Anybody see the last post at www.truthout.org? Things they are a changin'.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

Post in a live blog at Camp Casey.

By Scott Galindez

Monday 29 August 2005
8:48 PM

A beautiful moment just happened at Camp Casey I. There was a candle light vigil honoring troops who have died in Iraq. The counter protesters came across the street and joined the vigilers at Camp Casey, They shared the flag and prayed together for the families on both sides who have lost loved ones in the war. They are now singing and holding candles together. This is a testament to the power of this movement ...

Maybe, just maybe some of the pro-war people are finally getting it.

http://www.truthout.org/cindy.shtml

[Independent_Liberal]

1. Kick!

[FreedomAngel82]

2. Wow!

Seriously? Amazing.

[TriMetFan]

3. Amazing.

[Ladyhawk]

4. Great! I'm glad to hear this. I hate the dichotomy in our nation.

I hate the dichotomy in my family. I wouldn't hate it so much if I didn't care for my family.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

19. I was especially glad to see this tonight. I have been "fighting"

the repugs in my family for weeks months, years). None of them seem to have a clue what is going on and I had almost lost all hope that there was any chance of pulling this country back from the abyss.

I was told by my six-year old granddaughter this weekend that her grandfather (on her father's side of the family) told her that I was just crazy and not very patriotic for not liking Bush. I do not talk politics with the man (retired Navy man - all he can talk about are his military exploits, medals, what a kick ass leader he was 25 years ago - we have little to talk about but I am polite), see him maybe once every couple of years yet he takes the opportunity to tell my little sweetheart that I'm crazy and don't love my country because of his slavish devotion to a "moran." It is bad enough having to listen to all three sons-in-law, their families, my brothers, sister, the in-laws, and most of my damn neighbors spouting off about Chimpy. I'm beginning to feel like the nutty aunt that every southern family seems to have hidden in the upstairs bedroom. Just overlook her, she is bat sh*t crazy cause she is a liberal.

The jerk was like most neocons, was a chickensh*t. He'll spread lies and nonsense about about to a child but confronting me head on? No, that would be too tough.

May there be more meetings like the one at Camp Casey tonight. I need a little hope.

[Ladyhawk]

27. Sorry, Dem 4 ever. I was technically a Republican until just before

the war in Iraq, but I had been steadily drifting away from my family's version of "truth" since I was eighteen. The shrub's elective war finally pissed me off enough that I changed parties. Now I'm the crazy liberal aunt. Sigh.

[knitter4democracy]

55. Same here.

I can't even go home anymore for many reasons, one of which that I'm the crazy liberal aunt. Hey, at least we're not all stuck up in the attic. ;)

[chemp]

53. coin flip

Here in New England we have two crazy conservative uncles.
We gang up on them at family gatherings. know nothing bozos.

[MADem]

62. Shades of Vietnam, it was the same back then

Divided fronts on the home front. It got pretty friken ugly back then, too.

FWIW, in my experience, those who continually boast about their exploits in the military have significant self-esteem issues and often did not reach their desired rank and paygrade--they feel as though they were cheated out of what should have been rightfully theirs, and that they performed better than their peers. An exaggerated sense of one's importance to the organization is telling--hell, I've seen that ANYONE can be replaced, and the machine continues to grind on.

Generally, the military person who has made peace with their career will want to put that shit behind them, and remember things other than their skills at being the boss; things like the friendships made, the places visited, what they learned and how they grew as a person, the cultural experiences--that is the stuff worth hanging on to.

While this may not help you relate to the guy, it might help you understand his mindset--where there is boasting, it is often a "great heat, little light" situation, and no small amount of poorly hidden fear of inferiority...paper tiger syndrome.

Keep your cool and let the bullshit blow past you. If your rightwing friends, neighbors and relatives cannot respect a difference of opinion in civilized fashion, tell them they have two choices--you are outta there, or they can just STFU and talk about the weather.

