We hold these Truths to be self-evident...
Among hundreds of writers, I’ve documented that the US invasion of Afghanistan is an illegal War of Aggression. I challenge readers to demonstrate otherwise in the comments below. Remember, being “American” is a legal distinction of limited government within the US Constitution and hopefully in agreement with the core moral values in the preamble of the Declaration of Independence.
Here are the articles I’ve written so far relavant to the US war in Afghanistan with linked-titles and one paragraph summary. The one point I suggest that you become powerful in articulating is that these wars are illegal; US “leaders” of both parties have used our American labor to fund the most evil, destructive, and shameful crime a nation can commit, all under our flag and with our propagandized troops. We've been duped. This should motivate your passionate response for justice.
John Ashcroft was Attorney General of the United States from 2001 to 2005. John Yoo was the author of legal opinions for the White House and Mr. Ashcroft in his work for the Office of Legal Counsel from 2001 to 2003. Both are being sued in civil courts for damages from their actions as key executive branch officials charged with law enforcement and applying the US Constitution. The ruling courts have so far recognized these lawsuits as valid. Why are such high government officials being sued? For gross violation of Constitutional rights and torture.
Core American values in the Declaration of Independence: compare to what we really have:
Today, we consider the values of the Declaration of Independence and its application into law. Some history: America was, and is, unique in political history for taking the HIGHEST values and incorporating them into government. The Founding Fathers considered the contributions of scholars from the Enlightenment period of history - breakthroughs in science and philosophical thought of the fundamental worth of ALL human beings rather than a oligarchy - and consolidated its philosophy and political freedom into the Declaration of Independence.
George Washington's advice to YOU on defending the US Constitution today:
After 45 years of service to the newly created United States, George Washington published a message to the American people. This is the summation of his observations and what he most wanted to contribute to Americans' understanding of defending our Constitutional government.
Strategy for national security: Department of Peace or Wars on Terror?
How about a Department of Peace to contribute to national security strategy in addition to the Department of War Defense? Let’s consider our government's argument that the US military's use of force after invading other countries that did not attack us is an effective strategy for our national security. And then let’s step outside the box of war, and consider the potential contribution that a Department of Peace might make for US national security.
Understanding corruption and our appropriate response through a Pingu cartoon:
In the cartoon, consider our human condition of recognizing corruption when it is not readily apparent, appropriate outrage, intelligent action to isolate the criminal, and the ideal outcome of Truth and Reconciliation.
AfPak: Escalating War of Aggression:
The US invasion of Afghanistan can be best legally understood as a “War of Aggression.” This label is appropriate because Afghanistan did not attack the US, the UN Security Council did not authorize use of force, and the US rejected the Afghan government’s offer of cooperation to capture Osama bin Laden if the US could provide any evidence of his involvement in a crime. I document this important story here with additional comments here, in as far as I know, uncontested fact because the key information comes from our own government’s admissions.
Best video explaining Constitutional limits of power:
I teach US Government. Every curriculum of what America means (America is a political distinction) includes these principles: limited government and rule under the law. Unlimited government is a dictatorship, literally whatever the government dictates (says) at any particular time. The idea of everyone playing by the rules is also critical. Without it, we have an elitist oligarchy.
Abraham Lincoln on defending the US Constitution: his message to YOU today:
Given that these are Wars of Aggression, that our Constitutional rights have been destroyed through torture, the 2006 Military Commissions Act accepted by Mr. Obama that allows the President to slur American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” and detain them forever without rights, Mr. Obama's defense of a War of Aggression in Afghanistan, and further rhetoric for war with Iran (and here), how would Abraham Lincoln advise you today? We have a pretty good idea, as follows.
Endless and contrived US wars against "communism" and "terror": what are we really buying?
Let's take a moment to look at our last war against an ideology and compare with our current ideological war with particular focus on how much of our funding is vanishing, even according to our own Department of Defense records.
Waking people from tranquilized obviousness: the paradox of patience in an emergency:
The recognition of facts, even when in plain sight, is challenging. Res ipsa loquitur, the facts do speak for themselves, but getting people to notice may not be easy. Joshua Bell, one of the world’s elite violinists whose CDs Romance of the Violin sold over 5 million copies, played for 45 minutes at an entrance to a Washington, D.C. subway during rush hour. Hardly anyone stopped. The reporting of this phenomenon by Washington Post writer Gene Weingarten won a Pulitzer.
Torture indictment for George Bush: a draft:
Torture apologists prefer that Americans surrender their powerful voices on this issue. Torture addicts propagandize that the legal issue is somehow too complicated for your little intellect to understand. Torture sadists use false rhetoric for you to submit to American torture under your flag and your tax dollars by telling you “torture keeps America safe;” a Rovian spin as reprehensible as “torturing your children makes them love you” or “torture promotes American values.” The trick is to take a universal virtue and link it to whatever you want to do.
How You Ended The War from PuppetGov on Vimeo.
Comments
the answer to your headline is, i think, no, not ready .. sad
I did not support the war in Iraq but I think your reasoning about Afghanistan is faulty. We were attacked on 9/11 by people who were welcomed into Afghanistan, housed there, fed there, and trained there. To say it is illegal to defend ourselves is asinine. We were attacked - they fired the first shot.
