Our Truth

Minds are not conquered by arms, but by greatness of spirit
--Baruch Spinoza

The wave of the future is not the conquest of
the world by a single dogmatic creed but the
liberation of the diverse energies of free nations
--John F. Kennedy

I don't care how little your country is, you got a right to run it like you want to.
When the big nations quit meddling then the world will have peace
--Will Rogers

Welcome to Peoria, Illinois, home of middle America
Ice-cream and apple pie, guns and the Wild West
--Americana, The Kinks
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There is much talk about homeland and security since GWB has been our self-annointed and appointed leader of wartime proportions.

It strikes me rather bluntly that there is no homeland. America is not a geographical entity--it is a concept. That thought turned into action is the U.S. Constitution. Wherever the constitution goes, there is America. Our constitution is so valuable that anything done contrary to its principles is the greatest threat to our geographical homeland.

The constitution is not defined by invasions, preemptive wars and forced democratizations, but by the simple everyday beauty that it conveys to the social life of America. America is defined by the mundane, not the extraordinary. This ethos cannot be forced upon unwilling participants. The Constitution was written for America, and unlike the Bible, it is not a universal document.

The power of the Constitution and the U.S. military are different realities. The latter is purchased with blood and money; the other is purchased with integrity. There is no bayonet stud or selector switch on the Constitution. You should not beat people with it, and it is defended with ideals and ideas, not necessarily firepower.

This concept is lost on the likes of GWB for whom, if he had two good ideas in his head, they'd be like BB's in a septic tank.

The present philosophy of American leadership is to supposedly export American democracy without the benefit of the U.S. Constitution. This will never work, for these are not mutually exclusive concepts. While American democracy is a portable concept that is not tied to flags and partisanship, it was an upwelling unique to this nation.

The shortcomings of Afghanistan and Iraq or any other nation do not compel America to proselytize. America is not contingent upon any other nation joining in our unique project. The constitution is the center of American social and political life. Folks like the religious right have attempted to coopt it and bundle into their ritual worship, but this should be seen for the partisanship it is. The constitution falls under no creed's rubric.

The constitution and the flag and GWB are separate entities. The constitution stands alone and for all that is the best of America. U.S. efforts will never be successful in Iraq, Afghanistan, Columbia, the Philippines, or anywhere unless that truth is examined. The truth now is that our present policies are based upon lies that are contradictory to our constitutional principles.

Our leaders can lie, dissemble and dominate other countries with the force of arms. But when the day ends, the truth is evident even to our elected liars. The truth is that we are lying to ourselves, and that is the basis of our failures and diminishment. If your reasons are lies, than so are your policies.

In the past when American soldiers died, it was not for a piece of real estate but for a piece of irrevocable parchment.