Conceptual Engineering/It's a Sad Day for Our Planet

One of the series of satires etched by the Spanish painter Goya is entitled 'The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters'. Goya believed that many of the follies of mankind resulted from the 'sleep of reason'.

There are always people telling us what we want, how they will provide it, and what we should believe. Convictions are infectious, and people can make others convinced of almost anything. We are typically ready to believe that our ways, our beliefs, our religion, our politics are better than theirs, or that our God-given rights trump theirs or that our interests require defensive or pre-emptive strikes against them. [Sound familiar?]

In the end, it is ideas for which people kill each other. It is because of ideas about what the others are like, or who we are, or what our interests [oil] or rights require, that we go to war, or oppress others [Iraqis] with a good conscience, or even sometimes acquiesce in our own oppression by others. When these beliefs involve the sleep of reason critical awakening is the antidote. Reflection enables us to step back, to see our perspective on a situation [Iraq] as perhaps distorted or blind, at the very least to see if there is argument for preferring our ways, or whether it is just subjective. Doing this properly is doing one more piece of conceptual engineering.

These paragraphs are from a book entitle "Think" by Simon Blackburn. Published in 1999 (before 9/11 and the current war in Iraq...but nevertheless it hits the nail right on the head) Note: I added the words inserted between the brackets [ ]. If you get a chance, pick up the book and read it! Those few paragraphs inspired the following on May 2003:

It’s a Sad Day for Our Planet

I cannot believe the American people are NOT protesting this war on Iraq more vigorously. As long as the war is at a distance there seems to be no rush to stop the chaos that exists in Iraq. Where are all the religious leaders and why aren’t the ministers, priest, bishops, and all spiritual beings not voicing their outrage? You can’t wait for the politicians to put a stop on this injustice, either they’re heavily invested financially in the war machine, or they feel they can’t take a risk before the next election.

I understand and agree with the separation of church and state but when a leader of a nation lies just to have his way and the cost for that deception are thousands of lives on both sides, there needs to be a cry for justice. No matter which God the enemy worships.

Sure a very small percentage of people write about it, protest on the streets but for the most part the majority continues to live a normal life, like nothing out of the ordinary is going on. Isn’t it enough that we see it daily on the news? Does it not just turn your stomach to see humanity at its worst; when we, the human race can be so much more! Where is the indignation for the barbarism that is shown to you every day on television and on the Internet? Or do you just flip to another channel or go to the next website?

The Jewish people claim that “They will never forget!”, and yet they see nothing wrong when other religions like the Muslims die on the streets like dogs. What has happen to the Jewish community or have they all forgotten what a holocaust looks like? I don’t see or hear Rabbi’s or other religious leaders, doctors, scientists and educators united and standing together for the rights of Iraqis or our soldiers, by holding daily press conferences to say stop this Insanity! You can’t hide from it, you can’t deny it and you can’t forget it and yet nothing or very little is done to stop it!

What will it take for the ‘World’ to say enough is enough? How can the actions of one man GW Bush that is insane with the idea of becoming a historical figure be allowed to do as he wishes? As far as I’m concerned, Bush, Chaney, Rice and Rumsfield should be brought in front of a War Crimes Tribunal for the conspiracy to murder hundreds now thousands of people on both sides. That would be historical! It would begin the process of healing and getting back to America's grass roots of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness and throughout the world it would send a global message to all countries that all leaders will be held accountable; even in America!

Was this not what was fear from Saddam Hussein, the very acts that Bush and his cronies have committed by attacking a country that did not pose a “real and present danger”? I think his whole cabinet should be held accountable for their actions. You can’t blame the military, for they cannot act unless ordered by the president and or Congress. It has been Bush and his war cabinet that have lied about the impending threat of Saddam repeatedly to the American citizens and the World. Remember folks, as president he is under oath to abide by the law! The evidence is clear, there were no WMD’s, and Saddam wasn’t even close to launching an offensive on the American people like we were told. Yet we were told repeatedly by Bush and his cohorts that “Hussein was close on attacking the U.S. and we could not afford not to act, otherwise we would face the smoking gun of a mushroom cloud”, and it was their collective insistence to order our military to attack Iraq and its citizens. If that is not a war-crime, I don’t know what is?

Where are the “righteous and religious” people that hide behind the idea of conservatism (the Christian right) and their Bible that voted so passionately to elect and re-elect Bush which not only affirm his decision to go to war but to continue the war in Iraq? What right did Bush have to order a preemptive strike on Iraq? When you pray ask yourself, where is the undisputed evidence? Explain it to God why you voted for Bush. You people of “faith” that voted for Bush should share the blame for all the blood that has been spilled in the battlefields on both sides in Iraq. It was you who put him in office or don’t you think God will hold you accountable? What God, tells his people, to be blind to all the evidence and re-elect this man for president? It makes as much sense as giving a child a grenade. Bush leads the most powerful military in the world to protect the Constitution; but our checks and balances set forth in said document don’t hold water any longer, and Bush behaves just like a child. You gave this child the unbridle freedom to do what he wants and to bring with him like-minded people to match his character or the lack there of to serve with him. Furthermore, to allow this insane man vomit the words like God and Christian and because he tells you that he’s a “God fearing man” and prays, you believe him?

I believe in the Bible it says you will know men by the fruit of their actions. The sum of his actions base on his decisions and character shows just the opposite of Bible teachings. He lacks the understanding of his decisions to lead a nation in today’s World. In other words you elected an inept short sighted person to be your leader not just once but twice. Besides, I thought you are to believe in God, not Bush or is there a justification to have two Masters? I hope God shows no mercy on your souls!

As an American citizen and Marine war veteran I have the right to dissent, the president of the United States is NOT my master! You have the right to your opinion and I have the right to mine. Let me remind you on just one more thing, when Bush lied and covered-up his military record, at that time people said, “What’s the big deal about that? That alone told me volumes and raised a huge flag about his character and it wasn’t the American Flag.

Let me be very clear about one thing, this is not about patriotism and waving the American flag, it's about Justice, and the war on Iraq was and still is unjustified. So as far as the world is concern we are the criminals, murderers, and terrorists. You might say, "we don't care what the world thinks", and I would say you better, because I don't see flights going to the Moon as yet, so there is no way off this Planet! You better start thinking Global!

I think Bush did meet his goal of becoming an historical figure, as the “Worst President” in American history. Truth and Justice is a natural law and principle that all mankind understands and can stand behind and it use to be Our American Way. It is a sad day for our Planet!

David Star

Note: May 2003 updated April 2006

This was on my blog for six months and I received no comments on it so I took it down. Yet everything I’ve mentioned above is exactly what has become undeniably true today, almost three years later. The only fact I updated was the casualty count from hundreds to thousands and comments on Bush's re-election. I think I’ll post it again just to see if the world has awakened.