Remember that you aren't the NUTTY aunt--you are RIGHT. They are the nutcases; who in their right MIND is a champion of war? War is what happens when all other options FAIL; thus, war is in essence, a failure of leadership and diplomacy.

A day will come when the nuts surrounding you may not admit it, but they will lower their eyes and hang their heads if the subject comes up when you are within earshot.

Take heart and stay true to yourself--you are RIGHT.

[proud patriot]

5. beautiful

:grouphug:

[Not_Giving_Up]

6. WOW

:wow:

[Scout1071]

7. There is hope yet.

I'll be.

[bpilgrim]

8. all 8

or did some stay behind?

but seriously... was it all the PRO-war folks?
and how many are there now?

anyone know or is it all in the article :shrug:

:hi:

peace

[stevedeshazer]

9. Recommended!

No words.

[oldtime dfl_er]

10. wow that gives me shivers

all i can say is wow...

[goclark]

64. All we are saying is give PEACE a chance

The only way that we can even approach PEACE is to get the neocons out of office NOW!

[Catherine Vincent]

11. Now that warms my heart.

There is hope for those folks.

[Generic Other]

12. Amazing

Glad to see they are reaching across to their neighbors and fellow Americans.

[Raster]

13. OMG! Cindy has never been about politics, but about responsibility.

It's not about * meeting with Cindy, it's about giving the American people a straight answer about why our children are dying in Iraq. Why Iraqis are dying in Iraq.

[uppityperson]

22. Exactly. It is about accountability and ending the occupation

[bpilgrim]

28. and there is no ANSWER, now, to their question other than naked GREED

& POWER.

and they think they are fully clothed behind their fantasy fig leaf so they, tragically and catastrophically, will NEVER surrender their last refuge.

:cry:


http://media.globalfreepress.com

peace

[shanti]

40. which *ush will never answer

because he KNOWS the truth and it would destroy him. he's much too selfish to allow THAT to happen :eyes:

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. May this be the begining of a conversation

instead of just scraeming

[BrotherBuzz]

34. Indeed, and to think it all started with Cindy wanting a conversation.

May the nation's long awaited dialog begin. Peace, Sister.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Awesome!!

This makes me want to cry.

[Auntie Bush]

16. Thanks for posting that beautiful message. Now I can go to bed with

that happy thought. Really needed it after hearing Jeanne Meserve.

[WiseButAngrySara]

31. I was thinking exactly the same thing when I read your post Auntie

Bush! Sleep now.

[Booster]

17. Now, that IS a beautiful thing. I applaud the people from the

opposition who allowed their hearts to take over their mouths for a change; that was nice.

[sundog]

18. nice :)

[Miss Chybil]

20. It's almost like a Gandhi moment...

Wow.

:grouphug:

[BrotherBuzz]

Or a Flandres moment in 1914

Christmas Story of Peace and Love

On the night of Dec. 24, 1914, soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force and the Fifth French Army were huddled in trenches along the Western Front near the Belgian town of Flanders. They had ceased combat operations and were preparing a small Christmas celebration.

Approximately 250 yards across the combat zone known as no man's land, the German First and Second Armies were doing the same within their own cold and dirty trenches. For both sides, Christmas was a brief respite from a war that was only five months old but whose horrors of poison gas, heavy artillery and death by the thousands had already eclipsed anything previously experienced in human history.

Sometime around 9 p.m., a company sergeant-major in the North Staffordshire Regiment reported to his commander that several dozen German soldiers had climbed out of the trenches and were lighting candles and singing songs. The commander peered out over the parapet and was astonished to see a single unarmed German soldier walking toward them bearing a white flag. He crawled out of the British trench and met the soldier halfway across the battlefield, where he discovered the German had been a waiter in England before the war and was interested in trading cigars for brandy. He took the British commander to a group of German officers, and it was agreed there would be an unofficial truce until midnight of Christmas night.

