Our country was built on the idea that the citizens of a free nation would be informed and active in their governance through virtue of a republic. Our founder's believed that all citizens had a responsibility to build a democracy based on this notion of informed action. For many, this is part of what makes responsible citizenship so esteemed an aspiration.

As an informed, intelligent populace, we now have a powerful new tool at our fingertips: the Internet.

With this resource the annals of history are ours to explore. As a wonderfully enlightening Professor, alongside whom I was once fortunate enough to have worked with would always say, "In your pockets is the sum total of human knowledge." This is more or less the truth. Wherever we step, run, or jump, our phones connect us to the massive expanse of the information super network.

Our own evolution as humans is ours to explore at the touch of a pad. With it comes the ability to learn from the mistakes of the past and become an informed people the likes of which the world has never before seen. However, the ease with which we can access this vast flood of information is inversely proportionate to the weight of the great responsibility to be truthful and accurate that we - as true defenders of what this country must stand for and exemplify - must assume.

Because we are the citizens of the United States of America, the most powerful country on the planet, we must strive to also be the most educated that we can. The reason for this is simple; History has taught that power will corrupt, and the founders of our country recognized this. That's why they provided a system in which we, the people, have the right and the responsibility to keep that power in check, and in balance.

There have been examples throughout our history of blatant disregard for the will of the people and egregious corruptions of basic human morality. Below, offered in the form of dissent which true patriotism sometimes demands, is one example of those in power mishandling their responsibilities.

Everything you are about to read is easily available from reputable sources in libraries, books in common retailers, and the Internet.

After September 11th, 2001, the nation was understandably in mourning. We had suffered a terrifying attack on our own soil. The public's patriotism roared magnificently in retaliation. Every corner of the country saw flags flying. Old Glory was everywhere, reminding us of the bravery of those who had lost their lives for freedom, and those who died that terrible September day. We mourned together as "terrorism" became a household word. We watched together hand in hand as the president addressed us and our next steps. We were also looking for retribution.

Most would come to believe we found it in the Iraq War. Saddam Hussein was a ruthless dictator who had ties to extremist terrorists. Worst of all, he may have had access to a nuclear weapon. This was of course the narrative, and not the facts.

Let's rewind a few years to the Project for a New American Century or PNAC. The PNAC is a think tank.

(think tank: noun. body of experts providing advice and ideas on specific political or economic problems.)

The PNAC was a collection of ultra-nationalist, neo-conservative politicians and thinkers who wanted to expand American "influence" around the world. The original founding document provided, "a blueprint for maintaining U.S. preeminence, precluding the rise of a great power rival and shaping the international security order in line with American principles and interests." It was later changed to invoke less blatantly imperialist sentiment.

A handful of the people involved in this organization were Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz. These were the Secretary of Defense, Vice President, and President of the World Bank during the G.W. Bush administration.

In the 1990s, Cheney and Rumsfeld were salivating over the idea of "expanding" our influence into other parts of the world with rich natural resources. Ray McGovern, who served for 27 years at the CIA, recalled these officials felt that, "We should assert ourselves in critical areas. Like the middle east."

In the aftermath of 9/11, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, and Cheney now found themselves in positions of great power and influence. The most grave attack ever committed upon American soil became their battering ram to forward the principles and values that had built the PNAC. Without sufficient evidence, they would choose Iraq. In order to create need for the use of our military might, the next step would be to fabricate a the right situation for it to seem like policy was in line with what the public wanted fell in line with the United Nations.

Evidence for this allegation is found in the Downing Street Memos. The memo is a note detailing a meeting in England involving the Prime Ministers senior ministers. Inside the text is evidence that our governments set out to make "the political context right" for regime change. They knew the case "was thin", so they plotted to force Saddam into an ultimatum where he would have to allow U.N. inspectors or risk giving the U.N. a valid reason for "use of force".

This is integral to the puzzle because those in the meeting absolutely knew that Saddam's "WMD capability was less than that of Libya and North Korea." They also explicitly state that Bush had wanted to go to Iraq for a good deal of time.

With all of their pieces in place and the governments and the political elite used the deaths of thousands of people to kill thousands more in the name of expanding "influence." This includes the deaths of 4,486 American soldiers and 112,667 innocent Iraqi civilians.

For anyone alive over the last twenty years 9/11 and the Iraq War are synonymous with terrorism, and these things have defined the era we now live in. These common ideas that are accepted pervasively can no longer be held as truth simply because they are based on falsehoods delivered by a system in the act of mass deceit.

What now does the Iraq War mean to us? It suddenly becomes far more clear as to the origins of terror post-war. Had our own families been destroyed simply for monetary gain, would we not respond in kind with violence?

Did the men in power know we were due to be attacked? With Operation Northwoods during the Cold War, there is precedent for our government planning to use fake terror to incite war with their preferred enemy.

There are these questions and more that beg us to examine them ourselves.

There is hope. The populous seems to have awoken to the unfortunate reality that our media lies to us. With this new realization Americans should take their power in hand and investigate to find the truth beneath the lies, as the reader opposite this screen has the ability to do everyday.

If the masses can assume their role and incite the pursuit of life and liberty for all, perhaps thousands will not be slaughtered for oil and influence. It is the actions of the nameless; it is readers and thinkers that will lay the bedrock for heroes to rise or beneficial legislation to be enacted that saves us from corruption, and the continuation of a needless cycle of violence.