Andre Shepherd: "I have also been censored when it comes to sensitive topics..."

Exclusive Interview with the U.S. Army Specialist Andre Shepherd. On Nov. 26, 2008, AWOL US soldier André Shepherd applied for asylum in Germany. He is the first Iraq War veteran to pursue refugee status in Europe and only the second U.S. soldier to ever apply for refugee status in Germany. Shepherd stated on the grounds of his decision: “We should not be forced to fight an illegal war, nor should we be persecuted for refusing to do so” and “During the past five years we have waged a preemptive, internationally condemned war that was shown to be founded on a series of lies. After learning the truth about the nature of my military’s endeavors, I refuse to continue to be a part of this.”


ipresscenter: Today a lot of politicians on TV say that they are against war in Iraq or Afghanistan, have any of this American politicians ever helped you with your problems or do you think they are just saying to gain some political points and when it comes to reality do not do anything or just keep quiet?

Andre Shepherd: That is a very interesting question. So far, not one American politician has come forward with any assistance, but this could possibly be due to me not actively seeking them out. Unfortunately most of the politicians have been bought and paid for by entities that have a vested interest in continuing the war effort, so I do not think they would be much help anyway. I would love to try and contact Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul to see if there was anything that could be done to start an amnesty process for Conscientious Objectors and Deserters because I do not see a point in punishing the only people who had the courage to do the right thing while continuously ignoring the War Criminals that caused this catastrophe in the first place. With the way our Political system is set up nowadays it is safe to say that the majority of politicians only say what they want to get the people to support them. They never have any intention of doing what is best for the people. If that were the case, the Wars on Humanity would have ended, and the Bankster Bailouts would never have happened, the Supreme Court would not have had the audacity to allow corporations unlimited means to buy politicians, the PATRIOT ACT would have never been renewed or even passed in the first place, etc, etc..

ipresscenter: One of my friends told me, not too long ago, quote “ I wish President Obama would start another war and none of the Soldiers would go there and then we would see how our politicians and "sold out" journalists could fight the wars that they startED and wrote about, in the name of Country and if they ready to sacrifice their lives for what they say and they believe in.” Andre, have you ever noticed the same ideas in the eyes of other Soldiers?

Andre Shepherd: I cannot go on record speaking for other individuals as they are also free persons so I can only give my opinion. However, I can say that the Soldiers most likely share similar sentiments. Imagine being called to do something that you knew was wrong over and over again and then wondering how those same individuals who instigated these wars would react if the same atrocities were committed against their own land. I think it would be akin to having the same nightmare night after night but being unable to wake up. What most people do not realize is that the soldiers have a really good idea about what is really going on. I would recommend the book “the Deserter´s Tale” by Joshua Key. In it he describes the horrors of war in perfect detail. I think the book should be read in classrooms across the country to show young people who are thinking about joining the military just what it means to be a soldier. The worst thing about these wars is that the soldiers are caught between a rock and a hard place. They must always make the decision between doing what they are told or doing what is right. It is unfortunate that most soldiers must depend on the military for their well-being, especially soldiers who are married. The “benefits” that the military gives to them are just enough to keep them from revolting, because it gives them a sense of security and open rebellion would make it very difficult for them to provide for their families. I am not saying that this is what every soldier has in mind. It is just my opinion.

ipresscenter: Because of Mass Media most of American people think that to love your motherland is TO do what your government tells you to do, and if someone disagrees with that, the same Mass Media will call them anti-American and unpatriotic. Looks like a kid that does something that his parent want and get a candy, and if does not gets punishment and we all know that no one wants to be punished if he or she disagrees with something or someone. Andre, do you watch American TV news channels and if yes which ones do you prefer?

Andre Shepherd: I must admit that I seldom watch Television, because it poisons the mind. I must express my thoughts on the mainstream media as a whole though. After much extensive research and from personal experiences, I really feel that the Mainstream Media has played a pivotal role in misinforming the American public. They have become nothing more than a propaganda arm for the U.S. government. I have yet to see the “balanced” news coverage that they like to brag about. If equal time and respect were given to the opposing views instead of censoring and belittling them, the public would never have allowed the Government to get away with these insane policies. I am not just speaking about this only because of other peoples experiences. I have also been censored when it comes to sensitive topics, such as my analysis on whether Obama would be an effective president to make the world a better place. (I said he would not do it for various reasons, but a very well known American TV network refused to air that segment. Unfortunately my analysis turned out to be correct.) I also have been censored on topics such as September 11, and over the Afghanistan debacle (for reasons such as “the people do not need a history lesson.”) It is a sad fact that the Corporate Media cannot be trusted to deliver what is needed most in this society – an objective view of the facts. I do have my favorites in the alternative media though. Whatreallyhappened.com is a very good news site along with rense.com, globalresearch.ca, thruthout.org and many others. I would list newswithviews.com but as there is a situation about censorship against a respected columnist, I must be very careful with what I read there.

ipresscenter: To my mind a patriot is a person who has his own opinion and head on his shoulder, and fight for future of his people even if he has to sacrifice his comfort and goes against the system that has been created by politicians and mass media. You are one of those people that took risk to stop pointless killing of the American Soldiers. As we know President Obama sent 30 000 more troops to Afghanistan and got a Nobel Peace Prize, what do you think have happened with the world?

