Our Finest Hour

Our Finest Hour

By Jon Gold

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all."

Do you remember what it was like to be a kid, and having to say those words? For me, it always seemed like a chore. Having to get up every morning, put your hand over your heart, and say the Pledge. A kid has better things to do with their time, don't they?

That being said, there were times when I felt proud to say those words.

For instance, do you remember when the United States' hockey team beat the Soviets in Lake Placid during the 1980 Olympics? WOW. I was only 8 years old when that happened, but I watched A LOT of TV as a kid, so I remember the coverage from Philadelphia's Action News. I remember saying the pledge in 2nd grade, after my teacher reiterated what I had seen the night before, and thinking how proud I was to be an American. It didn't bother me to say the pledge that day.

http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/...ebration_i.jpg
The U.S. team celebrates their upset win over the U.S.S.R.

That was then, and here we are today.

If you follow the news, you'll see that the United States is currently involved in two wars. One in Iraq, and one in Afghanistan. Both American soldiers, and civilians from that region are being killed. 1000's of people on both sides are being wounded, and maimed. Adults and children are being raped, tortured, and killed. On all corners of the planet.

Tensions are increasing everywhere. Unless something is done, relations between Venezuela and the U.S. are probably beyond repair, and the risk of military intervention in that area is increasing all the time. Iran and Israel are on the verge of something disastrous. If Israel, with the help of the United States strikes Iran's nuclear facilities, or even threatens to do so, Iran could shut off their oil supply to the world. I don't even want to think about will happen after that.

Let's talk about what's happening on the homefront. We've established that the war in Iraq is being fought because several people in Government thought it was necessary to do so. Iraq had switched over to the Euro in December 2000. Iraq holds the second largest deposits of oil on the planet, next to Saudi Arabia. If "Peak Oil" is happening, it would make sense to some in Government to secure that oil. Israel needed to be protected. Placing bases in that region would give us the ability to do just that. Money needed to be made for the corporations. Dubya wanted to get Saddam because he took a shot at his daddy.

Of course as we all know, none of these reasons were given to us as to why we needed to go to war in Iraq. We were told that Iraq had something to do with Al-Qaeda and 9/11, and we were told that Saddam Hussein was going to nuke us. This just wasn't the case.

If you think this is the first time something like this has happened, you are sadly mistaken.

Throughout our history, America has partaken in several wars under questionable circumstances.

The Spanish-American war took place because a ship called the Maine was sunk in an explosion that killed 260 men. The newspapers of the day held the Spanish government responsible for the disaster. During a U.S. Naval inquiry, W.T. Sampson said that the Maine had been sunk by a submarine mine. A Spanish Naval inquiry said that the accident happened because of an explosion in the forward magazine. However it took place, the slogan, " Remember the Maine” was used as propaganda for the Spanish-American war.

America was drawn into WWI because of the sinking of the Lusitania. Supposedly, a German U-Boat torpedoed the Lusitania, which caused a second explosion, which caused her to sink. Right after the submarine sunk her, Germany accused Britain of deliberately conspiring to have the Lusitania sunk to draw the United States into WWI.

Before the Lusitania set sail, a public warning by the German Embassy in the U.S. prompted embassy officials to hand out this leaflet on the dockside. It said,

"TRAVELLERS intending to embark on the Atlantic voyage are reminded that a state of war exists between Germany and her allies and Great Britain and her allies; that the zone of war includes the waters adjacent to the British Isles; that, in accordance with formal notice given by the Imperial German Government, vessels flying the flag of Great Britain, or any of her allies, are liable to destruction in those waters and that travelers sailing in the war zone on the ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk."

Part of the cargo was in fact military in nature: 4,200,000 rounds of Remington .303 rifle cartridges, 1250 cases of shrapnel shells and eighteen cases of fuzes.

If she was carrying military cargo, under international law, that made her a legitimate target.

The Allies denied the ship was carrying munitions, though British documents later showed it was.

The reasons for the sinking of the Lusitania continue to be a mystery.

