REGNAT POPULUS
It is time to take a deep breath and take a good look at just where we are.

The government of the United States has been exposed for having lied to trick the people of this nation into supporting a war of conquest in Iraq.

Here are the facts.

1. There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

2. Saddam was not supporting Al Qaeda.

3. Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11.

Deal with it.

Yes, there is oil in Iraq, but we're not getting much of that. Turns out Bush is spending $5 billion a month to get out only $150 million in oil. Good business sense like that wrecks companies. Also nations. As it turns out, Israel is going to be getting a huge chunk of Iraq's oil! I guess that should not some as a surprise. Despite never officially being a part of the coalition of the willing, Israel was sure hot and bothered for American kids to go off and invade Iraq. And they got to play at Abu Ghraib, and in the Pentagon.

So, not only did the US Government lie the American people into a war of conquest, but also it looks like a foreign government was calling at least some of the shots and is taking home a bunch of the goodies.

That has to annoy all those kids who are now missing important bits of themselves. It probably pisses off their families as well.

So now, with the case for a deliberate lie to trick us into a war proven, and the Congress taking money from a foreign lobbying group operating as a front for spying, and obviously NOT listening to the people of this country, the majority of Americans have shaken off their political lethargy.

Because they told this lie, the government has lost legitimacy. Because they repeated the lie, the mainstream media has lost relevance. As their obsession with Michael Jackson proved, the US Mainstream Media has collectively redefined its role as similar to supermarket check stand tabloids. The real political discourse has shifted to the Internet. Blogs are driving the direction of public debate, and not only have blogs bled off readers and viewers from the Mainstream Media, but we have stolen their favorite demographic; young educated professionals with disposable incomes.

So, what happens now?

The corridors of power are in a panic. Both government and media rely on the unquestioning trust and blind faith of the masses to operate, and increasingly they see a population that is skeptical, distrustful, and suspicious. No longer can either the media or government operate with the presumption of truth. In the wake of the exposed lies the burden of proof has shifted onto them. No longer must critics prove the government and media are lying; the government and media must prove they are being truthful. In the case of the Iraq war that is difficult indeed since the entire foundation of the war is one grand deception. The government and media are trying to create credibility to wrap around what is known to be a lie. Poker players call this "Raising on a busted flush". Less polite people call it "Trying to polish a turd". Regardless of what you call it, it comes down to the media and the government being in an unrecoverable crisis of public confidence.

So, what happens next?

Herewith is a list of all the possible events we may see as the drama of the lies that started the Iraq war unfold.

1. The Government admits they were wrong, tosses out the Neocons, writes us all a refund check for the trillions spent on Iraq and Afghanistan, admits to all the cover-ups and begs forgiveness. No, I don't think this will happen; I just put it here for completeness.

2. Conyers' hearings trigger howls of outrage from Congress that Bush lied to them They play the role of outraged legislative body and impeach Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld. No, I don't think this one will happen either. Congress is GOP controlled and they don't need another Nixon to hand control of Congress back to the Democrats. They may go through the motions to look like they are doing their job, but as happened with Clinton, nothing will actually be done.

3. The US attacks ... anyone. Possible, but risky without a good reason.

4. There is another staged terror attack to kick off another invasion, and maybe martial law. Also possible, but also risky. Look how badly they botched 9-11 and that was with a population that was totally unsuspecting at the time.

5. Israel bombs the Iranian reactors. Very possible.

6. Israel bombs Damascus. Also very possible.

7. Bush resigns for "health reasons" to bring all the inquiry into the lies to a halt, Cheney issues a pardon and becomes President, then continues with the plans to invade everywhere Israel tells him to.

8. Following a congressional "get out of jail free" card to Bush, there is a spontaneous popular uprising, similar to the one in Romania. The US Army hasn't been able to handle a bunch of starved Iraqis; they sure can't handle 288 million pissed-off Americans.

I have probably missed a few scenarios here and readers are welcome to send along their analysis. But I think one thing is clear. We are on the verge of history-making changes in this nation. Whether those changes will be for good or evil will rest largely on what you, as a private citizen, are willing to do in the coming weeks. One of the biggest lies Hollywood puts out in its movies is the myth of the hero. Whether it's Batman, the Lone Ranger, the Savior, Gandalf, the cavalry riding over the hill, or whatever, the implied lesson is that you can sit on your duff because someone is coming to help you. Well, that is simply not true. There is no hero coming to save this nation. Batman is just an actor in a costume. Superman can do those amazing feats because he's a computer animation. The Jedi are just a plot device in a screenplay. If this nation is to be wrenched back from dictatorship and restored to a Republic, YOU will have to do it. Nobody can or will do it for you. YOU have to pick up the phones. YOU have to knock on doors. YOU have to xerox flyers for people who don't get their news from the net. YOU have to talk to everyone around you not only to educate them but to let those who also aware what is going on know that they are not alone. Create your own activist groups. Build your own web sites. Put banners in your windows and on your lawns. Put stickers on your cars. Be VISIBLE. Make noise. Force yourself to be seen and heard. Make the world know what you think of a government that lies to the people.

Regnat Populus.