Andre Shepherd: Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I also agree with your definition of a true patriot. There are many people out there who deserve that distinction despite what the Government shills say about them. The Nobel Prize Committee has lost all respect from me because of its actions. Yet again they have awarded the supposed “Peace Prize” to an individual that was a central figure in either starting a war or escalating a war. The excuse that they awarded the prize based on his message of change is a complete insult to the world´s intelligence. If they had read his speeches correctly as me and many other have they would have known that he had no intention of fostering a peaceful world. Moving soldiers from the desert sands of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan does not develop a safer world. They should have reconsidered their decision; however they did not which tells me that the award is just another propaganda piece. I cannot really say what will happen to the world in the future, but I can state my assessment with what has happened to it up until this point. The planet has been hijacked by greedy individuals who do not care about their fellow man or about the world that we live in. Their gods are money and power, and they will do anything to obtain more and more of them at the expense of every living thing on the planet. Just look around and you can see just how pervasive their control is on every society on the globe. From Haiti to Iraq, Pakistan to Gaza, America to Europe, it is everywhere. If we as free human beings do not change the course that we are on by taking back our nations and treating each other with more respect, I think we are headed for an event more devastating than anything that has happened on this earth.

ipresscenter: What does it mean for you to Love Your Country? How do you imagine America tomorrow?

Andre Shepherd: For me, loving your country means that you have a personal attachment to the people and society as well as doing what you can to make the country that you live in a better place when you finally leave it as when you found it coming in. Just because I am battling my maniacal Government does not mean that I hate everything that is America. It is the land that raised me. I love the people and the environment; however I will not ally myself to Washington so long as they continue on this disastrous course. Looking into the future, I can see America going one of two ways. Either the American people reclaim their God-given power from the dictators in Washington, or the country that I came to love and believe in will cease to exist. Over the past several years the Leviathan known as the Federal Government has infringed on the rights of everyone, citizens and foreigners alike. They are stealing the wealth from the people even as we speak and are continually occupying sovereign nations such as Haiti. They no longer respond to the wishes of the people. If they did 90% of this mess would be cease to be exist. It is my sincerest hope that the citizens of the United States of America take back their land from the UNITED STATES Corporation located in Washington D.C... No one else can do this. If this does not happen, I see a tyrannical government coming to a land near you…


ipresscenter: Do you think President Obama has the ability to change America and may be the whole world?

Andre Shepherd: I have had to answer this question many times over the past year, and unfortunately my answer is still the same. I do not believe that President Obama has the will to change anything. Even if he had, he is still one man out of at least ten thousand who work in Washington D.C. In the last year he has broken every single campaign promise he has made. He has escalated the War on Humanity to so many countries it could safely be classified as a World War. He is threatening Russian security with this missile shield program, helping the super-rich get out of trouble by stealing from the U.S. taxpayer, continues to reserve the right to designate people “sub-human” by offering indefinite detentions, and much more. People have got to wake up, Obama is not a man of “change agent” in the sense the people want him to be. The question I and many others have always asked during the campaign was “what kind of change is he going to bring?” Given his very short track record, one can see that it cannot be anything good for the masses.

ipresscenter: During Vietnam War in 1970s there were a lot of demonstrations against it and today society seems to be very calm? Do you think people care anymore?

Andre Shepherd: You are very correct in using the word “seems.” One must understand that there is a huge majority of people around the world who are against the War on Terror. The reason that one does not see the opposition to it are because 1) the Mainstream Media doesn´t cover them and/or under represents the amount of people present, and 2) The fact that demonstrations just do not have the same punch as they did thirty years ago. The fact is the governments in power have learned how to contain the “rabble” by setting up free speech zone, setting up contracts with the peace organizations as to how many could possibly be arrested, blocking access to certain sites where high-level meetings are conducted, etc. Having to deal with this situation where you know that your target audience for your protest (i.e. politicians, businessmen, etc) will not hear it because of all the restrictions put upon your group makes it more difficult to garner attention. I think that in order for the anti-war movement to get to the level it was before they need to tweak their strategy a bit by doing the unexpected. I also forgot to mention one more possible reason for the lack of participation: It is a problem in today’s modern world that the public is so distracted from governmental affairs with work, entertainment, electronic devices, media and everything else, that they do not see what is happening to the world. That I believe is the most dangerous thing that can happen to a society, to let their government run on auto-pilot. To get a good idea as to what happens when a people allow this to happen, look at present day America. It is our fault as a people why we are in this situation. We fell asleep at the wheel. The government has been so successful at cutting out the common man in the decision-making process and keeping us divided that most people feel that they cannot make a difference. We need to get more involved in the political process if we are to save our republic. I believe people still care; we just need to find the right buttons to push to invoke action.

ipresscenter: You have already written your name in THE history of America and possibly the whole world, today many people call you traitor or unpatriotic but time will pass and they will call you a hero, there are a lot of examples of it in the History, time put everything on the right places and that how it is. Andre what would you wish to America and World in 2010? What would you wish to American Soldiers and their mothers?

Andre Shepherd: Again, thank you for the wonderful compliment. I would like to say that I do not care if I have a place in history or not, so long as the world benefits from actions from people like me and others. My view for 2010 is one of immense hope that people from around the world will finally stand up and declare they will not continue to live like cattle in an unjust world that favors the few. I hope the process begins where we as human beings take back control of our destiny, restore justice by punishing the TRUE criminals and helping our fellow man to prosper. I also wish that the American soldiers will not have to fight anymore wars of aggression and be reunited with their loved ones back in America, and are able to once again be used as tools of defense, and not imperialism. I also wish that all deserters and CO´s (conscientious objectors) the world over find a home where they can live life in peace, as a reward for having the courage to stand up and resist.