Published on Thursday, September 27, 2012 by Common Dreams
'It is time for the US to cease its persecution of WikiLeaks, to cease its
persecution of our people, and to cease its persecution of our alleged
sources.'
Commentary:
As I read this Article and the ensuing Comments, I
am heartened to see that there is still an active undercurrent of doubt and
questioning in the United States regarding government policies and direction.
I’m afraid I don’t agree with Julian Assange’s divulgence of what borders on Military
classified and secret documentation of our execution of wars in the Middle
East. I have experienced the United States Military and I get a little upset
that what Mr. Assange is making public has the potential to result in
unnecessary harm to our Men and Women in Uniform.
I think I understand what Mr. Assange was trying to
do. I am also aware the in the “information age” there is the potential to
unleash volumes of information before you realize what impact it may have.
Certainly, Bradley Manning had absolutely no right to gather and pass
Government documents of any kind. That is treason, and, under The Code of
Military Justice, treason is punishable
by death.{Enough said!}
If, indeed, we are speaking about the cessation of
persecution, let us not dwell solely on Mr. Assange and his Wikileaks fiasco.
We desperately need to engage in a discussion, and come to some conclusions,
regarding the way the United States treats foreign Countries, both friend and
foe. One of the first misconceptions of Foreign Policy is the theory of “Nation
Building”. Nobody seems to be asking the question; “Whose Nation are we
building?” Under close scrutiny, one would tend to think we are intent on
building our own Nation on Foreign shores. This, to me, sounds a lot like
Colonialism. If my History lessons were correct, Colonialism works for a while,
then comes tumbling down around you more often than not in violence (ref. The
American Revolution.)
There must be a better way for both the short-term
and the long-term. Instead of rushing headlong into the fray of Foreign
Affairs, it may be prudent to do a little homework first. We live in a fairly
intelligent society, and we should be able to study people, places, and things,
with a bit more diligence than we have shown in the past. This concept is made
vastly easier with the “information age” upon us; we have every bit of
information we need virtually at our fingertips.
This year may be just the right time to shake that “etch-a-sketch’
clean and start over from scratch. Why this year, you may ask? The truth is
that we may not have the opportunity to do this with the leadership of one
Hillary Clinton, for quite some time. The woman is strong, intelligent, very
highly regarded around the World, and it would be a damn shame to miss the
chance of having her lead the way.
I know I’ve packed a lot of food for thought into a
short space, but there are just some things this Country can do now to give our
future generations a chance at life. Right now, the reality is that their lives
are not going to be nearly as stable as ours has been. The United States’ run
as a really great society may have to bottom out and start the long climb back
up the hill to prosperity and prominence. Let’s get the old ball rolling, eh!
