[Lifetime]

I supported the war on terror. I hailed America's actions in Afghanistan, I supported American intervention in desposing the Taliban with a passion. I had faith in America's policy in Iraq, even if I thought its reasons were shaky and that the war in Afghanistan wasn't even concluded. I had faith that we were doing the right thing, that we had the best of intentions (even though I know better). But this aiming of the political big guns on Iran is just too much. How does Powell know that young Iranians are dissatisfied with their political system and are aching for freedom? How does the USA think it can simultaneously bring peace and stability to 3 different and disgruntled Islamic nations at once?

There comes a point when you've got to question the difference between peacekeeping and warmongering. Just as Afghanistan started to lose steam, Iraq came up on the menu, and dear Bush decided to rid himself of the great family pain in the ass that is (or was) Saddam. Now Iraq's just about over, the shooting's stopped (for the most part.. or at least the TV coverage issn't on the shoeoting anymore. And that's all that people care about these days anyway..) and the smoke hasn't even cleared yet, and already the USA is griping about more weapons in Iran. I'm beginning to wonder how serious the USA really is about rebuilding the countries it so ably destroys in the name of peace. Are we really all about peace? Or are we satisfying an urge for violence on the TV?

The more I wonder about these things the more I'm beginning to think that this whole war on terror is a shameful and insincere excuse for the Bush government to pursue its own damn agenda. Where is the "better world" for the people of Afghanistan? Is the government simply trying to deflect attention from matters back home by putting up a big and expensive war on TV? The US accuses Middle Eastern nations of having nuclear weapons when it's debating to reintroduce production of low-yield nukes for self defence? What kind of defence are we talking about here? How are nukes in any way a defence mechanism? Nukes are WEAPONS of mass destruction. They're retaliatory measures. They're threats. They don't defend anything. How the USA expects to get away with this, I really don't have a clue. Apparently its okay to screw over the rest of the world and level the blame at others if you're big and rich and plain aggressive.

I'm still American according to my passport, and I used to think that meant something. I used to think that the elected government actually cared about freedom and peace. But this is too much. I've lost faith in that damn government. When we went to war in Afghanistan, I whooped for joy. When we started bombing Iraq, and when we threw Saddam out on his ass I was thankful someone was willing to do something long overdue. When the day after that the US accuses Iran of hiding nukes and supporting terrorists the first thing that involuntarily left my lips was "not again dammit!". Not the same damn excuse, not the same damn war. I'm tired of it, and I'm tired of America's constant warmongering. What next? We going to hit Korea too? I'll burn my passport and strand myself in Australia before I support any of that.