Wil's Rant

There is another downside to all the extremism and terrorism beyond the obvious death and destruction. As more and more countries are experiencing a rise in terrorism we must ask ourselves where it all leads to. At it's worst it would lead to total chaos and likely the end of modern civilization as we know it. Perhaps not a terrible thing for the planet in light of the last few years but there is much that is worthy that will also be lost. Not the least of these would be the internet, the best tool for democracy, free speech, freedom as a whole, and education that has ever been invented. We in the West must recognize our own contribution to the overall loss of faith in the democratic process which results from administrations which are anything but credible and ethical. Democracy and Justice hold no meaning if not combined with honesty and ethics. If we choose to elect those who will manipulate the media at a master level to totally circumvent the truth, than we are as responsible as those same leaders. All citizens of all countries should consider it their sacred duty to follow the developments, become as well informed as possible and use that information to make our decisions, and watch our elected officials like hawks and hold them accountable. Failure to do so dooms us all. I can't imagine an informed public actually electing someone like George Bush. Peace and harmony are achieved through understanding and compromise, not military might. While it is true that in the past many have died to preserve our freedom, the world is in a different place today. We have yet to evolve to the point where we can live safely with the knowledge and capability to destroy ourselves. Faith and at least the perception of honesty and integrity must be restored to the Western democratic process if we are to survive to turmoil of our times. Only then might other cultures find something worthy in our system. Failing that, they might at least respect our choice to live in a democratic state. As it stands, I think we most resemble a bunch of ignorant fools who are so blind to our own failings that we criminally try to force our beliefs and system down the throats of everyone else