Posts Tagged democracy

Iraq Blogswarm

Today is a day I’ve been waiting for. It’s March 19 Iraq Blogswarm – all about why we shouldn’t be in this war. This is a chance for those who are against it to speak up and for our opposition to tell us we don’t understand the world. I will keep this article short and simple.

BlogSwarm

I’ll be the first to admit that Saddam Hussein was an evil man. I don’t like the horrible things he did. Perhaps the world is better without him. One thing I cannot stand is when someone in favor of war tells me that I don’t live in reality or understand danger, killing or the world. I also cannot stand those who say, “Yes, they found no weapons of mass destruction, but overall it is a good thing. It’s for the greater good.”

I’ve been told on numerous occasions by many people that I hammer the American government when I should be bashing Islamic fundamentalists and terrorists. I’m hammering all of them. Yes, there are terrorists. And then you have the corrupted American government. Put the two together and you have the petri dish to cultivate war.

I’m not partial to saying our government is the only corrupted one – most all governments are. They should have waited until they actually found the weapons before attacking. Is that too much to ask for? What if I preemptively killed my neighbors because I knew they were planning on killing me; however, I had no actual proof. I would be imprisoned and dealt the death penalty.

I am not allowed to take the law into my own hands. That’s the government’s job. They control everything. They answer to no one and make monumental decisions behind closed doors. The aren’t just above the law, they are the law. That’s what America is. America is not nor has ever been a democracy, it is a republic; completely based on a representative form of government.

I talked to several American soldiers I know and asked them to let me interview them for this blog. They of course declined in fear of repercussions. When I asked why they thought we were in Iraq, three said,”Because Osama blew up them buildings, that’s what really started it.” (their answers made no sense whatsoever).

There is no proof for any reasons. The conspiracy theorists are laughed at and the people who believe the news are simply believing nothing but public opinion and speculation. Public opinion governs the entire world and that is sad. Let’s use public opinion in better ways and not just be a bunch of noise.

My parents raised me to talk things through. They taught me the difference between good and bad. They taught me that violence is horrific and that killing people is wrong. These are basic morals most of us live with. Governments live by a different set of morals. They are supposed to make the hard decisions that shape and mold society. They have no easy task.

This such a more complex subject than just right and wrong. When dealing with evil and total destruction, things become opinionated and require covert operations. The truth is, none of us know what is really going on. Certainly, a military cannot reveal everything in the public arena – that would cause incredible problems.

I do believe the inflexible position of, “You cannot negotiate with terrorists” is not working. This is the thinking of stagnant minds. There are better ways to move forward. It is my hope that we as bloggers, can help bring intelligence and fresh ideas to the world. We are doing it everyday – that is exciting to me. We are growing in colossal ways and cannot be stopped. The power of blogging has just begun. I am proud to be one of them.

Yes, war is horrible and humankind should be above it. We can only work towards a better world – all of us. This Iraq Blogswarm is about awareness, keeping the issue alive and never letting us forget why humanity can do better – much better.

Peace and love to the world

Bobby Revell

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Help Preserve Net Neutrality

Imagine the Internet owned and operated by huge corporations much like phone and cable companies are. Imagine the last vestige of worldwide democracy – stripped from our lives. Imagine chatting with buddies on line being just one of thousands of paid services.

This is a frightening thought, and is a very real possibility. Could you imagine having to pay for a long distance Internet service just to read a friend’s blog who lives in another country? That would ruin my life in many respects.

Each of us has a choice to create any site or blog we want and we are all equals! We must decide what we are here for. I’m here for the people. I am not here to make money or to sell anything (though that’s your right, and what a beautiful right that is). I am here to fight for and stand up for what is right. The web is built on open principles, but that is in jeopardy.

I am asking all of you to become aware of issues beyond yourself, and do something about it. Learn about the government where you live and vote for candidates you agree with. In America, most people don’t vote. We are about to have a presidential election, so be sure to participate. It really freaks me out to see people who don’t vote. It is your responsibility.

My friend Euroyank has a post entitled The American Idiot Box. I highly recommend you check this post out. Make sure you watch the 1st video on that post with the words ‘Independent Media in Wartime’ beneath it. You should look at his site thoroughly and read all his latest posts. They are getting better every day.

The Power of Blogging

“As Bloggers, we create our own media. We are a powerful force in the global environment. We cannot let that power be taken away from us.”

I found two sites today I think every blogger should read. The first is:

Save the Internet: Click here

Each and every blogger and site owner should display a badge from this website. Just because you aren’t from America doesn’t mean you cannot help. Display the badge so everyone who comes to your site will see it. Join Save the Internet.com and read the information there. Watch this video and learn:

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Another great site is Democratic Media.org. Navigate to ‘issues’ and read. It presents a fantastic overview of things we need to know about digital media. As bloggers, it’s our responsibility to become aware of this information so we can help preserve our rights.

My good friend Aaron Cook let me know he had written a post about this back in 2006. His post is entitled Network Neutrality – Keep the Internet Free!!! I read it and it’s a great post with many additional links. Though Net Neutrality is not a current hot topic, it is far from over. Big corporations will fight to own the web! Imagine the profits they would make by owning the most lucrative business on Earth.

I am learning more and more about what I can personally do to help. A world with a privatized, corporate owned Internet would be a world without all of us together. Like I have said many times in past posts:

Blogging is doing more for world peace than any other single factor in the history of humankind. Let’s keep it that way.”

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