Mark S. Blackburn, MBA

Synopsis:  The Iraq War was not properly declared by congress.  Therefore it is unconstitutional.  The cost of the war is obscene -- over $26,666 for every tax-slave and his family of 4 in America.  There are no benefits--only harm coming to American and Iraqi citizens.  DO NOT FUND this war further.  The USA is losing its proud heritage of peace and moral leadership through this war.  Congress should be censured, the president should be impeached for lying to trick congress and the American tax-slaves into agreeing to this war, and the police state should be dismantled!  We should live peacefully and happily again. 

I write to you today as a decorated veteran of the tragic Vietnam War Era who received combat pay for 3 years.  I also write  as a government and business analyst, as a citizen, Father, and Grandfather who works 50% of my time on a “volunteer“ basis to support the misguided government of the once-freest country on Earth.  Oh, don’t credit my “volunteer” work too heavily--like most American tax-slaves, I work for the government until June each year ONLY because the government threatens to imprison me if I refuse to turn over half of my earnings to support their unlawful, tyrannical, no-win wars.

Regarding the House Joint Resolution 114 of 2002, authorizing the current war on the American taxpayers, congress should censure itself for violating its constitutional authority to declare war.  In this process congress purportedly gave an oath-violating, misinformed or lying president authority to wage a $2 Trillion dollar family feud at the expense of our current & future tax-slaves; our 3000+ war dead; our international reputation, leadership, and prestige.

It is a congressional disgrace that there was only 1 member of the House of Representatives out of the 429 who voted who opposed House Joint Resolution 114 on the grounds that the entire resolution was unconstitutional.  Congressman Ron Paul of Texas recognized the resolution abdicated congress’ constitutional responsibility & authority to declare war.  He alone saw that it illegally, tragically, and illegitimately pretended to transfer such a sacred responsibility to a single man.  Our nation's founders and architects knew that a decision or declaration of war should NEVER be made by one person, no matter how ignorant or arrogant they may be.    

This one person should be impeached for lying to the American public to justify his “family feud” war that is turning another generation of Americans into tax slaves.  Our country is now far more likely to become the victim of a terrorist attack.  While the spin-masters who profit from war proudly declare the war’s cost to the American Tax Slaves as “only” a massive $400 Billion, it is actually many times this due to projections of lifetime support to the 50,000+ disabled and disheartened teenager-soldiers betrayed by their own congress. 

Both in my professional life and in my personal life I conduct cost/benefit analyses.  This war has created NO BENEFIT for the American people.  It has only benefited Cheney, Bush, and a handful of their unprincipled corporate supporters such as Halliburton and Blackwater.   It has hurt our country, our people, our youth, our international reputation, our national conscience, our spirituality, our ability to heal from 9/11, and our safety and security.  It has doubled the cost of oil, and created unfunded liabilities (according to Joseph Stiglitz, a former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors and chief economist at the World Bank) well in excess of 2 trillion dollars.  The cost is appalling – over $6666 for every man, woman and child—over $26,666 for a family of four--A huge expense that has done nothing to benefit them…only harm them.   No wonder our standard of living is dropping so fast!  Imagine if that family had been free to spend THEIR OWN MONEY the way they way THEY wished!  What if they sent a child to college?   Or, could purchase a newer, greener, safer car?   They would be so much better off than with war enslavement.   The very essence of liberty is the freedom to spend our time, money and energy as WE choose, not as our misguided government orders us to (under threat of prison).  Do you remember the amazing prosperity and freedom of the 1960s?   It vanished when citizens became tax-slaves to pay for the equally misguided Vietnam War.  The benefit of this current tragic war to the American people:  NONE.   The human, fiscal, & spiritual costs:  ASTRONOMICAL!  Rep. Matsui, did you know that we tax-slaves are still paying off World War II?  We need a thoughtful congressperson to propose a law that America cannot enter another war until all present and past wars are fully paid for.  WWII ended over 60 years ago yet it is now enslaving it's 3rd generation of young working poor. 

