Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Afghan war whistleblower Daniel Davis: 'I had to speak out

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, April 16, 2012

Afghan war whistleblower Daniel Davis: 'I had to speak out – lives are at stake'

Click here to access article by Paul Harris from The Guardian.

...Davis saw America's military chiefs, such as General David Petraeus, constantly speak about America's successes, especially when working with local troops. So Davis compiled two reports: one classified and one unclassified. He sent both to politicians in Washington and lobbied them on his concerns. Then in February he went public by giving an interview to the New York Times and writing a damning editorial in a military newspaper.

It appears that this Lt. Colonel in the US Army naively thought that his bosses, the political operatives of the One Percent were interested in truth. Like any top authoritarians in other hierarchical organizations, they want reports that confirm, or conform to, their views and interests. And, that is mostly what they get in every war. After being disabused of that notion, he like other whistle-blowers, felt that telling the truth to the public, the 99 Percent, was important for their interests. Because of this, he is another hero of the 99 Percent.