Citizens of a democracy have the responsibility to free themselves from the prevailing system of propaganda and ideology that the United States uses when intervening in developing nations. The U.S. government's propaganda system determines the "legitimate" questions to be discussed and the national press often fails to consider more than these questions. For example, serious discussions focus on whether El Salvador guerillas have 200 tons or 180 tons of arms rather than on the massive assault against the population by the United States. Further, one must examine the commitment of the United States to support the massacre and oppression in East Timor as a result of its relationship with resource-rich Indonesia. U.S. citizens must try to discover the facts while understanding that the responsibility for tragedies such as East Timor lies with the United States. They must also realize that such tragedies form part of a global and historical pattern. (Author/KC)