On taking sides in political conflicts

I've read so many endless threads of political discussions on forums and blogs that I'm nauseated. Here's an open letter to netizens who take sides.

The government IS NOT the people. It is an institution, a corporation even, that is supposed to manage and lead the people, mostly with their agreement but often without. It has its own agenda which may or may not be shared with the people, and that might conflict in its many details or principles with individuals. But let's remember that without a people, there's no need for such an institution. Therefore, the government should be an instrument of the people and not the other way around.

I doubt most of us would disagree that we cannot be very proud of our governments at the moment. I think most of us would agree that we feel somehow ashamed of our governments, for example when we discuss the issue with "foreigners" whom we consider friends. In fact, thinking about the issue further might lead us to believe that our governments, the majority of them anyway, have been infiltrated and are being run by dangerous thugs.

Therefore, when a conflict erupts between countries, before you let your natural nationalistic (read: xenophobic) emotions take over, please remember that it is a fight between thugs and that we, the people, are being dragged into it against our will. If we had our say, we would probably resolve the matter differently.

Peace.