Not having a clear exit strategy is a reasonable critique. But to rank Afghanistan with Iraq as an 'illegal' war is bs.
Anna,
With all respect, your understanding of the law is irresponsibly and dangerously wrong. You are being an apologist for mass murder. The laws of war are meant to be clear for everyone and easy to understand for citizens. Here's a summary:
Afghanistan did not attack the US, the UN Security Council did not authorize use of force, and the US rejected the Afghan government’s offer of cooperation to capture Osama bin Laden if the US could provide any evidence of his involvement in a crime. I document this important story in the "AfPak" article and others, in as far as I know, uncontested fact because the key information comes from our own government’s admissions.
Because the Afpak War fails to meet the burden of proof before a nation may invade another, it is illegal. Another way of saying this is that it is tyrannical: outside the law and destructive. Please be sure that you are satisfied with your understanding of one of our most important laws. They are meant to be clear.
Anyone who understands anything about military strategy and military technology knows that there is no reason for the US to be over there for eight plus years unless the US wanted to maintain a permanent presence there from the start.
Bush and his supporters have purposely created a half-baked plan in which our soldiers are constantly fighting with one hand behind their back. As a veteran, I find this in itself treasonous. Anyone who supports Bush should be considered a traitor to their country at this point. Nobody could really be so stupid as to believe that we cannot defeat a bunch of third world nomads if we didn't want to.
We are there to hedge in Russia, to serve as a launching point for police actions to babysit Africa, to secure oil to sell to China so they keep buying our bonds, among other traitorous reasons. None of it has to do with a real desire to attain permanent victory over our enemies. Anyone who says otherwise is a traitor
Jay,
Thank you for acting in good-faith service for our nation's values, and thank you for the intellectual integrity and moral courage to say the truth. You might want to read the linked article on treason and share with your brothers and sisters in the military. They have legal ground, should they choose to act, to refuse illegal orders. Another useful tool is the movie, "Valkyrie," which is about our situation today and not about history.
Thank you Carl.I firmly believe that Osama(Emmanuel Goldstein)and Al-Qaeda are merely proxies used to justify these geopolitical strategies which were conceived before 9/11. Without 9/11, support for these occupations and wars of aggression WOULD NOT have been possible. Crooks run this country. Take, for instance, "incidents" in history in which truth has not come to light via the MSM; JFK & RFK assassinations,attack on the USS Liberty etc. etc. Something has a stranglehold on this country.
More recently with this Iran propaganda: I saw the other night on some news channel a discussion about Iran. Footage of one of the missiles that they test fired was being played over and over. Right now we occupy countries on Iran's eastern and western borders. Now, what would the U.S do if China was occupying Mexico and Canada? We have 700+ military bases around the world for crying out loud!!
we are there for TAPI. it's well documented too.
1997 - PNAC formed by Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, members of Unocal, etal.
Feb 1998 - UNOCAL asks Congress for regime change via military intervention in Afghanistan to build their pipeline.
Jan 2001 - George Bush wins the presidential election and the founding members of the PNAC make up the Bush cabinet/administration.
July/Aug 2001 - talks for a deal with the Taliban for the UNOCAL pipeline through Afghanistan break down.
Sept 2001 - the PNAC luckily gets its "new Pearl Harbor" with the 9/11 "attacks"
Oct 2001 - the US invades Afghanistan under the “Authorization for Use of Military Force”, a joint resolution passed by the US Congress on September 18, 2001. the resolution authorised military force for the purpose of capturing or destroying this Al Qaeda leadership, beginning with Osama bin Laden, so as to prevent further terrorist attacks.
Dec 2002 - the trans-Afghanistan pipeline deal is signed.
Anna obviously has not read any of the extensive research documenting the fact that 911 was an inside job. Just spend a bit of time at 911truth.org and 911blogger.com before you repeat the `official conspiracy theory` that 19 arabs with boxcutters pulled off the 911 atrocities
It sees that Carl Herman is the writer. Your articles are excellent. They are part of the truth. But after 2 years of surfing the freedom sites I must tell you. The time for action is now. What is the correct action? We must concentrate on our own state. We must not elect anyone who is the current representative if that person voted for The Patriot Act or the resolution to go into Irac or even into Afganistan. The question is where to get this information. Both as to their vote and as to what state they represent. The answer is the federal government website and the state government websited.
There is a website called "KickThemAllOut." Its a good start.
Some senators and congressmen are good, true blue Americans. Find out who by their voting record. Here is an anti-communistic website that writes articles explaning and critizing "communitarianism". It's called the Anti Communitarian League, ACL. Communitarianism is actually communism. CONTROL OUR STATE FIRST.
have you forgotten 9/11? I would say that those people DO constitute a threat to our country.
Readers and "Anon":
Anon is a fascist war-pimp who ignores the entire article hoping readers are too stupid to see the law and facts. Anon wants Americans to surrender their country of a promise that government acts under the law, to a dictatorship to do whatever the "leader" says because maybe something bad will happen.
Anon: UNSC and US law demanded cooperative and legal discovery, arrest, and prosecution of the 9/11 criminals. The Afghan government offered their cooperation with a legal route. Because the US rejected law and chose unlawful war, here we are today still at war.
Anon: choose your future carefully, Scrooge. It's a ponderous chain you're making...
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!