By Kenneth J. Theisen, 6/15/07
“As a member of the German Army, I did what was
necessary to survive the day, the system, the war — no more, no
less.” This quote is from the
book, “The Answer” written by Kurt Waldheim. Waldheim died on June
14, 2007. He was a former United Nations
Secretary General and former president of Austria. His Nazi past as a German intelligence
officer came back to haunt him as he was running for Austrian President in
1986. The book and quote were his justification for being complicit in Nazi
crimes. He denied any role in war
crimes, but in 1988 a blue-ribbon historical commission concluded that Waldheim
knew about and failed to prevent deportations and other Nazi atrocities.
As I read Waldheim’s obituary I could not help but think of
today under the Bush regime where wars rage in Iraq
and Afghanistan
and all manner of crimes are justified to win the so-called “war on
terror.” While millions oppose the Bush administration,
millions also sit and do nothing. How
many say, “I am only doing what is necessary to survive, no more, no less,” as
they go-along with the regime’s agenda?
Can our personal survival be an excuse to avoid active resistance to the
Bush regime? Can we afford to look the other way as hundreds of thousands die
in the Bush regime wars already underway or those being planned now? Can we
ignore the systematic erosion of human and legal rights fostered by an
administration which considers the use of waterboarding as a “no brainer” when
interrogating prisoners?
Regular readers of the World Can’t Wait website are well
aware of the fascist nature of the Bush regime.
This awareness should compel us all to do what we can to end this regime
as soon as possible to spare the people of the world further abuse. In later life, Waldheim claimed, “I tried to
the best of my ability to remain loyal to my values and to serve my
homeland.” What were his values
that allowed him to sign orders that consigned Jews and others to die in
concentration camps?
What are your values?
If they are the same as Waldheim, read this article and then do nothing.
But if the actions of the regime offend your values, take action now. If you have not already contacted your
nearest World Can’t Wait chapter do so immediately.