1964, Laos: The U.S. initiates what U.N. observers call “the most appalling episode of lawless slaughter in United States history” when the U.S. Air Force launches the first of 580,000 bombing missions, dropping over 2 million tons of large armaments (that’s one planeload of bombs dropped every 8 minutes, 24 hours a day, for 9 years), in addition to 80 million cluster bomblets - twenty percent of which will not explode, leaving 18 million scattered across the country.
1967: The
U.S. helps South Vietnamese agents assassinate alleged North Vietnamese leaders operating in South Vietnamese villages. A 1971 congressional report reveals that this operation killed "over 20,000 Viet Cong.” 1968: In violation of international law the
U.S. begins a secret bombing campaign along the Ho Chi Minh trail in the sovereign nation of
Cambodia – killing more than 300,000 farmers and their families. 1970: Prince Sihanouk remains highly popular among Cambodians for keeping them out of the Vietnam War. The
U.S. topples him, installing puppet ruler Lon Nol, who immediately orders Cambodian troops into the war. The people’s outrage over this action results in the strengthening and mass expansion of a previously insignificant opposition party – the Khmer Rouge.
The Khmer Rouge achieves power in five years and massacres millions of Cambodians in The Killing Fields.
The
Weather Underground (“Weathermen”) waged a justified response against an illegal agent of international terrorism – the
United States.
The sad thing about the Weathermen is that they didn't kill enough rich white men in suits to stop the slaughter of several million brown peasants in southeast Asia. Clinton pardoned two of them, and I would be proud to count them among my friends.
Weathermen, I'm proud of you, and Willie Ayers you are a true hero and make me proud to be an American. The Weathermen deserve the congressional medal of freedom (but our congress isn't worthy of honoring these patriots).
1964, Laos: The U.S. initiates what U.N. observers call “the most appalling episode of lawless slaughter in United States history” when the U.S. Air Force launches the first of 580,000 bombing missions, dropping over 2 million tons of large armaments (that’s one planeload of bombs dropped every 8 minutes, 24 hours a day, for 9 years), in addition to 80 million cluster bomblets - twenty percent of which will not explode, leaving 18 million scattered across the country. 1967: The 
9 Comments:
Indeed. A weird irony is that a piece on Bill Ayers was published in the NYT on 9/11/01. Tragically, I don't think there will ever be another group like the Weathermen in the U.S., nor will there ever be another proper revolution. I cannot see the future for this nation; I do not believe that it has one. I scarcely believe that this is a nation, anymore, at all.
Our government is a reflection of its population. If voter apathy allows our government to act in ways which are inconsistent with one’s own positions or beliefs this does not provide one the right to violently overthrow a duly elected government or perpetrate violence upon it. What our form of government allowed this group was the opportunity to elect a government that represented their belief system. If we allow individuals to act in a manner inconsistent with our way of life based upon one’s own beliefs where then does one draw the line? There is no place on earth where one has more freedoms and the ability to change one’s government than here in the United States. If people are too lazy to vote then we unfortunately end up with the government we deserve.
kevin says no one has the "right" to "violently overthrow a duly elected government or perpetrate violence upon it" uh, that is exactly what we did to all of those countries. But as long as it's done BY us and TO others - it's FINE. When it's done BY others TO us - it's a "crime". So we have the right to run roughshod over the planet - overthrowing government after government by sheer violence, terror, destruction, and murder, but there is never a time when anyone has the right to do the same to America? So we are all powerful and may not be challenged or attacked violently, but we may, AT ANY TIME FOR ANY REASON OVERTHROW ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT ON EARTH. my only question is: why doesn't anyone else on planet earth have the same right to "not be violently overthrown" that we do? that's insanity.
if you could look into the eye of a cambodian whose mother, father, sister, brother, every single family member was incinerated alive... if you could look into their eyes and say: "well, in America we don't have the right to perpetrate violence on people because we disagree with their policies" it would ring with an absurdity that's almost otherworldly. Who fights for them? Why don't you tell them "sorry, we don't have the right to use violence"...lololololol. POWER TO THE PEASANTS! i'm curious - is there ANY POINT at which kev would advocate violence? genocide? would that be time to attack the government? curious.
If our form of government were to work as it was designed - that is, where each and every eligible and able-body person take a participatory role in how our government governs then violence would not even be a thought in back of some people’s minds. But of course this is not the case. But the solution is not violence for the sake of stopping violence. While I share your disappointment in certain behaviors of our government, it does not do our form of government any justice to act against it like barbarians.
"it does not do our form of government any justice to act against it like barbarians."
perfect! as i'm not interested in doing our form of government any justice. i want to dismantle it.
:)
i just wish i had the balls to take physical action toward my desired goal. i wish i had the balls to blow up the pentagon. but i don't. i'm a profound coward. i don't have the fucking courage to go 50 in a 40. i'm weak and comfortable, and too self-interested to fight for all the innocent people our government slaughters. i'm a fucking pussy. i wish i had the balls to vent my rage physically. but i don't. i just sit here in my cozy pad and harangue the evil agents of death. if i wasn't so pathetic i'd do more than just bitch about it. i hope i live long enough to see the end of the u.s. gumment. that would be a tremendous headline. :)
The major problem with our current form of government is not its form but the fact that we allow political parties. They serve no purpose. By their nature they’ve created power to be concentrated between two political parties instead of with the people where it belongs. A diabolical plan if ever there was one! You want to end the nonsense and see real change? Then end political parties in the United States. And for good measure term limits wouldn’t be a bad idea either. And if you choose to run for higher office (Obama, Clinton and McCain) and can’t serve the office you were elected to serve then mandatory resignation once your name goes on the ballot. But I digress.
aha, and this is where we agree. gotta get rid of these parties. omg, the two party system is so phony and so irritating - the notion people can or should be divided by these psuedoissues - god, guns, gays, abortion. ugh...
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