I believe in this beautiful country. I have studied its roots and gloried in the wisdom of its magnificent Constitution. I have marveled at the wisdom of its founders and framers. Generation after generation of Americans has understood the lofty ideals that underlie our great Republic. I have been inspired by the story of their sacrifice and their strength.
But, today I weep for my country. I have watched the events of recent months with a heavy, heavy heart. No more is the image of America one of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. The image of America has changed. Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned.
Instead of reasoning with those with whom we disagree, we demand obedience or threaten recrimination. Instead of isolating Saddam Hussein, we seem to have isolated ourselves. We proclaim a new doctrine of preemption which is understood by few and feared by many. We say that the United States has the right to turn its firepower on any corner of the globe which might be suspect in the war on terrorism. We assert that right without the sanction of any international body. As a result, the world has become a much more dangerous place.
We flaunt our superpower status with arrogance. We treat UN Security Council members like ingrates who offend our princely dignity by lifting their heads from the carpet. Valuable alliances are split.
After war has ended, the United States will have to rebuild much more than the country of Iraq. We will have to rebuild America's image around the globe.
The case this Administration tries to make to justify its fixation with war is tainted by charges of falsified documents and circumstantial evidence. We cannot convince the world of the necessity of this war for one simple reason. This is a war of choice.
There is no credible information to connect Saddam Hussein to 9/11. The twin towers fell because a world-wide terrorist group, Al Qaeda, with cells in over 60 nations, struck at our wealth and our influence by turning our own planes into missiles, one of which would likely have slammed into the dome of this beautiful Capitol except for the brave sacrifice of the passengers on board.
The brutality seen on September 11th and in other terrorist attacks we have witnessed around the globe are the violent and desperate efforts by extremists to stop the daily encroachment of western values upon their cultures. That is what we fight. It is a force not confined to borders. It is a shadowy entity with many faces, many names, and many addresses.
But, this Administration has directed all of the anger, fear, and grief which emerged from the ashes of the twin towers and the twisted metal of the Pentagon towards a tangible villain, one we can see and hate and attack. And villain he is. But, he is the wrong villain. And this is the wrong war. If we attack Saddam Hussein, we will probably drive him from power. But, the zeal of our friends to assist our global war on terrorism may have already taken flight.
The general unease surrounding this war is not just due to "orange alert." There is a pervasive sense of rush and risk and too many questions unanswered. How long will we be in Iraq? What will be the cost? What is the ultimate mission? How great is the danger at home?
A pall has fallen over the Senate Chamber. We avoid our solemn duty to debate the one topic on the minds of all Americans, even while scores of thousands of our sons and daughters faithfully do their duty in Iraq.
What is happening to this country? When did we become a nation which ignores and berates our friends? When did we decide to risk undermining international order by adopting a radical and doctrinaire approach to using our awesome military might? How can we abandon diplomatic efforts when the turmoil in the world cries out for diplomacy?
Why can this President not seem to see that America's true power lies not in its will to intimidate, but in its ability to inspire?
War appears inevitable. But, I continue to hope that the cloud will lift. Perhaps Saddam will yet turn tail and run. Perhaps reason will somehow still prevail. I along with millions of Americans will pray for the safety of our troops, for the innocent civilians in Iraq, and for the security of our homeland. May God continue to bless the United States of America in the troubled days ahead, and may we somehow recapture the vision which for the present eludes us.
Posted by Brian Stefans at March 21, 2003 02:26 AMBravo!!
Millions are on your side, senator Byrd. Please lead us out of this!
I agree with Senator Byrds statements above, his Senate remarks, eg., We Stand Passively Mute and most other debates he has brought up. He seems to be a solo voice in this administration. Senator Byrd represents a very large number of people in this country and this planet. What can we the people do to support this attitude and bring some integrity back into the US?
Posted by: Eileen on March 27, 2003 07:29 AMI truly wish the Keisling, Byrd and others who are speaking out against the current administration would just mention the PNAC - Project for a New American Cenutry (www.newamericancentury.org) just ONCE! I want Americans to take note of what the rest of the world already has, and why so many countries opposed us rushing to war w/ Iraq. Right on the PNAC's website they have mapped out and planned out further distruction in the Middle East and Southern Asia. The rest of the world is right to question US intentions, especially now that Powell has declared that we don't want the UN involved in re-building Iraq....right, we want to set the priorities - rebuild the oil wells first....and Halliburton (Cheney was their CEO until he became W's running mate) is just the company to do it. Come on, could the US administration be more transparent???
It makes me sick now to hear Rice deflecting blame for Iraqi casualties - 'Saddam put weapons and military structures in residential areas' - that's our reason, excuse for killing innocent people? Choose to handle it differently....then you don't have to kill them.
GREEDY IGNORANT POWER HUNGRY MANIPULATORS. YUCK!
IMPEACH BUSH. I'd prefer a good ol' fashioned sex scandal any day compared to plans for world domination!
