us pledge to investigate and bring to trial the members of the most destructive, criminal regime in America's history. The Hague is waiting.
............Wage Peace............
...Kitchen Window Woman...
Of course, we mourn those who have been taken from this life by provocateurs who dream of wealth, power, and domination. There are 365 days in a year. We remember our lost loved ones on each and every day. What we must not forget is that the war against Iraq, like its predecessor in Vietnam 40 years ago, began in a fog of falsehoods and is being fought in vain. The American people were deliberately lied to and the Iraqi people were intentionally lied about.
Our society has long been dominated by a culture that differs little from the ancient civilizations that practiced human sacrifice. The young are nurtured, harvested, and indoctrinated to obediently surrender their lives to the ruling class. Ceremonial incantations obfuscate the true purpose of the "ultimate sacrifice" that awaits. Liberty, valor, duty, perseverance, freedom, and honor are the magic words that marched two generations into wars of choice fought to advance the imperial profiteering of a ruthless corporate elite.
It is in the Temple of Greed that the pageant nears its end. There, the cold-blooded priests who claim moral high ground, circle and kill to appease the voracious appetite of their God. We are then called upon to play our parts. We are to memorialize by observing a "moment of remembrance" to honor "the fallen".
"The fallen" have been exploited continuously since the pre "Shock and Awe" soften 'em up bombing sorties over Iraq to post-surge present. A moment of truth begs observation as well.THEY DIDN'T FALL. THEY WERE PUSHED!
During a "moment of remembrance" another page was turned. It turned away from John Wayne's simulated silver screen heroism and away from both the flames of war and the ill winds that fan them. The next page focuses entirely on justice for we must remember that "our fallen" and the war dead in Iraq have been murdered by a sociopathic American leadership and its entourage of obedient groupies.
So spare the mock sentimentality, pompous rituals, and patriotic platitudes. We must strip away the camouflage that has shrouded our nation's capitol in secrecy for eight long years to expose those whose crimes against humanity demand punishment. Let us pledge to memorialize and honor "the fallen" by seeking justice for the crimes that extinguished their lives and the lives of over one million innocent Iraqi citizens. Let us pledge to investigate and bring to trial the members of the most destructive, criminal regime in America's history. The Hague is waiting.
............Wage Peace............
...Kitchen Window Woman...
Labels: Iraq, Memorail Day, memorialize, moment of remembrance, moral high ground, sacrifice, Shock and Awe, the fallen, The Hague, Vietnam
posted by Kitchen Window Woman at 4:35 PM
6 Comments:
KWW, you could not have said it any better! You took the thoughts right out of my mind!!......All weekend I have been appalled by all of the cheesy war movies and memorials on TV that seemed to want to squeeze some sort of emotion from us. (They "sqooze" disgust from me.) Glorify peace seeking and peace keeping, honor truth & honesty in government (is that an oxymoron?), and show gratitude to the men and women, like you and Catfish, who "take it to the streets" with homemade signs calling for an end to war. We need a new holiday that is the antipathy of our Memorial Day.
Auntie
I'll be honest with you. I very rarely read Memorial Day posts, because so many of them end up plastic, artificial, and politically correct. Yours was the wonderful exception!!! When I finished reading your post, I went back and read it again, and still again, with tears in my eyes, and pure rage in my throat. This post should be on billboards coast to coast.
"Let us pledge to investigate and bring to trial the members of the most destructive, criminal regime in America's history. The Hague is waiting."
You have my pledge. As long as I am alive, I will watch and hope for one thing - the death of one or more Bush's. That will be a start to honoring those long gone..
billboards indeed. honest post and the best i have read. thank you.
AUNTIE...
I'd been thinking about what I was going to write on Memorial Day for a long time. I finally decided to write exactly what I was thinking and feeling.
Memorial Day has become a day of exploitation. Those who fought in all of our wars are exploited equally to perpetuate the fraudulent use of our military today. The American military is being used to expand a corporate empire with little regard for international law or human rights. We have gone from a nation noted for fairness to a flag-waving, nuke happy global bully.
People think that they are patriots because they sit there holding a tissue to catch the occasional tear for a few hours on Memorial Day. Nothing is further from the truth - they, like the population of Germany under Hitler, have willingly followed a criminal regime.
Some people prefer the maudlin pageantry as it enables them to emote on cue. That seems to be the national preference at this time. It is probably too much responsibility and way too much work for them think for themselves.
It is tragic that the young whose lives were stolen may be used as props forever in the propaganda plays produced by the American war machine. This Memorial Day we took steps to liberate them so they can truly rest in peace.
THE FUTURE WAS YESTERDAY...
What is it about those of us who are orginally from Michigan? As you can see in my Auntie's comment above we feel the same about the blathering pretense that passes as honoring the dead. You are equally outspoken, and as I recall a Michigander, too.
Was it the education we all got in the mitten state way back then? I've had a thing for justice and fairness all of my life. Anyway, thank you for pledging to seek justice for the victims of the American illegal wars that have been fought for profit. It is wonderful to know that here and there, citizens exist, upon whom brainwashing failed.
BETMO...
Thank you. I was just writing what was inside. I thought that many would be offended and maybe some are but it all needed to be said. The value of human life has gone cheap here in Bush's America and that is "war criminally wrong".
As much as I may agree with you KWW, I don't think America is quite ready for that kind of reality show just yet!
Top Model? check.
Idol? check.
Big Brother? check.
But actually dealing with the truth behind the war (sorry, conflict), the collusion of big business, the erosion of civil liberties and all the other 'necessary steps to protect america' from [insert appropriate threat of the week] is really really unlilely to make it to the public domain, much less the Hague.
If only.....
c0y0te
http://www.avalon5.com
Great post, Sister. Once again, you make me rethink my preconceptions, yet I still find myself forced to honor those who have died. Your post, however, strengthens my resolve to bring their murderers (Bush & Co.), to justice.
d.
Post a Comment
<< Home