poltr1 | Another minute closer to Armageddon.......

browngirl posted in her LJ today about the last days of peace in America, with a link to Mark Morford's article in sfgate.com (which I guess is the online version of the San Fransisco Chronicle). Here's what I posted in response to

browngirl's post. I think it's worth sharing.

"If it's any comfort...I'm scared too. Mostly for the uncertainty -- what's going to happen to my life, my work, and my family? How will things change for me? I have visions of living like the British in World War II -- rations up the yin-yang, Anderson shelters in the
backyard, and eating Spam.

"I've been fortunate to not personally experience war in my lifetime, other than working as a contractor at a military base during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I was too young to comprehend the Vietnam War when it was happening, and skirmishes like
Grenada, and the Falklands all happened relatively quickly.

"But at the same time, these are the times when I can dig deep and tap into the inner strength that I don't often realize that I have. I know I can perservere and survive. I've been there before.

"In a rather perverse way, the world is somehow paralleling the storyline in Babylon 5. Where's John Sheridan when we need him?"

Someone else in their comments had a link to http://www.moveon.org/emergency, an online petition to be delivered to the UN on Monday. I'm not sure how effective it's going to be, but I signed my name to it, along with some comments about how the Iraqi people have been suffering for years, the current sanctions haven't worked, and that this war is a throwback to the Crusades, if not Gog and Magog. If you think that going to war now is a bad idea, and that the inspectors should have more time to do their work, sign the petition.

I didn't even listed to Shrub's speech this evening. He said some time ago that he's not running his foreign policy based on popularity. Based on that statement along, I wonder if all these protest efforts are an exercise in futility. The last time I checked, Congress has to authorize the declaration of war, not the President. If Congress doesn't, and GWB orders our troops in anyway, it would constitute an illegal order.

I also saw a news story about a man in the Albany NY area who got arrested for wearing a "Give Peace A Chance" T-shirt. Subsequent articles gave more of the story. Looks like the Nightwatch is alive and well.

The current political climate scares me. I don't like the idea that speaking out against the government is tantamount to treason. I wonder how many peaceniks and good citizens are going to risk losing their security clearances because they disagree with this government's decision to go to war. Don't get me wrong -- I'm going to support our troops, but I can't support the mission they're on.

I think I should sit down, pull out my tapes of Babylon 5 episodes, and re-watch the last few episodes of Season 2 and the first part of Season 3.