When I was in the military, the powers that be told us in briefings that it doesn't matter what we(U.S./Israel) do but rather the perception of what we do that counts. Muslims and even Americans or Israelis who were killed in the process of making those perceptions the perceived reality were just collateral damage. On the sidelines we spoke under our breaths and some said that if the collateral damage among Americans and Israelis happened to be liberal Americans and liberal Israelis then so much the better. In the briefing, it was said that the media could report what happened and even appear to be reporting the news but that it required manipulation to slant the news to be slightly tilted toward our interests. The other means to prevent the whole truth from coming out was to focus the attention of the media away from damaging news by creating incidents. If the liberal media began focusing on issues that could become damaging to U.S./Israeli interests then incidents would be created at home and abroad to deflect negative criticism. This was the new strategy that a joint Israel/U.S policy would use in the Middle East and at home to keep another new disaster like Vietnam from happening again.

Controlling what comes from media outlets, pulpits, teachers and politicians is not about giving these policy makers a scriipt but rather deflecting the harshest criticism when it really maters. This is what has happened to the mainstream media but the alternative media is no less co-opted. The speakers back in my military days spoke about the failure of the military to control potential assets during Vietnam. The result was a revolutionary pro-peace movement. This was how the military had failed and since then has been full time controlling or at least slanting what the media outlets, preachers, teachers and politicians say. I was a young guy that had been brainwashed my whole life. I agreed with killing Muslims disguised as Muslims because at the time I believed that the United States and Israeli Military had to do evil for the greater good. I had an epiphany one terrible day and it changed my perception about that strategy. I came to a different conclusion altogether. Although my brainwashing was still somewhat intact, I did not want to kill anyone anymore. Treating everyone with respect and dignity became my mantra even though I still held some deep seated animosity toward blacks, Catholics, gay people and later homeless people, I would treat those populations with dignity on the outside but mostly avoided looking at my brainwashing by ignoring those populations. Years went by and through the many tragic and beautiful lessons of my life, I came to admire and love people from all of those people I once held animosity towards. I believe this is what I came back to this world to learn.

I have discovered that other people who are not like me in appearance or beliefs are the way they are because of their brainwashing just as I am the way I am because of my brainwashing. To breach the walls of brainwashing, I have had to do more than just ignore those who are not like me. I have had to walk a mile in the shoes of those who I still hold animosity towards and still love those are not like me. Once I have internalized the belief that I might do the exact same thing that another person might do if I was in their position then it took away my deep seated prejudices.

I have a much harder time letting people who have my prior prejudices off of the hook. I have made it my journey to oppose those who believe one must do evil for the greater good. Treating everyone and all things with dignity and respect, internalizing the same, we as the human race can bring about a renewed earth. Respecting others and treating others with dignity and respect does not mean being a doormat of oppressors though. Speaking truth to power or opposing oppression is the responsibility of everyone but I believe we should speak to our own prejudices and brainwashing first.

In my journey I have learned that we are too often hard on ourselves when we fail to be the greatest expectations of ourselves and therefore we transfer that hardness on to others. Give yourself a break when you fail to live up to your highest expectation for yourself. Get up the next day and try again. That doesn't mean we should accept doing evil for the greater good. Light does not come from doing darkness. Light comes from light. I walked away from the military and a whole lifetime of brainwashing but still I have layers of brainwashing to remove. This is why I am still here. Forgive me when I fail to show dignity and respect. When those who still have my prior brainwashing, I am the hardest on them. I know this is where I still have plenty of room to grow.

Y-H bless