Howard Zinn on Iraq

I think the problem is, I think this gentleman thinks that Bush is America, or that the government is America. And therefore if you criticize this government, or if you criticize the president that you are unamerican. America is the people of this country. It is the principles on which this country stands. It is possible for the government to be unamerican. It is possible for Bush to be unamerican.

I think if you criticize this government, that you are acting in the spirit of democracy, you are acting in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence says that governments are not holy. Governments are set up for certain purposes to protect life, liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness. When the government becomes destructive of those rights, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish the government. So certainly that means you should have the right to criticize the government without being called unamerican.