President Bush, please heed these words: "we must learn to live as brothers or we will be forced to perish as fools":
"... today our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake,
to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge
of change. The large house in which we live demands that we
transform this world-wide neighborhood into a world-wide
brotherhood. Together we must learn to live as brothers or together
we will be forced to perish as fools.
We must work passionately and indefatigably to bridge the gulf
between our scientific progress and our moral progress. One of the
great problems of mankind is that we suffer from a poverty of the
spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and
technological abundance. The richer we have become materially, the
poorer we have become morally and spiritually."
--Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK's vision is good common sense. But how far have we come, since he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, which is when he made this statement?

My take on the current administration is that they are "the richer, materially, and the poorer morally and spiritually." They exude hubris, or poverty of spirit, which enables them to claim the high ground, while systematically looting the nations wealth for themselves and their (extremely wealthy) supporters.

Their idea of the large house we live in is one in which they live, surrounded by security fences and patrolled by jet fighters to keep "the enemy" out. "Enemy" who are captured are stripped of their rights, sent to Guantanamo and held without legal representation, at their command, possibly being put to death.

Their idea of brotherhood is the world doing what they tell it to. A world which is rightly afraid of them, because they use our awesome military might "liberally" against anyone we choose, on false pretences.

Their idea of liberty is one in which there is no justice, except in so far as it pleases them. There is no honesty. They can say what they like and manipulate the truth to support their ends. That is the freedom they seek. And they will trample anyone else's freedom that gets in their way.

Well, that's no freedom. That is dictatorship. But they can't see that. Therefore they need to be removed from office this year. And once a new President is elected, they need to accept the will of the people. But I seriously doubt if we will have a fair election this time. And I really wonder if Bush will accept a defeat.
- posted by geoff @ #