Tuesday, April 15, 2014

A chance for you to say "no, not in my name!"

After reading the open letter to President Putin signed by over 300 Germans, one of the readers of this blog decided to emulate their example and write his own open letter to President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov.  Unlike the German letter, this letter is much more simple and very much to the point.  This is its full text:
Many citizens of western countries greatly respect your measured responses to the recent and ongoing threats to Syria, Iran, and Ukraine.
You and your government have several times averted dangerous conflicts. Irresponsible nations heavily armed with biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons ache for a war whose outcome they cannot comprehend.  
International diplomacy requires a grasp of history, as well as strength, courage, rectitude, grace, and common sense. Most western leaders today lack these essential qualities. We appreciate how challenging it must be to negotiate with such people.
The above views are neither represented by our leaders nor explored by our corporate media commentators. Reaching over them to extend a hand of friendship and gratitude, we offer you our support and best wishes.
While many of us feel powerless and frustrated with our inability to stop the crazy policies of our 1% overlords, we all can do one thing: refuse to be passive bystanders.  At the very least, we can say "not in my name".  By doing that, we not only express our position, but we show to the people of Russia that there is "another West" just like there was "another Russia" during the Soviet era.

For some signing such a letter might present some risks.  But for most of us, it is still pretty safe if only because our overlords don't care what we think or say, and have no time to waste the common folk like us which they see as irrelevant.

I therefore encourage you all to seize this possibility to take a stand and sign this completely non-ideological letter.  Yes, this will be a symbolic act, but there are moments in history when symbolic acts are important (like refusing to sit in the back of a bus).  Finally, by singing it you 'buy' yourself the option of looking in the mirror and knowing that you did not remain silent.

You can sign the letter here: 


A big thank you to John for writing and posting this letter, and a big thank you to anyone who will sign it.

Kind regards,

The Saker