So Many War Crimes, Plenty of Time to Report Them -- If You Care To Know

source: @OccupyDenver slideshow on Twitter

I loved this photo, but the rest of the world will perhaps be forgiven their cynicism when they see the neo-classical domes of United States' capitol buildings and quake in fear rather than mist up over lofty ideals of government of, by, and for the people.

There's never enough time -- for me at least -- to get caught up on reading accounts of how the U.S. dba as NATO some of the time, using proxy armies and militia in other cases, projects force onto civilians in Afghanistan, and all around the globe.

This detailed account in Counterpunch, for instance, "Return to Sorman: Anatomy of a NATO War Crime" by Franklin Lamb, of just one of the 11,781 bombs or rockets that fell on people in Libya during "Operation Unified Protector" (who writes these crap names for our campaigns of death?).

The testimony of people who survived the occupation of Iraq  have mostly gone beyond sadness to bitter condemnation. Democracy Now! had Yanar Mohammed, president of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, on the show to explain how much worse things are, especially for women, since the U.S. invaded and occupied her country.

source: Democracy Now! Activist rebuffs U.S. claims of a freer Iraq,"This is not a democratic country."

A theme that emerges from each of the accounts I've read of actual people in Iraq assessing the war's effects: division along ethnic and religious lines that did not exist before Shock and Awe. What a shameful legacy, indeed. What U.S. foreign policy seems to excel at in the 21st century is fomenting civil war wherever it goes. Hey, wasn't that what Osama bin Laden stated was al Qaeda's primary goal back in '01? Oh, actually, make that regime change in the countries of the Muslim world.

And let's not forget the U.S. sending millions each year in aid to the Egyptian military government so they can mow down pro-democracy protesters in their streets. Egypt is second only to the state of Israel in receiving -- let's call it what it is -- credits to purchase tear gas, bombs for Gaza and other places. Killing and maiming funded by your taxes and mine.

What's a person to do?

Source: Stefan Klenke, itchii.com

These folks gathered in London to honor truth teller Bradley Manning, jailed for 500+ days for exposing some of the horrors the U.S. military visited on people living in oil-rich countries. As many have observed, Manning did not shoot anybody, rape anybody, or bomb their house; he simply exposed some inconvenient facts.

The military-industrial complex counts on their propaganda machine humming 24/7 with the most glittering entertainment and distraction money can buy. Fight it by sharing some of the truth! Even a little leaking through could prove to be an existential threat.

Source: Mondoweiss The Aftermath of a Bombed Home in Gaza

And that's why you'll never see this photo on the evening "news" in the U.S.A.

Go to your town, your congressional office, your board of supervisors, your state house, and demand -- bring our war $$ home!