RICK STAGGENBORG
SOLDIERS FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL

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[dropcap]A[/dropcap]ll around us we are witnessing the erosion of our personal privacy. While disconcerting to many, it might be the best thing that ever happened to America. When we keep our thoughts to ourselves, our anger can destroy us. We cannot hide behind a mask of civility while wanting to attack those who disagree with us. We cannot achieve the consensus required to govern ourselves if we feel afraid to let our neighbors know what we think about the issues confronting all of us and the dangers to human civilization of allowing corporate control of the US government and thereby the world. When we do not expose our ideas to scrutiny, we remain ignorant of our false beliefs and continue to fight each other rather than the corporate Puppetmasters who would enslave us all in a fascist New World Order. 

The passage of the National Defense Authorization Act gave Obama and all future Presidents the power to declare any of us enemy combatants, subject to indefinite detention in military prisons without charges. When so few US citizens trust their government, it is a wonder that this did not produce widespread protests. It seems that conservatives remain so afraid of terrorists and Democrats so fearful of Republicans that most did not dare to protest. Those of us on the front lines of the struggle for democracy in America know full well how such power might be abused if we succeed at building a united front against fascism in the United States and war in the world. We will be the first to test this and other laws abridging our freedoms of speech and assembly.

In the face of this blatant warning to dissidents in the US, we must not be cowed into submitting to the international corporate terrorists behind the NDAA and similar legislation. If we are serious about building a united front behind Occupy and similar coalitions, we must face the fact that when we succeed there will be attempts to silence the loudest of us. It requires faith that we can build a movement that is independent of the need for identified leaders and that is wide enough that it cannot be stopped with such simple measures. That is the essence of nonviolent anarchical warfare against the police state and the fascist New World Order that it protects.

Only by making our voices heard can we hope to build such a movement. When enough of us join in a chorus demanding a return to the path toward democracy, our voice will be heard. That collective call must include people from everywhere on the political spectrum who demand change, if we want to claim to speak for the 99% That means that we must keep the message on point, relevant to the needs of the movement and consistent with values shared by all Americans. We will not achieve consensus on many issues but we can all agree that we must fight for the survival of the American dream of democracy in the US and the world.

As a psychiatrist, I am familiar with the dangers of hiding one’s beliefs and attitudes from others. We all wear masks but some are more deceptive than others, capable even of deceiving ourselves about our selves. To have a firm conviction in how to proceed as a group or as a society we must know and trust ourselves. That cannot be done if we live in fear of being exposed as weak, ignorant or tainted by our past. We must remember that we fight the power structure not so much out of anger or fear but out of love for all our children and Mankind itself. That begins by learning to love ourselves, with all  of  our  faults. To  move  forward  together, we must respect others who have angered us. It is division that allows the powerful to control us. In unity lies strength.

Democracy requires that a People be good enough to rule themselves. If we believe that democracy is possible we must believe that however confused they may be, our neighbors are essentially good. We can choose whether to consider them allies or enemies, but I will never choose to make a potential ally my enemy. The cause is all that matters. Those who will not join us will still be our neighbors when the Revolution is over. If we wish the Revolution to remain nonviolent, we must learn to accept those with whom we disagree even as we work to defeat the sick ideology that some unwittingly support.

Imagine a society where people accept each other rather than judge, where is understood that we have  nothing  to  fear  from  the  judgment of others. Such a world is possible  if  we  learn that in judging others we diminish our selves. It is by accepting the fact  that  humans  are  much  more alike than different that our commonalities are what make us human and that diversity is  critical  to  the survival  of  human  civilization  that we can forge a world society capable of surviving  and  thriving  in  the  post-New World Order. In such  a  world  we  celebrate  the  differences  that  give  life  its  wonderful complexity and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

We have nothing to fear but fear of our selves. If we look deep within our hearts and learn to love what we find there, we can find it in our hearts to forgive others. We must know ourselves and to our own selves be true, for it is truth that is the only thing that will set us free. When enough of us learn to  speak the truth without fear, we will create the Tectonic Paradigm Shift in human consciousness that will save human civilization from self-destruction.

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This statement is from the personal blog of Rick Staggenborg, MD. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the official positions of Take Back America for the People, an educational 501.c3 nonprofit established by Dr Staggenborg.

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