Please join this campaign in making the general public much more aware of how large the anti-war/peace movement really is. We can’t rely on the media to spread the word for us and there are a lot of people out there who are afraid to speak out against US aggression because they feel as though they are alone in their beliefs. Every activist in every community around the world needs to start participating in extremely visible anti-war actions, which highlight the true issues behind the September 11th attack, and the subsequent US military action.


There a just a few suggestions when participating in this campaign: 1) please email lowertheflag@envirocitizen.com when you have participated with location and pictures if possible so that the extent of the campaign can be observed, 2) post the declaration in the area of the lowered flag, preferably on the flag pole itself so that people will know why this action has been taken, and, most importantly, 3) post in/on all independent media sources, list-serves, etc. It is also vitally important that in staying with the declaration we continue these actions indefinitely. Continuous posting on list-serves, lowering flags again if they are put back up, even if it means doing it every day. People everywhere are afraid to speak out because the media is demonizing anyone who’s speaking out against the actions of our government and we need to let them know that they are not alone.

Lower the Flag Campaign

Declaration:

Whereas: the government of the United States of America has been and continues to be responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent civilians proving that it is truly the greatest terrorist threat to the world. This campaign of terror began with the slaughter of some 44 million Native Americans and continues today with the deaths of more than ½ a million Iraqi children as a result of US sanctions, and most recently at least 30 innocent civilians since the bombing of Afghanistan began.

And…

Whereas: the system that is the government of the United States has created a state in which the entire world currently finds itself in a state of cultural, social, economic, and environmental distress, we, the people of the world make this declaration.

We call on all peoples to lower the American flag to half-mast as a sign of mourning for the millions who have died at the hands of the United States government and also turn the flag upside down as this is the signal of distress.

We first make the demand that the United States government and its allies halt the so called “War on Terror” until they have first put an end to their own acts of terrorism which have fueled the anger and hatred that have inspired the retaliatory terrorist attacks against them.

We make a plea for people to spread the word of this campaign worldwide and we make it clear that this campaign is to continue, everyday, until the United States government publicly apologizes for each and every innocent death that it has been responsible for and include in its apology an offer of full reparation for these deaths. We also call on the continuation of this campaign until the United States government begins to show proof that it is making a serious effort towards social justice. We demand that it start with the abolition of the death penalty, an end to the war on the poor, and a complete dismantling of the WTO, World Bank, IMF, and the Organization of American States including NAFTA, GATT, and the FTAA..

"Whereas: the government of the United States of America has been and continues to be responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent civilians proving that it is truly the greatest terrorist threat to the world."

Where do you people get this nonsense?

I mean seriously, how do you justify this?

This is the nation that saved the world from Naziism and Japanese Imperialism.

This is the nation that saved Eastern Europe and the states of the former Soviet Union from that horror.

This is the nation that rebuilt Japan and Europe.

This is the nation which is the single largest provider of humanitarian aid in the world.

You look over at nations like Angola, where political dissidents have their ears amputed in public, and then you call us terrorists?

You are some sick people. . . about as sick as the bastards who flew those 4 planes.

Stating that the United States is the greatest terrorist threat on earth is not far from the truth. It's difficult to quantify. However, your example of political dissidents getting their ears cut off in Angola, while it speaks (possibly) to the tyranny of authoritarianism, it's important to remember that the "democracy" of the United States is very well-maintained and illusioned. Citizens have limited democratic power, and in fact, truly cannot effect the agenda of elites without MASS action, such as the Vietnam war (though some of the most heinous atrocities escaped even the anti-war movement's notice as they were blacked out by our "free" media). To the third world such as: Nicaragua, Nigeria, Sudan, Mexico and others, the US does represent a terrorist threat against democracy and self-determination. Counter-insurgency operations, election fixing and media manipulation are well documented interventions of the United States of America. So, while we sit at home, content with our ability to "change things" while our personal sphere is relatively safe, the third world which is constantly at the mercy of US capital has NO vote...THAT is terrorism. As for your comments regarding the combatting of fascism, it's worthwile to point out that while WWII was a war worth winning, the political world that resulted afterwards is tyrannical in its own regard, bretton woods, the world bank, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, all results of our hubris from victory....In conclusion, while the US may not be the most dangerous exporter of terrorism in the world, the original posters' comments are not entirely unfounded and should not cause such shock.

Here's why I'm so shocked.

The US has spent the last 60 years spending money and American lives trying to spread Democracy around the globe.

In the last 20 years, 30 governments have moved from authoritarian governments to democracy (albeit in some cases fragile democracies). The United States supported all of these governments in this transition with economic aid, humanitarian aid and/or military aid.

So go and ask the people of Eritrea if we are the greatest purveyor of terror in the world. Ask the people of South Korea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda. Ask the people of Kosovo whether we are the Great Satan.

As of today, under the so-called evils of US hegemony, every nation in the Americas has a democratically elected government -- but one. (Cuba, of course.)

Now, yes, many of South American democracies are nascent, and don't meet our standards of civil liberties and individual rights. But they are a vast improvement on the military dictatorships that dominated the continent even within our life times.

And they will continue to improve, with our help.

So, in light of all that the United States Government (to say nothing of what US CITIZENS have done on their own) has done to improve the lives of people all over the world, forgive me if I am offended at being called the moral equivalent of a suicide bomber. But I am.

what's your definition of democratically-elected? I've never heard a definition of that term that would include someone who lost the popular vote being president. Much less being placed in power by one vote on the supreme judicial body. So, there are at least two (that's assuming your Cuba example which I don't necessarily agree with).

One example of how the US has done everything it can to crush democratic movements: East Timor. The US as you say provided plenty of military, economic and every other type of support, only they gave that support to Indonesia. This at a time when a military dictatorship ruled Indonesia. Henry Ford and Kissinger were in Jakarta two days before Indonesia invaded in 1975 and gave the go ahead from the US. In the next 5 years during the Ford and Carter administrations at least 200,000 people were killed. Reagan, Bush and Clinton kept up that same support while conditions were as bad as I have seen them anywhere in occupied East Timor. And for the entire 24 years of the occupation massacre after massacre after masssacre using US weapons and training occurred. To me that is not supporting democracy. (This doesn't even mention the repression of Indonesians especially in the outlying islands and students in Jakarta by the same Indonesian military)

There are countless others from funding a decade long war against the democratically elected government in Nicaragua to 2,000,000+ dead Vietnamese, (obviously mostly civilians) to training the Mujahadeen which would later split into the Taliban and the Northern Alliance, two of the worst governments in terms of women's issues in recent memory. That to me does not speak of supporting democracy around the world.

The other point is that saying that the US government is guilty of terrorism is not the same as saying that the US population is guilty of said. There are individuals that need to be brought to trial and whole systems of government need to be completely overhauled. That's not the same as saying that US citizens are guilty. Though my feeling personally is that if you know something horrific that the government or anyone else has done and don't try to change it or blind yourself to it you are making yourself complicit to some degree.