The Last Frontier

Non-violent non-cooperation with violence in general and with militarism in particular is the last frontier for the truly adventurous: the great American heroes of the future.

After the inglorious demise of the Viet Nam war, the reputation of the military in the United States was at a very low ebb. At the time, I felt confident that my fellow citizens had turned an important corner. I assured myself that we had all seen through the lies of the military-industrial complex; never again would we be willing to take militarists at their word: "Trust us. We know what we're doing. You need us. You should thank God that we are here to protect you." We understood that the military is a government authorized protection racket, and we would not be fooled again.

I should never have underestimated the resolve of the Pentagon or ignored what kind of propaganda machine practically limitless taxpayer funding can buy. The carefully choreographed 1991 Gulf War was the Pentagon's show-case, and the fawning media fell into line. A decade later, the spectacle of 9/11: with the finger-prints of CIA involvement in evidence--from the training of the Afghan freedom fighters with Saudi assistance (including, of course, one Osama bin Laden) to the mysterious collapse of Trade Center building 7.

Of course, government complicity in the creation of that tragedy will never be seriously contemplated by any but a few on the fringe; consequently, the road to the Last Frontier cannot be reached through righteous indignation at the unconscionable manipulation of the American public (and the mass murder of its members) through our own version of the Reichstag fire.

The road to the Last Frontier is a moral road. It is traveled by those who finally reach the conviction that the only way to end violence is the principled refusal to participate in it or aid and abet its commission in any way.

Few have the courage to embark upon such a journey--least of all those who boast of courage for combat (though rarely see it themselves, e.g., Dick Cheney, Barack Obama).

This country, which claims to be leading the world to a better future, is on the wrong side of history. The leaders of the future--should there be a future worth having--will be those with the guts and the nerve required to renounce violence.

Pulling a trigger is for the morally numb.

Resist. Refuse. Renounce.