All along the Western Front, hundreds of soldiers on both sides poured out of the trenches into no man's land to celebrate Christmas with the men they had sworn to kill. British 2nd Lt. Dougan Chater wrote in a letter that "in about two minutes the ground between the two lines of trenches was swarming with men and officers of both sides, shaking hands and wishing each other a happy Christmas."

<more>

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/122604A.shtml

[Gasping4Truth]

49. That must have been near Ypres

Flanders is no town, but a region in Belgium.
Ypres was a town near the Western Front. Although "pile of rubble" was a better description at that time.

[markbark]

52. Ypres has the unenviable distinction

of being the first place where chemical weapons were first successfully deployed (a chlorine gas attack)

--MAB

[BrotherBuzz]

61. Yes, Ypres salient, and it inspired the poem 'In Flanders Fields'

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

[Miss Chybil]

67. That's sad.

People don't want war. People have never wanted war. We just want to grow some food and some babies and die of old age. It's rich, greedy men who want war, but they never want to fight it themselves. When will people wake up? Maybe, this is the beginning of the end of another war. The beginning of the end until they trick us into fighting again.

[BrotherBuzz]

68. Tricking the population has always been easy

In April of 1946, Herr Goering was cooling his heels in an allied military prison in Nuremberg, Germany. He had been found guilty of conspiracy to wage war, crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Later sentenced to hang, he escaped the noose by taking a cyanide pill he'd somehow smuggled in.

Before he took his life, he was interviewed by Gustave Gilbert, a German speaking U. S. intelligence officer. Gilbert recorded Goering's observations that the common people can always be manipulated into supporting and fighting wars by their political leaders:

"We got around to the subject of war again, and I said that, contrary to his attitude, I did not think that the common people are very thankful for leaders who bring them war and destruction." "Why, of course, the people don't want war," Goering shrugged. "Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship."

"There is one difference," I pointed out. "In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars."

"Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

••••

People don't want to believe this terrible chapter in history could be repeated, but it is happening as we speak!!! To wit:

Herr Goering's blueprint was lifted by Leo Strauss and his philosophy thrives in the Bush administration's foreign policy which is entirely Straussian inspired. We would do well to learn more about it. (Google is your best friend) Undoubtedly you will hear from people who will object to comparing our administration to the Nazi's, but truth be told, there really are many similarities. A study of Leo Strauss and his Straussian followers in the Bush* administration will shed some light on this huge deception perpetuated on this nation and the world.

'Vilify the enemy' and 'The noble lie' (WMD) are the two leading Straussian tenets that were used to get us into this damn war and the sooner we educate the public and make the connection between the Straussians, the PNACers, and the Fascists, the better. No body listens to me because I've been discounted and marginalized as a commie pinko hippy socialist liberal homo-loving idiot that is giving aid and comfort to the enemy - see how easy our society is being manipulated?

Here are a few of of Strauss's tenets that illustrate how we are being manipulated:

•Strauss asserted "the natural right of the stronger" to prevail. But he was skeptical of triumphalism, and conscious of the dangers of foreign occupation. "Even the lowliest men prefer being subjects to men of their own people rather than to any aliens."

•Like Plato, Strauss taught that within societies, "some are fit to lead, and others to be led. But, unlike Plato, who believed that leaders had to be people with such high moral standards that they could resist the temptations of power, Strauss thought that "those who are fit to rule are those who realize there is no morality and that there is only one natural right, the right of the superior to rule over the inferior".


•For Strauss, "religion is the glue that holds society together”. Irving Kristol, among other neo-conservatives, had argued that separating church and state was the biggest mistake made by the founders of the US republic. "Secular society in their view is the worst possible thing," because it leads to individualism, liberalism and relativism –– precisely those traits that might encourage dissent, which in turn could dangerously weaken society's ability to cope with external threats. "You want a crowd that you can manipulate like putty".