Pearl Harbor was the reason for the United States involvement in WWII. Some make the argument that the "McCollum Memo" is proof that the United States was pressuring Japan into attacking them. Others say that Franklin D. Roosevelt himself knew of the impending attack, and did nothing to warn Pearl Harbor. The American people didn't want to enter into the European conflict. The attack on Pearl Harbor changed the tide, and America entered into WWII.

The Vietnam War happened because the U.S.S. Maddox was supposedly hit by the North Vietnamese. Robert McNamara made the argument before Congress that it was an "unprovoked attack". As a result, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed, and that facilitated increased U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

We now know that the Gulf of Tonkin incident never took place. We went to war for a lie, and 55,000 American soldiers paid the price.

The Gulf War also took place under questionable circumstances. We were told that the Iraqis were taking babies out of incubators that didn't exist, and were throwing them onto hospital floors. The Kuwaiti Ambassador's daughter was professionally trained to cry on TV, and tell us about them. These non-existent incubators, and her testimony, were the talking points that sold the Gulf War.

There is an old saying, "The definition of insanity is repeating the same mistakes, and expecting different results".

Well, it gets even worse.

Each of us currently has to shell out $27,303.82 in order to pay off the National Debt. All 300,000,000 of us. Rich or poor.

We are currently being spied on by the FBI, the Pentagon, and the NSA. Whatever information obtained by those agencies is available for the Bush Administration to see. The FBI's time is being wasted by so many false leads that point to innocent Americans as a result of the NSA wiretaps.

Because of the media's complicity in America's ignorance, those of us who realize what's going on can't be heard.

Our election process has been tainted.

The scandals that are taking place (Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham, Scooter Libby, etc...) are just the "tip of the iceberg" in regards to the corruption that exists in Washington D.C.

I don't like what's happening in America right now. I don't like the direction we're going in. I don't know that if I was asked to say the "Pledge Of Allegiance" today, would I be able to do so.

I can say, however, that I have a solution to the problem. One that I believe is sound in mind, and pure at heart.

We are incessantly being told that the reason for all of our problems is 9/11.

I can say with great confidence that what we were told about 9/11 was not the truth. I can say with great confidence that people in our Government went to great lengths to cover up the events of 9/11. I can say with great confidence that we were lied to about what happened on that horrible day. I can say with great confidence that it was, in fact, elements of our Government who were complicit in the events of 9/11.

My solution is simple. Expose that truth. If you expose the lies surrounding the reason for all of our problems, then the problems related to that reason correct themselves.

I've often thought about why people refuse to do this. I used to attribute it to fear, but fear of what? The Government capable of these atrocites might turn on them? Guess what folks, they're turning on us anyway. They're taking us for a ride to a destination I don't like.

Fear is definitely the reason, but not of the Government.

The fear is attributed to the psychology of exposing the truth. It's very difficult for people to realize that the reason everything is happening right now is because WE, as Americans, have neglected our duties as citizens of these United States. It's our fault, and it's hard for us to face up to it.

No one is more guilty of this than me. I didn't care about what our Government did for the majority of my life. I didn't vote until the 2004 election. I used to be so selfish, and still am to a certain extent, but I can't allow this to continue. That's a personal decision I, and others like me have made.

The fear is also attributed to the effort it would take to expose the truth. Having to change your lifestyle, and your priorities in order to expose that truth is very scary. We like our TVs, and our couches, and our nights out, and our family get togethers, and whatever else it is we like to do. Having to put some of those things on hold until the truth is exposed is a hard thing to do, and I completely understand wanting not to, however it needs to be done. Otherwise, America as we know it, is dead.

When our forefathers started this country, they did so at GREAT risk to themselves, and their families. They could have been killed for what they were doing, and still they took that risk, and created what should have been, and STILL could be the greatest country in the world.

Let's take our country back. In what will be our finest hour as American Citizens, LET US TAKE THIS COUNTRY BACK.

Let's make the "Pledge Of Allegiance" something to be proud of once again.

Before it's too late.

"The government is merely a servant -- merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them."

Mark Twain

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If you want to know what you can do to help, www.911Truth.org currently has two efforts underway.

Now That You Know, What Can You Do?

and...

The Citizens' Counter-Coup