What if…?
I have a few questions for my Friends.
- What if we wake up one day and realize that the terrorist threat is a predictable consequence of our meddling in the affairs of others?
- What if propping up repressive regimes in the Middle East endangers both the United States and Israel?
- What if occupying countries like Iraq and Afghanistan - and bombing Pakistan - is directly related to the hatred directed toward us and has nothing to do with being free and prosperous?
- What if someday it dawns on us that losing over 5,000 American military personnel in the Middle East since 9/11 is not a fair trade-off for the loss of nearly 3,000 American citizens, no matter how many Iraqi, Pakistani, and Afghan people are killed or displaced?
- What if we finally decide that torture, even if called enhanced interrogation techniques, is self-destructive and produces no useful information - and that contracting it out to a third world nation is just as evil?
- What if it is finally realized that war and military spending is always destructive to the economy?
- What if all wartime spending is paid for through the deceitful and evil process of inflating and borrowing?
- What if we finally see that wartime conditions always undermine personal liberty?
- What if conservatives, who preach small government, wake up and realize that our interventionist foreign policy provides the greatest incentive to expand the government?
- What if conservatives understood once again that their only logical position is to reject military intervention and managing an empire throughout the world?
- What if the American people woke up and understood that the official reasons for going to war are almost always based on lies and promoted by war propaganda in order to serve special interests?
- What if we as a nation came to realize that the quest for empire eventually destroys all great nations?
- What if Obama has no intention of leaving Iraq?
- What if a military draft is being planned for the wars that will spread if our foreign policy is not changed?
- What if the American people learn the truth: that our foreign policy has nothing to do with national security and that it never changes from one administration to the next?
- What if war and preparation for war is a racket serving the special interests?
- What if President Obama is completely wrong about Afghanistan and it turns out worse than Iraq and Vietnam put together?
- What if Christianity actually teaches peace and not preventive wars of aggression?
- What if diplomacy is found to be superior to bombs and bribes in protecting America?
- What happens if my concerns are completely unfounded - nothing!
- What happens if my concerns are justified and ignored - nothing good!
Adapted (and slightly reformatted) from a speech given on the floor of the house of representatives by the congressman from Texas Rep. Paul (I have changed the first line)
Questions that need to be asked, and so I shall repeat them here
The Book of Mormon’s Stance on War, Particularly Pre-Emptive War
I feel happy that in the topsy turvy world we live in with so many ideas and philosophies around and with all the Political fights and ideas that we have the words of the prophets of old (and living) to guide us to understanding.
We believe in obeying the law of our country but we do not have to believe that what they do is infallible or even somewhat right.
It saddens me that many of my church cling to the philosophies of their Political Parties even though they have scripture references and examples such as the one described in this video by my favorite author.
Why would they not search for a leader like Cpt. Mormon and go for someone so opposite like Romney or McCain or Obama.
Turn the analogies to USA vs those fighting to destroy the USA and then watch again.
LINK HERE
Highlights:
- "Whenever there is a battle, both sides are guilty"
- Pay attention to the way Alma prepares his people for war.
- Moroni taught Defense... even to the shedding of blood.
- Offensive strikes were totally out of the question.
- So much that he became a conscientious objector when his country sought to go to their opponents land and kill them.
- The fatal mistake of the Nephites was to take the offensive.
- By the wicked that the wicked are punished.
Recap:
How the righteous captains of the military led their armies in the times of the Book of Mormon
My take:
We seriously need to change our Foreign Policy in this country and the stances of the Majority of Republicans and Democrats are saddening.