•He believed that "to make the world safe for the Western democracies, one must make the whole globe democratic, each country in itself as well as the society of nations."

•"Isolated liberal democracies live in constant danger from hostile elements abroad", and where policy advisers may have to deceive their own publics and even their ulers in order to protect their countries.


•"Perpetual deception of the citizens by those in power is critical because they need to be led, and they need strong rulers to tell them what's good for them”.

•Defending Western democracy against barbarous enemies was a natural right, but it was a right that entailed responsibility. The victor had the obligation to teach and transmit its values, not to impose them.

•As long ago as 1964, he recognized the tension that had accumulated "during the centuries in which Christianity and Islam each raised its universal claim but had to be satisfied with uneasily coexisting with its antagonist." Four decades later, nations at the heart of the two civilizations are engaging in a violent clash and — for the moment — the Westerners have won. (Huttington’s “Clash of Civilizations!)

•The fundamental aggressiveness of human nature could be restrained only through a powerful state based on nationalism. "Because mankind is intrinsically wicked, it has to be governed. Such governance can only be established, however, when men are united –– and they can only be united against other people."

•Strauss thought that a political order could be stable only if it was united by an external threat. If no external threat existed, then one had to be manufactured.


Well there you have it, my rant du jour...:)

[Miss Chybil]

73. Thank you. I'm very familiar with the Goering interview, but I have

never heard of Strauss. Very interesting. It seems such an easy prescription to manipulate a population. It's done over and over and over again.

I was watching a rerun of "Independence Day" last weekend and I thought, "The only way the people of this earth will truly unite and be at peace with each other is if we are attacked by aliens." This falls in line with the need for an exterior threat. Anyway, life seemed so much better when the Soviets were the boogey-men and we were theirs. Maybe, not better, but certainly much simpler. Of course, the past is always simple. It's the present that's so hard to figure out, even though the answers are right behind us.

[speedoo]

21. All I can say is....

Nominated!!!

[kbm8795]

23. I do believe that some people

are getting sick and tired of having our nation torn apart.
I applaud those who took the initiative to cross the road in peace to honor those soldiers.

[shockingelk]

24. recommend! n/t

[Lerkfish]

25. wow. thanks for a miracle! what this means is...Cindy is a UNITER!

when the counterprotestors get home, they might tell about THIS to their friends.

and their friends....and so on....

what this also means is that the smear campaign is showing up the Rovian Barbarians for what they really are.

[Ladyhawk]

30. Puts the shrub to shame. :(

[alittlelark]

26. I RARELY cry. This article did it for me.

America needs to wake up in the morning with a 'refreshed' perspective.... all of us.

This War insanity needs to STOP NOW.

[seabeyond]

29. wow and another wow....that so does my heart good.

thank you for sharing this. just beautiful. i am going to be sure to tell this to my two boys. al they want.....is for people to unite, peace, love one another. they will love this story

[faithnotgreed]

32. if this is for real then wow

im not questioning it just responding out loud
again wow and something to be so very thankful for

love

[txindy]

33. The freepers will freak about this. I think what happened is awesome.

:applause: for the unified vigil at Camp Casey! :applause:

[understandinglife]

35. The power of truth and those willing to speak only the truth. Be witness.

You folk with jobs inside the beltway that we compensate you to perform to represent US -- PAY CLOSE ATTENTION. Either you begin 'getting it' or you will be getting on your way home, soon.


Peace.

[smurfygirl]

36. great news...finally some respect for our troops from the prowar idiots

I hope it lasts.

[LeahD]

37. Nice. n/t

[Media_Lies_Daily]

38. Thanks for the post!

[Cleita]

39. It won't last long.

Karl and chimpy are in San Diego right now and aren't able to send out the troops to poison their minds again. You wait and see, the minute they are back it will change.

[loudsue]

41. This is a MIRACLE!! Somebody call the Pope!!

:grouphug: This is simply beautiful! :loveya:

I don't have any words. I'm trying really hard not to get my hopes up. But...this is so hopeful!

