Press release
From the campaign of mayoral candidate Martin Ramsey:
Sept. 9, 2013—As American citizens are yet again confronted by national leadership in Washington announcing that their country may be imminently launching yet another war abroad, Asheville mayoral candidate Martin Ramsey released the following statement:
“As Congress and the president weigh military intervention in Syria, Americans should reflect. After over a decade of war in the Middle East, with thousands of Americans killed, and many more maimed or traumatized, trillions of dollars poured into failed nation-building projects, many hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to fail to mention bombing campaigns and training in many other countries, who is this perpetual war serving? And make no mistake, a preemptive military strike on Syria is an act of war which could have regional and international consequences beyond a “limited” range. The American people don’t want this war, by large margins, and we should make sure that our government knows this. It is both unethical and a continuation of illegal actions that have brought us to this point. People should demand their representatives reflect the will of the American people. This is actually a war on the American people. Every dollar spent on war is one that will not be spent on education, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, providing decent housing conditions and empowering work. This is in no way progressive. Every soldier and sailor sent to intervene in another land’s civil war is a mistake of imperial overreach that is in no way conservative. Another war isn’t simply foolhardy, but monstrous.”
For further analysis about the potential consequences of a unilateral military strike against Syria, the Ramsey campaign suggests readers consider this strategic assessment by a former US diplomat and Army colonel who resigned over the Iraq war: http://www.alternet.org/world/exploring-disastrous-consequences-us-military-attack-syria
Word.