Is this America?

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Meria Heller’s Column

Greetings from what used to be America. My friends are leaving the country. I never even heard the term ex-patriot-ing before, now I’m hearing it on a regular basis. My word. What happened to “give us your tired, your hungry, your poor, your enslaved masses”? Has it now become “give us your elite, your power hungry, your war mongers, your destroyers of all life”?

Many have come to the realization that we are no longer a two party government. Perhaps we never were. When we look at the political climate in America, there is little difference between the Republicans and the Democrats. They have become self serving enemies of the people. Our voices are not heard, nor cared to be heard by those in power. They have forgotten who pays their salary and who put them there.

We have an administration of liars. Men who claim “Christianity” and then break the simplest commandment “thou shall not lie”. They do this with such impunity that it has become common-place. They don’t even attempt to cover up their duplicity, they are right “in your face” with it all.

The latest is Bush saying that plans to war in Iraq weren’t on his desk, only to be exposed by the New York Times and The Ottawa Citizen as a war already planned, with up to 250,000 troops ready to go in blasting in Iraq. Once again part of the “targets” are the infastructure of life, aimed at killing more civilians.

Bush is to unveil or unleash his anger towards the Corporate Whores who have brought this country and international markets to ruin. Yet, only one brave reporter, Paul Krugman of the New York Times has had the nerve to expose Bush as part of the same corporate corruption during his tenure at Harken Energy (which his father placed him at the helm of). Many say that Junior is just a puppet. Will his father sacrifice his own son to further the interests of his corporate buddies and global takeover scheme? What of V.P. Dick Cheney and his same Enroneque behavior at the helm of Haliburton?

We bombed more civilians in Afghanistan, and the best excuse the administration could come up with was basically “oops”? Like the “oops” we had to give for killing Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan?

Cynthia McKinney is being demonized by her own party for her brave stand on asking the questions that MUST be asked concerning September 11th. Why? How many more people’s lives will be ruined to cover the crimes and treasons by the members of the war mongering administration, many of whom NEVER served this country. Including Mr. Bush himself who was proven AWOL the last two years of his “elite” service? They seem to have no qualms to send the children of OTHER people (collateral damage) to fight their oil, drug, and banking wars. Hypocrites.

This past month I had the pleasure of interviewing truly brave, real heroes and heroines on my international web cast. The truth is out there, but how many will hear it? How many will ACT upon it before it’s too late. Too late, not just for America or our Constitution, but the entire planet. Our market is plunging at the speed of light, England followed, and Japan followed that. The downside of their Global Economy is the domino principle. Didn’t any of these elite super rich ever play dominoes?

Dian Hardison who had an outstanding record at NASA for decades, was FIRED for writing a non-favorable email about George W. She was later accused of bio-terrorism. Another co-incidence? Her interview was compelling. She is a truly brave woman.

Joel Andreas came on the show talking about our addiction to war, and why we cannot break it. How many people benefit from it and basically “follow the money”.

John Biewens another brave reporter came on and talked about our prisons for profit and how corrupt the entire system is. Who created the laws for the prison-slave labor force? The lobbyists! Yes, Lobbyists were allowed to dictate policy. Similar to the Enron/Cheney Energy Administration. What an embarrassment to our country, our constitution and all the things America used to stand for. Now it seems it only stands for corporate greed and control of the masses.

I had John “Splitting The Sky” Hill on the show about the irregularities of the Attica prison revolt, and the Attack on Native Americans at Gustafson Lake, Canada. Right here in Arizona, Apaches are being demonized because of the fires in Arizona. Racism is rearing it’s ugly head in the White Mountains, as store owners and restaurants hang signs “No Apaches Served Here”. The fires were blamed on environmentalists by politicians owned by this administration and the World Bankers. No mention to the fact the Bush cut $37 million from the Forest Maintenance Program. No mention of the drought and destruction of the environment through global warming. Any idiot can see the mess we have created by bastardizing the natural flow of the elements. Droughts, earthquakes, floods, fires. What else will it take? A Satanic figure with a pitchfork to awaken the sheeple?

I had the very brave 23 year old Nathan Musselman on my show as well. Nathan was in the Middle East on a peacekeeper mission for his church. He decided to bring food into the Church of Nativity with guns, tanks and sharp shooters pointed at him. He did it. Without fear. How amazing is that young man? He was immediately thrown into an Israeli prison, and then after much negotiations exiled from the Middle East for ten years and back home in America. His only concern? How can I help the Palestinian people from here?

I had Tom Driver and his wife Anne, producers of “Columbia, the Next Vietnam” on my show. They tell eye-witness, first hand stories about how our military and private hired citizens (all on our taxpaying dollars) are in Columbia destroying the livelihood of the farmers, and protecting George W’s stock portfolio and Harken Energy. This includes para-military better know as mercenaries or killers. This elderly couple went there out of LOVE for the people, and to find out firsthand what our U.S. troops are doing there. It’s not good, it’s pretty ugly. Both Nathan and Tom suggested more Americans start making these trips to find out first hand what is really going on. Same in Cuba.

So far it seems all the wars are about G.O.D. é Gold, Oil and Drugs. What was once termed “The One World Order” by George Bush Sr, is now called the “Global World Order” by Jr. Do they intend a European Union, American Union and an Asian Union? Meanwhile the regular little people trying to have a decent life world over are the ones suffering. The parents of the 7 yr old who was shot in the head last week, the 18 year old who was raped repeatedly in Pakistan for information, the little girls left without parents still in their party dresses covered with blood in Afghanistan?

My friends are leaving America. They ask me why I stay? I say it’s my home. Where is it safe to go? These problems are worldwide now. I believe in staying and fighting a fine fight. Yet I see so many who do so little. Why is it that just a few do so much? I have met many fine people who are literally putting their lives on the line every day just to bring the information out to the rest of the world, especially here in America. That means the majority are just following along, still gathering up their toys for the “whoever dies with the most toys wins” contest. They seem perfectly content with things the way they are. They don’t want their “small” lives disturbed. Don’t they realize that global warming will disturb them? War with Iraq will disturb them? Nuclear war will disturb them? A police state will eventually disturb even them?

It is time for all people the world over to make a choice. It’s not easy, but it is necessary.

You will either choose fight or flight. Some are choosing flight. Where in the world can you possibly avoid any of what I’ve mentioned here? Fight? Yes. Violence? No.

Gandhi did not need violence to turn an entire nation. Martin Luther King Jr. did not need violence to organize the civil rights movement. It takes knowledge and courage. It takes sacrifice. It takes speaking out for what you believe. Sharing what you know. Asking questions, especially of our Government. It means having the courage to BOYCOTT the corporations that are killing democracy worldwide. Vote with your pocketbooks. Vote with your vote. It means supporting those who are putting themselves in harms way for the better good. It means getting back to community debates and discussions. It means challenging the existing powers that be.

My friends are leaving the country. Me? I’m staying. What will you do? This is a life changing decision my friends, for all of us on the planet.

Meria Heller is MMN‘s columnist and one of the most popular webcaster on the Internet. She hosts an international webcast heard in over sixty countries, and has for over two years now. She believes in truth, justice and humanitarianism for all living things.