Rep. Matsui, Has this war helped Iraq?  No, Iraq is in one of its worst civil wars ever, and now they have a bully telling them exactly what they don’t want to hear—that they must become like the USA.  Iraq was far happier and more stable under the Saddam Hussein regime than it is now.  Since Family Feud I was instituted between Saddam and Herbert Walker Bush in 1990, the USA has murdered 1.25 million innocent Iraqi people, including ½ million children due to bombings and diseases of sanitation arising from infrastructure debilitation.  Clearly, Family Feud II continues this genocide in the name of the USA and it's leaders.  This genocide is going to STOP terrorism?  They hate us BECAUSE of our FREEDOM?  Restore to Americans the Freedom to NOT be slaves half the year working to fund unconstitutional and unnecessary wars & terrorism like this, and I doubt they’d hate us at all!     This unconstitutional, unnecessary war is bankrupting our nation fiscally, spiritually, and morally.  It is destroying our young people; it is causing the American people and all people to conclude that Earth’s greatest threat is the misguided US government leaders. 

 Iraq has a different culture than we do.  They like to be at civil war.  This is their past, this is their present, and (whether or not we remain there) it is probably their future.   No amount of money wasted in Iraq will force them to live the way George Bush wishes they would.  They don’t want to live the way he wants.  Congresswoman, most Americans don’t want to live the way George Bush wants.   We are making enemies faster than we can kill them all.  They hate us and they need us to leave them alone.   Even more, WE need us to leave them alone.   Even if any good were being achieved in Iraq, the cost (the harm to our nation) vastly exceeds any good achieved.  This war flunks every cost/benefit consideration it could be given.  Just like the Drug War, George Bush's Family Feud II does VASTLY more harm to our country than good.  In fact, like the Drug War, this current war on the American Taxpayer does NO GOOD AT ALL for America, Iraq, or the world.

Our country is in great travail, disharmony, discord, anxiety, depression, humiliation and defeat.  Our founders wished us to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, not the pursuit of profits for Halliburton.  Are you interested in seeing the sickening cloud of moral decay created by our illegal actions in Iraq lifted from the USA?  Or, are you more interested in profits for Halliburton? 

Wars:  Good for a few, Bad for everyone else

It is only criminal organized gangs known as governments that wage wars.  Virtually all wars have no winners.  In my 53-year life I have seen my country lose the Korean Conflict, The Vietnam War, The Drug War, many lesser wars, and now the war on the American Taxpayers (aka: the Iraq War).  And, lastly we continue to lose the War on Poverty because all the other wars are bankrupting our people.  Will you candidly survey history?  On what available historical record could ANYONE predicate a vote to further this debacle, much less fund ANY war not directly necessary to keep us from extinction?  

Please let the Iraqis run their own country.  We can’t even run our own country--how could we possibly think we can run some other country? 

I am sickened that I am being forced against my will to pay for the torture and sexual violations of people with whom I have no argument.  I am sick that money has been stolen from me and my family to pay for the genocide of over 1.25 million innocent Iraqi civilians--Money I could have used to nurture and benefit my loved ones instead is polluting Iraq and poisoning its citizens with depleted uranium.   Is it not a violation of my human rights to steal from me in order to murder people whom I love?   Multiply this crime by 300 million Americans.  Why is our government perpetrating these crimes against humanity? 

Stop the war at once!  It is an international disgrace, and a national tragedy of unprecedented proportion.   Do not vote another dime for this insane, negative, lose:lose proposition.  I am incensed by the police state atmosphere created by congress’ non-Patriot Act.  Everyone in the USA is now treated like a terrorist.  The real  terrorists are the jack-booted US politicians and militarized police who are trampling on our Constitution, daily presuming themselves wrongly to be our saviors, while they systematically dismantle everything good, peaceful, and great about this once wonderful & free country.

Are you willing to initiate impeachment proceedings against the President?

Are you willing to initiate censure of congress for violating their oath of office (to uphold, protect & defend the Constitution) by voting on House Joint Resolution 114?

Are you willing to propose & sponsor legislation requiring no further war funding until all past wars are fully paid?

Writing out of great distress,                             

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Mark S. Blackburn, MBA

1310  E  Street Victorian

Sacramento, CA 95814
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