SELF EXAMINATION

From the safe, prosperous, ignorantly numb and arrogant middle of the United States. Where the reality of the conflict is NEVER presented on any public medium. Where your suffering is no more than a 2 minute update on the evening news sandwiched between reruns of "Seinfeld" and some sporting event. Out of all the lies, horrors, video and commentary on the war, your photo of that poor mother and her beautiful baby "the hope of life" so brutally extinguished has overwhelmed me in anger, tears and empathy. First, I am so so sorry for what my country has wrought upon your people. It is a wrong beyond my feeble attempts for words. My people ARE ignorant, believing only what is presented to them in the biased and sanitized media outlets. They are not only guilty of ignorance but a willful ignorance, which is worse. Americans don't want to know because in their hearts they really don't care. Of course, they would never ever admit that. The reality is they care about their food, ipods, NASCAR, PTA meetings, pursuit of money, and their indulgence in "sex, drugs and rock n roll". Our "rugged individualism" has mutated into blind selfishness. There are alternatives out there for information, most Americans don't want to know or find out the reality of our actions. We are fat and indulgent slaves to our appetites. Our moral failures abundantly obvious to everyone except us. Our women aren't even whores as one writer to this site posted a comment on our women and their immorality. They give it away with absolutely no guilt or shame to men who think nothing of satisfying their lusts on our next generation. Our corporations peddle useless products, noxious food, unhealthy habits and behaviors, then "double -dip" by selling the "cures" with the endorsement of government protection, tax breaks and direct funding. In the guise of freedom every form of licentiousness and debauchery is promoted not just to our children but the entire world via our pop culture. I cannot remember which communist leader said and I paraphrase. "America will never be defeated from an outside invader, it will rot from within and like an overripe peach will fall to the ground". New Orleans and its peoples rapid fall into anarchy could be a precursor of the consequences of America's self-indulgence and a "me first" attitude. The weak and powerless are rapidly abandoned and subsequently either die or turn into predator and prey in the name of "saving myself" during a time of trial. Asia is going to become a dominant power in the world. I cannot believe my country will share power or lose power gracefully. My people genuinely believe they are better than other people and entitled to the birthright of our wealth. I am deeply afraid of a sudden and catastrophic attack upon America that would devastate our way of life. Not because of the suffering, in which every American has via representative government earned a taste. No, I fear for the world’s children that have to face the most powerful country in the history of the world becoming desperate to survive. There is among the "common man" an ignorant, nationalistic fervor building in direct proportion to fear of not being the most wealthy and powerful. I am ashamed to say that "The Great Experiment" of our founding fathers has succumbed to exactly that which was predicted by the likes of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. Freedom and liberty has without a legitimate faith been perverted into decadent self-indulgence. Like a great predator who enjoys a full belly and good health isn't as much of a threat but when injured or starving becomes dangerous and unpredictable. So will be the downfall of the United States of America. But not just to Iraq and a few other countries. I am afraid that when we go down, our inherent selfishness coupled with millions of tons of destructive power will not hesitate to take the entire world with us. May the Merciful One to whom you pray at night help us all. (THE ABOVE POSTING PLAGIARISED FROM "IRAQTUNNEL")