Posted by: Lenore on March 27, 2003 05:39 PMWhat the honorable Senator Byrd lacks is a credible opposition, taking the directive to search for a counter argument, yet when the insurrection is a counter to the force of information, the patriot force is misled, led to believe that this war is purely economic and thus political, witness the Oscars, the subdued superiority of both our technological sophistication and temperament for loss of life, psychological trauma of the infant yet free Iraqi, getting a good listen to American liberation. If we, as messengers of the freedom we all enjoy in America, the theft, the forced rape and battering with a bat, the absolutely enforced and palatable barter-free supermarket agenda become somewhat soft to the blasts, hot water and 24/7 electricity, I can only agree with the Tienenman square solution, to give your life to the idea of freedom which wrings its hands into the palms of your supplicant prayers. Unfortunately, this is the last gamed war. Fortunately. Blood is, in my mind, the most beautiful color, from the lips of God, filled with blood.
Then again, when you’re struck by a few rounds of M-16 fire, one should take another look at the bullet.
As a man with moral standards, as a professional, as citizen of the world, I can only agree with US Senator Robert Byrd. I would like all senators would feel like him.
In fact, the current policy choices of US administration are seriously worrying the Europeans and all people worldwide concerned about peace, human rights, democracy, international law and security, and global enviroment.
These choices are reminding to us all to that the early white settlers arriving to America from Europe were undesirable convicts, intolerant sectarians, dangerous adventurers.
Unfortunately, not the best Europeans.
Not the best America.
We hope another America soon will overcome.
Sincerely,
Lucio Sibilia, MD
ISDE - Italian Doctors for the Environment
I believe America is doomed, because young and old politician's alike have not stood up and be openly defiant to gross policy of certain administrations, or in reguards to greedy heads of coorporations. we have no more democracy this is a autocracy and it is about to fall our debt is 40 trillion dollars and we are taxed near death and starvation we cannot pay this f@#12king bill. senator byrds remarks are strong but fell on deaf ears because the majority of the public did not hear these eloquent words. and if senator byrd was not apart of the "GOOD OLE BOY" ntwk his word would have a louder ring .
Posted by: Nate X on June 2, 2003 05:04 PMI believe America is doomed, because young and old politician's alike have not stood up and be openly defiant to gross policy of certain administrations, or in reguards to greedy heads of coorporations. we have no more democracy this is a autocracy and it is about to fall our debt is 40 trillion dollars and we are taxed near death and starvation we cannot pay this f@#12king bill. senator byrds remarks are strong but fell on deaf ears because the majority of the public did not hear these eloquent words. and if senator byrd was not apart of the "GOOD OLE BOY" ntwk his word would have a louder ring .
Posted by: Nate X on June 2, 2003 05:04 PMHey people, I live in Belgium. Yes the country with the genocide law ( ex genocide law ) After America threathened is with economic sanctions and also relocating de Nato headquarters from Brussels.
Now president Bush orders the rest of the world to stop the ban on genetically manipulated crops because this ban is the reason why people in Africa are starving for a lack of food and that these crops can save them. If his intention was sincere I could understand but America being the largest producer of these crops, I ask myself, where will this end.
If we do not comply to his orders will we become rogue states ?
Fear the corn, not the mouthpiece of the executive order to kill without prosecution. Though genetically modified ears of corn have the texture of late summer corn and lack the sweet soft texture of the first crop, they have been observed to envelop locust and devour spider mites with their milk, only to proclaim that the enemy harbors violence. I am not Nature, nor am I the Judge. I see the simple Hallucination of power dominate my being.
Posted by: Malachi on June 27, 2003 11:56 PMTo Lenore, I would like to invite you to read the PNAC presentation page at http://www.newamericancentury.org/ (but with my corrections in capitals):
"The Project for the New American Century is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to a few fundamentalIST propositions: that American leadership is good both for AmericaN OIL CORPORATIONS and for the world OF DIRTY BUSINESS; that such leadership requires military strength, diplomatic energy, ALCOHOL, COCAINE and commitment to IMmoral principle; and that too few political leaders today are making the case for global leadership AND GAMBLING."
"The Project for the New American Century intends, through issue briefs, research papers, advocacy journalism, conferences, and seminars, to explain TO THOSE WHO STILL HAVE NOT UNDERSTOOD what American world leadership entails. It will also strive to rally support for a vigorous and principled policy of American international involvement INTO WEAKENING UNITED NATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AND LAWS and to stimulate useful public debate on foreign and defense policy OF SHOCK AND AWE and America's PREDATORY role in the world."
The rest of our conversion follows a similar vein. Instead of going through line by line, let's just compare end results: when the transition is complete, the code that used to read:
Posted by: Blanche on January 19, 2004 05:40 AMThis will allow us to use a few functions we didn't have access to before. These lines are still a mystery for now, but we'll explain them soon. Now we'll start working within the main function, where favoriteNumber is declared and used. The first thing we need to do is change how we declare the variable. Instead of
Posted by: Timothy on January 19, 2004 05:40 AMOur next line looks familiar, except it starts with an asterisk. Again, we're using the star operator, and noting that this variable we're working with is a pointer. If we didn't, the computer would try to put the results of the right hand side of this statement (which evaluates to 6) into the pointer, overriding the value we need in the pointer, which is an address. This way, the computer knows to put the data not in the pointer, but into the place the pointer points to, which is in the Heap. So after this line, our int is living happily in the Heap, storing a value of 6, and our pointer tells us where that data is living.
Posted by: Geoffrey on January 19, 2004 05:41 AMThis code should compile and run just fine, and you should see no changes in how the program works. So why did we do all of that?
Posted by: George on January 19, 2004 05:41 AM