:kick::kick::kick:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

42. I'm crying here. This is so touching. Hugs to all. n/t

[Beam Me Up]

43. We must keep reaching out. People are defined by their differences but

HUMANITY IS DEFINED BY WHAT IT HOLDS IN COMMON.

[ClayZ]

44. Amazing Grace

The Weight of a Snowflake

"Tell me the weight of a snowflake," a coalmouse asked a wild dove.
"Nothing more than nothing," the dove answered.

"In that case I must tell you a marvelous story," the coalmouse said. "I sat on a fir branch close to the trunk when it began to snow. Not heavily, not in a raging blizzard. No, just like in a dream, without any violence at all. Since I didn't have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles of my branch. Their number was exactly 3,471,952. When the next snowflake dropped onto the branch--nothing more than nothing -- as you say -- the branch broke off."

Having said that, the coalmouse ran away.

The dove, since Noah's time an authority on peace, thought about the story for a while. Finally, she said to herself, "Perhaps there is only one person's voice lacking for peace to come to the world." - Source unknown

[snot]

45. There's nothing more powerful than love, at least in the long run. nt

[Pachamama]

46. The answer to the anger and hate, truly is love.....

:hug:

[Nothing Without Hope]

47. Beautiful. This is a signficant moment. If they can share this, they can

listen to one another.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

48. This is very pleasing ...

...to hear about. Most all those from the counter-protest camp are victims of Bushco, just as we are---they simply don't know it. We should never give up trying to reach them, and if we ever do connect with them in sufficient numbers, the tide may turn irrecoverably against this horrible, fascist regime.

[nicknameless]

50. What a great story!

That's the big threat BushCo perceives about Cindy. She has a seemingly unequaled ability to alter hearts and minds.

[Seabiscuit]

51. All I can say is: it's about fucking time!!!!

sorry to rain on everyone's parade, but I just listened to Randi Rhodes' account of what happened there this weekend with all those virulant, violent fuckhead Shrub supporters, and I don't have more than one tiny little ounce of sympathy left for them.

My post title is the last fucking ounce.

[ObaMania]

54. Yeah, wait 'til M$M gets ahold of the story..

.. they will say that the counter-protesters went across the street to use the porta-potties.

[LibraLiz1973]

65. sadly the MSM wont report it at all

not even to make the porta-potty joke.


Assholes

[moodforaday]

56. OMG. Kick!

:kick:

[LWolf]

57. Bridging the chasm

to acknowledge a commonality, and set aside differences on how to address a common concern, is a bright sign of hope.

Beautiful. :grouphug:

[DoYouEverWonder]

58. That's what this movement is all about

too bad the M$M will avoid reporting it.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

59. thank God

[myrna minx]

60. We are ALL Americans. I hope our love of each other and of

country will overcome our differences. :hug:

[GoneOffShore]

63. Kick

[donheld]

66. Geat victory

That's how we win. One person at a time.

[Mr_Spock]

71. :( victory?

I can't imagine using the word "victory" to describe a spontaneous display of unity between differing groups. A touching moment of humanity showing through a tense situation, but the word victory makes the group declaring such seem small to me. JMHO though...

[Cocoa]

69. Cheney felt a spasm of pain when this happened

deep down in his cave, Cheney suddenly felt a wave of dread pass over him, then a sharp stabbing pain in his heart, when the two groups prayed together.

[Mr_Spock]

70. LMAO!!

That one stuck me as funny!! :rofl:

He does seem like Scrooge or the Grinch though - think he'll ever find himself?

[samsingh]

72. very nice

[progressivebydesign]

74. That's wonderful to hear. Perhaps the disaster in the South inspired it..

I'm just grateful that it happened.

[jsamuel]

75. geez, This is the first time I have seen this thread and I have been on

all day yesterday and today...

pah