THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Dictators do not appear overnight. They must gradually assume more and
more power over time so that the population does not realize what is
going on, or does not feel it is worthwhile to object.
But to maintain control, dictators "seduce" their population into
greater and greater atrocities, over time. There is more than simply
acclimating the population involved to the dictator's agenda. By
tricking the population into acceptance of greater and greater
atrocities, the dictator will eventually reach a position where the
people will be too afraid to examine what they themselves have become.
Trapped by the fear of examining themselves, such people turn into the
most fanatical of the dictator's supporters. They dare not look at the
dictator's evil for to do so is to look at their own. Once the
dictator can trick his people past that point, they are his slaves.
Hitler used this tactic. So did Stalin.
The people of the United States stand at that point right now. That
the US Government is using torture on POWs (just as Hitler did) is
beyond argument. One can either stand up and denounce that torture and
demand the firing of all who took part in it (and the end of the war),
or one is by default complicit, an accessory after the fact, seen by
all to condone such barbarism.
Anyone who steps across that line is trapped. Unable to look at what
they themselves have become they will refuse to look at what the
government has become, indeed will create or accept any justification,
no matter how thin and transparent, rather than question that
government. And indeed this web site gets email from people who have
already crossed that point, and are trying to explain why torture is
really necessary "this time".
So, you are down to a choice. There is no more being neutral, or
sitting on the fence. As Bush himself said, you are either with him or
against him, and unless you are actively against him and his war
machine, then he wins by default. Unless you stop them now, sooner or
later, Bush and the NeoCons will succeed in turning this nation into
the 21st century version of Nazi Germany, powered by fanatics so
afraid to look in a mirror that they will inflict any pain on any
people, rather than do so.
Time to decide.
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