An Empire Needs An Emperor, Right?

David Krieger, president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, has written a stirring parable:

One of the Emperor's vassals approached him, and told the Emperor that he had a message from a grieving mother of one of the Emperor's fallen soldiers. After reading the message, the Emperor turned to the vassal and asked, 'Why do you bother me with this, the words of a simple woman, when I have an empire to run and am relaxing from the hard work of war? As you know, tonight we have more riches to gather, and I must be in a mood for gaiety.'

The vassal bowed low and backed away, apologizing, 'I'm sorry,' he said, 'I thought that her encampment before the castle might stir up trouble among the people of the realm.'

'Leave me,' said the Emperor imperiously...

The one thing missing in Kreiger's parable is the ending, where the people of the realm rise up at the gates of the castle, waving pitchforks and flaming torches in the air. Will it happen? You decide.

As Arianna Huffington says:

The time has passed when we can stand around waiting for a knight on a white horse to ride to our rescue. We’ve got to look to ourselves -- to the leader in the mirror. Our elected officials have woefully failed to provide the leadership needed on this most vital issue of our time. And stepping into that void is Cindy Sheehan. Inspiring us. Touching our conscience. Calling forth our courage and our commitment. Focusing our outrage. And acting as a catalyst for the tens of millions of Americans who know that the war in Iraq is a disgrace.

Go get yer asses, wagons, horses, torches and pitchforks down to Crawford, folks...!