Politics: Thanks

Thanks

Written by John W. Sammon

Continued from page 1
I'd like to thank Colin Powell, who subverted repparttar

good inside himself after getting on Bush's bad side trying to counsel moderation and collective security, for giving up, becoming a stooge mouthpiece of Bush----to preserve his job. I'd like to thank repparttar 126027

extreme right wing for their "my-country-right-or-wrong" mentality, for denying others repparttar 126028

right to disagree (without being labeled subversive or a supporter of Saddam), for equating war in much repparttar 126029

same manner as a tailgate party at a football game. I'd like to thank all repparttar 126030

excuse makers, who came up with a continuing array of whoppers as repparttar 126031

evidence mounted on weapons, from "we'll find them," to "they'll turn up," to "we'll show weapons' systems," to "the weapons were shipped to Syria just before repparttar 126032

war started," to whatever next week's is. I'd like to thank those clueless Americans who watch reality TV, but still think Iraq used weapons of mass destruction in repparttar 126033

war, and that such weapons have already been found, and who continue to believe repparttar 126034

government's lie that Baghdad was behind repparttar 126035

9-11 attacks in New York. I'd like to thank those people who believe repparttar 126036

United States is repparttar 126037

only country in repparttar 126038

world that matters, and that repparttar 126039

French are hateful because they disagreed (ironically repparttar 126040

Germans, also against repparttar 126041

war, escaped such criticism. Nobody has recommended we rename German measles as we did with French fries). I'd especially like to thank all repparttar 126042

Americans who simply waved aside any nagging questions or doubt, and said, "I don't care." You're what this war and repparttar 126043

corporate rape of America is all about.

John W. Sammon writes a weekly politically incorrect humor column you may access at Sammonsays.com.

A Strategic Fifth Column

Written by Gerald L. Campbell

Continued from page 1

For some time, international politics has been undergoing an amazing metamorphosis brought on by two historic developments. First, repparttar global communications revolution has democratized repparttar 126026 nature of political power on a global scale. Second, repparttar 126027 center of gravity in international politics is moving away from repparttar 126028 traditional elites of state-to-state relations to repparttar 126029 existential and democratic urges of peoples and causes.

Increasingly, world public opinion is becoming a potent force capable of decisive influence over repparttar 126030 policies and conduct of states, no matter how dictatorial or how free. The management of state-to-state relations, even though necessary, is no longer a sufficient mechanism to influence repparttar 126031 dynamics of international politics, as repparttar 126032 collapse of repparttar 126033 Soviet Union and our recent experience with Turkey demonstrate. To compete in repparttar 126034 global marketplace of ideas, we must reconstitute and reinvigorate our public diplomacy apparatus and stand solidly aligned with truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom.

Given this challenge, repparttar 126035 issue before us is clear. The nihilistic impulse of terrorism is not on trial. It offers only hatred and defends nothing. Freedom itself is not on trial. Its promise is intertwined in repparttar 126036 very fabric of human existence. What is on trial is repparttar 126037 authenticity of America's commitment to human freedom. And while we must not go abroad "seeking dragons to destroy," as Adams cautioned, we must use repparttar 126038 power of example to exalt peoples everywhere to move towards a new world order, an order infused with repparttar 126039 spirit of repparttar 126040 inalienable rights of man and repparttar 126041 freedom of repparttar 126042 individual. Without authenticity in this effort, battles may be won, but repparttar 126043 ultimate contest will be lost.

So, repparttar 126044 task ahead is not image building. Image building is unsubstantial and affronts personal dignity. Nor is repparttar 126045 task essentially an articulation and defense of US policies. Gains made for such aims can only be superficial and short-lived. The only way to win this global contest is to build authentic relationships with peoples everywhere in their struggle to realize freedom.

To that end, America has at its disposal a strategic fifth column positioned around repparttar 126046 world. This fifth column is made up of freedom-loving individuals who, while unorganized and undisciplined, are waiting patiently for repparttar 126047 trumpets to call. They man their posts in every hovel, crowded apartment, or house, in every school, workplace, or center of worship, in every rural region, town, or city in every country and hemisphere of repparttar 126048 world.

If America renews her sacred commitment to those individuals yearning for freedom, and if it keeps faith with repparttar 126049 revolutionary potential inherent in that yearning, this fifth column - backed up by America's economic, military, and diplomatic determination - will unleash democratic forces and processes in countries scattered about repparttar 126050 globe that will be irresistible. And sooner than we think, repparttar 126051 oppressors, one by one, will be vanquished.

___________________

Gerald L. Campbell served as senior staff to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine years. He became Senior Advisor to the Director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) under President Ronald Reagan and President George Bush.

Campbell went on to serve the administration of President George Bush and later, he served Texas Governor Bush as Senior Advisor to the Commissioner of Health at the Texas Department of Health in Austin.

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