A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR OF Realitytunnel.com

"Become an internationalist and learn to respect all life. Make war on machines, and in particular the sterile machines of corporate death and the robots that guard them."
Abbie Hoffman

I experienced an epiphany when something happened to me several years ago. I saw literally thousands of peaceful activist protesting the WTO and IMF in the now infamous Battle of Seattle. Over 600 peaceful protesters were beaten and arrested for trying to raise awareness of the general public of these two dangerous organizations that sidestep democracy, environmental and labor protections and exploit the 3^rd world. What I found most compelling is that even if these activists were completely wrong about these organizations, the brutal response that was brought down on them by the police (to serve and protect) was completely unwarranted. Washington state used so much CS gas on these protesters who (just peacefully sat there and pleaded their case) that the police had to go to the National Guard to replenish their supply. CS gas may be linked to cancer and miscarriages and other health problems.(Chemical warfare). Another thing that stuck me was how well read and intelligent these activists were. I would sit in my large window office of one of the largest corporate Law firms in Washington with a view of most of down town and watched for a week as National Guard and police vehicles would continually assault these activist. Why were these people risking their lives, jobs and health just because they disagreed with these organizations? I would then go home, turn on the news and see a completely different story. The story was that these crazy people were anarchists who were insighting the police, breaking windows, blocking traffic and destroying local businesses. Seeing this contrast first hand between the media storey and reality had a profound effect. Remember. Even if these folks had illogical points of view and were blocking traffic the brutal response was unwarranted.

I thought this is not the America that I know. I then began to read and speak to these activists. I started learning where my tax money went and why. I started to learn who really owns the media and where their money comes from. I used the "Follow the money method.". I also at this time learned about our corporate legal system first hand from within. I had access to every single legal document, HR, payroll, and an extensive law library. It is interesting that the average partner at my former employment makes a million dollars a year and the janitor from Ethiopia that cleans the Lawyers toilet and office makes about 7 dollars an hour.  I learned about the freedom of information act and read about Orwellian ideas such as the U.S plans to militarize space. Then September 11th happened. I had a little better understanding that I had to use the internet and to use the method of multiple competing hypotheses because information solely from this country is very biased without a world view perspective. I used language translators such as dictionary.com to read foreign newspapers. Why do they hate us I asked? I soon learned that although these terrorists’ countries had some fanatical religious and economic cultural problems, they also had some very valid grievances with the U.S. I also began to see that every superpower to some extent brainwashes it citizens with patriotism. It is a testimony to our Western Universities success at this that we cannot fathom the hypocrisy of our own foreign policies. An obvious example is the tremendous Human rights violations that the U.S commits every year and the Human rights violations committed by countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia that the U.S supports monetarily and militarily. This does not register or warrant a second thought by Americans. However, when a brutal dictator commits these crimes there is a completely different response. We can do no wrong.

I now understand that every person can have a profound effect in this world. We have a difficult responsibility in this country to be the watch guard of our government and tax dollars. There is nothing but you and I to prevent the U.S from becoming a Christian empire governed by a war mongering dictator in the name of freedom and democracy which has a financial system designed to liquidate our very life support system. After Sept 11th, I now realize that our leaders cannot protect us but they can get us killed. As Howard Zinn says we cannot be neutral on a moving train. Over 50% of our Tax dollars go to this military machine. This by default involves us and makes us responsible for our government’s actions. “A country which spends more on its military than on all of its social services combined is a country approaching spiritual death.” I believe that it is a psychological defense mechanism to think we are small, too busy, or are not responsible. We do have control over what our government does. We can understand the complexities of politics. In reality Politics are merely an extension of human nature. All humans essentially want the same things. To be free and raise their families in peace. The tendency toward slaughter that manifests itself in our society is not a uniquely human proclivity at all. It is something we share with apes, fish and ants- a brutality that speaks to us through the animals in our brain. We may dream of peace but to achieve that dream, we will have to evolve further and overcome what nature has built into us. In this country we have more wealth than most of the world’s population who will never drive a car much less own one or have a garage to park two of them in. War is based on greed, ignorance and fear. When we put negative energy out into the world we will receive it in return. This may sound ideological and ethical but it is a fundamental simple truth that even children understand. The "us against them will get us all killed." They are us. One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorists. We breathe the same air and live on the same living planet. What we do to all life we do to ourselves.

I hope you find your ticket on this moving train.