Demonstrations against the USA

Photo: Demonstrators shout slogans in Medellin during a protest against the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Colombia January 23, 2008. Rice will lead a group of U.S. lawmakers on a trip to Colombia on Thursday and Friday to help build support for a free trade pact with that country and to discuss regional security issues, the State Department said. The poster reads "Wanted for war crimes. Yankees get out of Colombia, Iraq and the whole world". REUTERS/Albeiro Lopera (COLOMBIA)

Isn’t this just lovely? People around the world protest against the US government and US influence – and rightly so. What the US government is doing, and has been doing for some time (way before and beyond bush) is pure EVIL. And the American people let them get away with it. They go right on being stupid and immoral, and vote people into office who reflect that. This year we will have an election for President, and it is looking more and more that we will elect someone who plans to continue these evil policies. And just like in 2004, the anti-war movement will focus on politics and elections rather than pressuring our officials currently in office TO STOP THIS EVIL SHIT.

And I can say, and write, and put up signs that say “the America I believe in does not torture” but the fact is, this country does torture, and has been doing so for……. Ever. And here is just one more story to show that we are still actively engaged in torture:

US and Thailand: Allies in torture

Revelations confirmed in a US congressional hearing that the CIA ran a covert interrogation facility at a Thai military base raise new questions about twisted links between the "war on terror" and Thai military and political officials - including denials that Washington has assisted Bangkok in its efforts to smash an increasingly violent Muslim insurgency in the south.

I love these mountains here in western NC. I have since I was a teenager. I want to have a piece of land far away from everything (except wireless internet and phone service) and build a tiny house (200 sq feet) on it. And listen to the birds as they flap their wings, and the crickets as they chirp, and the squirrels as they scamper around outside. I want to wake to the sun and see the stars without any city lights interfering. That is possible down here in the mountains….. but, I am feeling more and more that I have to leave this country. I cannot do the work I do without paying taxes and I am so sickened to be paying taxes for all this war and torture and militarism that will only hurt other people for no good reason. I am so sick of it. I could try and live off my savings, but that won’t last long. I could try to cheat on my taxes, but I am not a cheater or a liar and I don’t want to start. The only sane choice is to move back to Canada…… but I hate the idea of leaving these mountains and rivers, this folk culture and the feel of this ancient land. This feels like home, except for the awareness of what my fellow citizens have done and have allowed to be done. So, I feel like this land is home, but the people here are strangers to me (well, not all of them – but a good number of them).