7 August 2077

Do not be alarmed.

No harm shall come to your computer.

Truth can be an elusive thing. Among the seven I am Ezra Standish. Who I am outside them...

It is time to reveal the first truth.

Some of you may remember the beginning of the war between the Principality of Desai and their neighbors the Nation Of Moray. For those of you who don't, simply tune into the nearest news source – 19 years later the slaughter is still going strong. Almost 100,000 men, women and children have died, been maimed or been left bereft of family and home due to this war. Both countries have been devastated economically and the land now bears scars it may not survive.

Even when it began, the reasons for the war were murky at best. But the truth was out there waiting to be seen.

In 2058, there was a young Olympian who, though a truly superior athlete, was not favored to win a gold medal. To this person's father, nothing less than a gold would be acceptable – gold, after all, was everything. He had spent so long bragging about his child and assuring everyone the gold was as good as in their family, he would not allow for the thought of failure.

It was six months prior to the Olympics that the new sensation from the Nation Of Moray came to world attention. This person's results were far better than the rich man's child.

However, one lesson taught throughout time is that “Money talks and bull...” Well, I'm sure you know the rest.

And money was something this man had; a tool he knew how to use.

With a few strokes on the keyboard of a local computer, a vast sum of money was transferred to a secret account. What is important is not where the account resides, but to whom it belongs – the then-head of the armed forces of Desai.

How could such a man cause such a horrible disaster? Simple, if you're an amoral bit of slime who should have never left the primordial ooze. He assassinated three leaders of his own country while dressing his own men in stolen Moray uniforms and performing a raid on a helpless, peaceful village.

In the resultant confusion, he simply stepped into the role of leader and declared war, convincing the world he was in the right for what he had done.

The Moray sensation, being a member of the ruling family, could not leave Moray for fear of retaliation or assassination. Not that it helped. The entire ruling family passed away in an unexpected bombing two weeks before the start of the Olympics.

Of course, now the Desai military leader, the rich man, the men who raided and murdered their fellow countrymen and many others are gone.

The Olympics took place.

The rich man's child was injured in a practice prior to the official competition and was unable to compete.

The gold medal for that event was won by a lovely person from Lichtenstein.

And the war between Moray and Desai continues all for the love of gold – and prestige.

Remember friends:

Veritas est Lux

Truth is light

It's time to banish the darkness.

-M7

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