When
I began Antiwar.com in December
1995, a Democrat named Bill Clinton was in the White House. His
foreign policy was bellicose yet largely supported by the Washington
establishment. As the president bombed Iraq, Serbia, Bosnia, Kosovo,
and Sudan, it was out of fashion to be antiwar, and opposing the
U.S. Empire was left to a few "extremists" on both ends
of the spectrum.
Since then,
my "hobby" has blossomed into the most important and widely read
pro-peace site online. Every day, our small but dedicated staff
searches far and wide to find and publicize news and analysis that
the mainstream media excludes.
Antiwar.com's
popularity boomed in response to George W. Bush's post-9/11 global
war on terror, especially his invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. But
remember: it was U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East in the 1990s
and before that led to the blowback of 9/11, the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan and the accompanying assault on our liberties.
Barack Obama
promised to end the worst excesses of the Bush administration. Instead,
he and members of his administration led the U.S. into violent intrigues
in Pakistan, Yemen, and Ukraine in addition to instigating chaos
in Libya, Syria, and Egypt. Meanwhile, Guantánamo remains
open, sanctions on Iran remain, and the militarization of domestic
law enforcement exacerbates police brutality.
To think that
people once saw Barack Obama as the "antiwar candidate."
The costs of
war – in lives, dollars, and our liberties – are the same regardless
of the party in power. The world needs a consistent and honest source
in foreign policy reporting. That’s Antiwar.com. We are needed more
than ever – and we need you to keep us afloat.
We don't have
a huge staff with cushy jobs, living it up on your donations. We
appreciate every penny (and bitcoin.) We work around the clock.
As webmaster and general manager, I work seven days a week, from
six in the morning till ten at night – and those are the quiet
days.
We don't take
your support for granted. Please don't take us for granted, either.
While the harshest critics of U.S. foreign policy have been proven
right, their voices are muted by the "mainstream" media.
Don’t let our
voice be stilled. Please
help us continue to expose the Empire’s lies.
Eric Garris
Founder and Webmaster
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