What I Don't Know

I'm one of many founders of the revived Healdsburg Peace Project, which came back to life a few months before George W.  Bush attacked Iraq for no good reason. We have held a vigil on the Healdsburg Plaza every Thursday for the last ten years, not a bad record. Currently we are out there trying to end our part in the endless war in Afghanistan and to prevent the war the George Romney is calling for, an attack on Iran for no reason. But I'm not a pacifist. I served in the army. I am opposed to initiating wars of aggression and to risking the lives of our troops in the hope of increasing corporate profits.

Anyway, last night I was at a meeting and discussion, in which it became clear that some of our members had missed the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq that had taken place almost a year back. In other words, those of us opposed to the war against Iraq had finally won, but certain members of the Peace Project hadn't noticed. As far as I could tell, there were two reasons for this. Some people never listen to the news or read newspapers or magazines. I'd say that these people seem more cheerful than average. There is a second group of people who have heard the news but don't believe it. They believe that America faked the moon landing, lost World War II, blew up the Twin Towers, and has hundreds of thousands of troops still fighting in Iraq under assumed names. This view might seem bleak, but they appear to take satisfaction in knowing grim things I do not know.  I hope someone is studying this phenomenon.