What was the real agenda?

When Pope John Paul II was very sick, before USA went to Iraq, the Pope sent Cardinal Pio Laghi, former Ambassador to Wasington, to try to talk President Bush and his adviors out of the war with Iraq. In vain.

The Cardinal pointed out to Bush the difficulty of language, the serious conflicts between Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. He also told Bush that while the American Army could quickly overcome Hussein's interior defenses, what would follow would be unmanageable human problems
Cardinal Laghi complained to Mr Bush that he had "come from Rome not only to hear you...but also to be heard." In a speech in Camaldoli, Arezzo, Italy on October 4, 2203, the Cardinal said,
"I had the impression that they had already made their decision."

Looking back it is easy to see why so many people said the war was illegal, immoral and unncessary.

We have caused unbearable harm to the Iraqi people. Bush and Blaair are fully responsible for these disastrous consequences.

How is it that no one in our government has yet given us the real agenda for this evil war?

Unarmed Truth

"I think that if the heart of man could be held down by threats - any kind of threat, whether of jail or retribution after death - then the highest emblem of humanity would be the lion tamer in the circus with the whip, not the prophet who has sacrificed himself. But don't you see! This is just the point. What for centuries raised man above the beast is not the cudgel but an inward music, the irresistable power of the unarmed truth, the powerful attraction of its example."
Boris Pasternak in Dr. Zhivago

The new law on military tribunals just signed into law by President Bush adheres to lion tamers not truth. It damages our reputation, and by repudiating key protections of the Geneva Convention, it needlessly increases the danger to any American soldier captured in battle.

Sad for us all, this terrible harm to our Constitution
Terribly sad for this Veteran!

9/11 and 'truth force"

Satyagraha is Gandhi's word for the power of truth.
He began to use this word on 9/11/1906 in South Africa. He was working with other Indians and Asians in South Africa to prevent the government from carrying out very prejudicial laws against them.

This is what Jesus is talking about when he says: Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God and then right away, blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. (Mt.5:8-9). The pure of heart are those whose hearts are filled with love not strife, not revenge, not even judging of others. When we awaken to the love that God has for all of us, we no longer want to hurt anyone at all, not by word, not by deed, not by thought. We love each other, because God has first loved us. That is why Jesus next says that the peacemakers are the children of God. They are most like God, they look like God in the way they behave towards others. The world says "Peace comes out of the barel of a gun", Jesus says peace comes when we look at each other with compassion.
"Beloved, let us love one another because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love".
(1 John 4:7-8)

false values

Since USA spends 400 billion dollars on the Pentagon and the no other country in the world spends more than 7 billion, I am seriously puzzled at why our President preaches fear all the time.

It is clearly not war that need make us afraid but terrorism, which will never be ended by war. Just like the pirates of old, or crime in the streets, what is needed is police action and good detectives!

And a serious program to eliminate oppressive poverty. Instead, our government is excusing the rich from contributing to the common good, is pouring more and more into bombs, and leaving 45 million poeple in our country without health care.

These are obviously false values.

True values are these - feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and the imprisoned bury the dead. (Mt 25)

I am a conservative!

To conserve means to keep in a safe and sound state. I want to conserve the main purpose of government which is to serve the common good. Alas for our country which is now quite busy serving the rich and letting the poor sink into ever deeper poverty.
I want to conserve the purpose of taxes which is to serve the common good. For those who have much to give more in taxes, so that those who have little can survive. Yes, it taxes in order to serve the common needs of government, transportation, education.
How sad that our present course is to run up a gigantic debt, the biggest in our history, by reducing taxes on the rich and cutting back very needed services for children, for health care, In other words the present regime in USA is less and less concerned with the common good than in serving the richest people.
A good example is the recent budget cut which reduced the spending for Head Start. A proven education assist for small children. It is not needed by the rich who can afford provate schooling. But it is certianly needed not only by poor children but by those who have early childhood learning difficulties.
And to reduce the debt by taking away the health safety net for the poor is shameful. A person I know, whose social security check is $395 amonth, is no longer eligible for medicaid because her income is too high!
How easily we forget the warning of the Prophets! Here is one from Mary the Mother of Jesus. It is in Luke 2. He has put down the might from their thrones and raised high the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
Or try reading the first two chpater of Isaiah.