Leaders throughout history have terrified citizens into going to war by hinting at unverifiable secret knowledge that is so terrifying it can’t be told without compromising national defense, knowledge which insidiously “necessitates” encroachment upon civil freedoms until power finally comes to reside far away from the people.

The vote in November really does come down to whether we move rapidly toward a police state, or work our way steadily toward a peace state.

As President Bush continues to aggrandize his growing illegal kingly powers through “signing statements” and other such indignities, he is lurking  in the deepening shadows of that police state, where my not-so-brave little blog—and many others far braver—will flicker out, replaced by a cornucopia of Roveish to Limbaughesque blog options.

My vote this time will go only to those having track records of resisting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, who are urging an end to war now.

Withdrawing from Iraq while protecting Iraqi allies, and while righting, as best we can, the wrongs we have inflicted upon this tragically exploited nation, is an expensive, complicated proposition we must undertake immediately.

Alternatively, if we continue to spend $2 billion a week warring on Iraq, we can:

• “have our troops come under attack every 15 minutes;
• spawn new legions of terrorists who rise up against the overspending;
• destroy what was left of the Iraqi infrastructure;
• create a civil war for our own amusement and then shake our heads at their violence;
• traumatize the lives of innocent Iraqi children;
• kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people;
• secretly set up state-of-the-art torture chambers;
• use lots of toxic chemicals to ensure that the land and water are destroyed;
• test our latest weaponry on real live targets;
• illegally imprison innocent people for years;
• listen to the fear spin that is the Bush administration mantra;
• watch our national integrity rapidly erode, and
• feel the disintegration of our own humanity as we turn a blind eye to the crimes we commit.

 Now is not the time to turn that blind eye or to remain silent. Fear does not have to rule, and peace is a cost-effective and far less deadly alternative.”*

I will also be looking for leaders willing to invest heavily in peace, including a cabinet-level Department of Peace (see www.thepeacealliance.org) as well as leaders who will keep people safe at home, outlaw torture now with no exceptions, support court review of all government spying, reduce our dependence on oil, and support safe, legal immigration.

*Many thanks to Nancy Arnold of Union Bridge, MD, from whose recent Letter-to-the-Editor of The Frederick News-Post the above excellent quoted points were taken.

Please send comments to nancy.pace@adelphia.net