We are all slaves

It is getting harder and harder to stand by the genocide that the American government and military - as well as its "allies" (Israel's government) - continue to inflict on powerless innocent people "in our name" under false pretenses all over the world. We continue to be progressively surrounded and systematically enslaved by evil and by our inaction/lack of effective voice against it. Don't get me wrong, I am the first to recognize my own shortcomings and impotence/lack of sustained practical commitment to the "good" side. This is a self-flagellating frustrated rant if it is anything...

From time to time, I awaken from my slumber, I look in the mirror and recognize I'm just as guilty of inaction as anyone and enslaved by it; enslaved since our "democratic" and "civilized" system of "checks and balances" does not allow an avenue for honest, immediate and rapidly effective form of dissent against these atrocities in a way that won't land you in jail (for example, if you don't support the imperial war machine by not paying taxes to the enslavers) or land your name on a no-fly "terrorist" list (like 1,000,000 plus other Americans...!). This is SLAVERY!! Pure and simple. NO ONE IS FREE IN AMERICA !!! Let's recognize this critical reality first of all !! Failure to do so will continue to blind us into complacency and further bondage.

In this context, how realistic is it then to focus on one's "personal spirituality" (however you define it) when, by inaction/ ongoing involuntary support, we continue to allow these atrocities and injustices to go on? Isn't this a bit hypocritical of us in the final analysis? I am asking these questions out loud because I continue to struggle with this issue. I am not at peace knowing this is what continues to go on in the world, fueled partially by the fruits of my own labor (tax dollars). No matter how much "individual spirituality" I seek, how can I be truly at peace with the burden of this knowledge? And if one in the know is able to remove this burden from his/her mind (consciously or unconsciously), isn't one still complicit in the evil? Once you know, you can never "unknow"! Were the knowing "good Germans" in the 1930s exempt of criticism, responsibility, or blame for their inaction? Is this a reconcilable situation for a spiritual/moral person?

How can anyone knowingly continue to feed the machine that commits these atrocities supposedly "in our name"?? Yes, we clearly reject these criminals' actions and individually reject the association of "our name" with them in any way, but in the practical sense, aren't they acting as guided by the elected representatives of our supposedly "free" society? How can we then shun our responsibility if we accept this system? If this is the result of such a system, one has to clearly question its soundness- unless the system has been usurped by criminals (which is really what "we" have allowed to happen). If this is the case, how do we prevent the criminals from finally ramming the system (and all of us in it) into the proverbial wall at 1000 mph???

How would the father of a innocent 3 year-old girl in Afghanistan or Palestine know that Americans do not support the politico-military structure that just killed (or raped) his little girl?? I put myself in that position and I shudder to think that, were that to happen to my own daughter, I would probably would want to nuke every mother fucker in the country that allowed those actions to unfold, whether by democratic choice, executive order, inaction through involuntary funding, or whatever...!!! How can a truly moral and compassionate human being justify or rationalize these actions by saying "well, what are you going to do...?" or- if you were to believe the bullshit propaganda- "well, they did it to us first". If we lived next to these innocent people and we saw them face to face everyday, how could we call ourselves "human", "compassionate", "enlightened", "spiritual", "morally superior", when we allow and rationalize this outrageous evil? As Gandhi said "what difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?"

Our current disastrous situation, beyond a political or economic issue, is becoming more of a spiritual and existential issue for me (as I am sure it is for a lot of you), as unspeakable evil continues to advance unencumbered. As I try to work on my spiritual self and encounter that the universe is truly an "intelligent interconnected oneness", I find it more and more difficult to deal and accept this kind of widespread injustice and evil, especially if I may happen to be involved, albeit as an involuntary pawn in the game. Is the acceptance of this reality part of one's spiritual journey? If that is so, this seems way out of place with the harmony we seek in the spiritual realm.

I guess I just need to get it out in writing once in a while so it doesn't give me a fucking tumor... What can we do that will REALLY make a difference (either in this world or in the spiritual realm)??????

Sources:
http://www.hrw.org/en/features/rain-fire-white-phosphorus-gaza
http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/05/15/investigator-up-to-10...
http://www.infowars.com/media-ignores-real-controversy-behin...