Tuesday, November 14, 2006
What we want in Iraq:
There's no doubt that we want American troops out of Iraq, and the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld vision of permanent military bases in that country to control the flow of oil, (not increase the flow of oil - control the flow,) is more or less dead.
It's also clear this same cabal wanted to invade Iran and basically take control of both countries, and that won't happen either.
But the Bush Administration created a mess and we have to clean up that mess before we can leave Iraq. (This is just one of the messes the administration has left for us.)
An overwhelming number of Americans want us out of Iraq, but to leave the country without having it descend into chaos (or greater chaos than at present) will require an overwhelming number of troops to stabilize and safeguard the country before we can leave.
This means we're going to need more troops in Iraq right now and for the immediate future. As someone who opposed this war before Bush started it I do not like stating this, but what I want and reality are often not the same thing. I want a promise from our government we won't become a permanent fixture in Iraq, and I think that's what most Americans want. But after securing that promise, we will have to bring in more troops in the short-term to clean up George's and Dick's and Donnie's mess.
The other thing we have to do is sit down with our enemies. This means talking with representatives from the insurgency, representatives from Iran and Syria, and all the major players within the country.
Remember there was a time when the British government said they would never negotiate with the IRA, (whom they called "terrorists.") But eventually they were forced to sit down with the IRA to bring about a permanent peace in Northern Ireland.
Keep in mind also that one man's "terrorist" is another man's "freedom fighter."
More troops. Talk with our enemies. Give up the idea of controlling Iraq's oil.
And could I have fries with that?
These are not solutions the Bush Administration wishes to look at, nor do the British and American oil companies, nor do the "neocons" in the Pentagon – but the latest protest vote from the American people have made clear that we don't share their desires. These are very powerful groups who are caught up in the arrogance and blindness of power. They will not give up what they want easily.
We have to take it from them by force.
The latest vote was part of that force. Americans showed these powerful interests that, contrary to their beliefs, they do not own this country. Another protest vote in 2008 that takes more "Republican" seats away and returns the presidency to "Democratic" control will be another necessary show of this force, because the men who did not get voted out this time will block us from achieving this goal.
The Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal and their ilk will stand in the way come January. They will block reform and try to blame their greed and avarice on these new leaders. We will see this for what it is, and it will piss us off and drive another protest vote in 2008.
But long before 2008 we will need those additional troops in Iraq. This will look counter to what we want unless we make up these additional troops from outside American and British control. The logical next step is to bring in a U.N. force made up of many countries, but the U.N. is not going to play lap-dog to American and British oil interests. Unless they share in the command and decision-making process they will not help.
This will also be unacceptable to the current power elite, and they will fight such a move. The same will happen over the idea of bringing in Syrian and Iranian troops also. The two next most logical moves will be blocked by the remnants of the power elite.
So be prepared for more bickering. Be prepared for another protest vote to more completely "clean house." And while we fight about all this, be prepared for more death and chaos in Iraq.
My main worry? That Iraq will spin hopelessly out of control while we are bickering. If this happens we will have another Vietnam on our hands, and our only option will be to get our people out of harm's way and watch Iraq become even more hellish than it is now.
In the meantime I believe we need to hold George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld accountable for creating this mess. After we remove the so-called "detainee act" and restore our Constitution, our Bill Of Rights and our commitment to the Geneva Convention, we must put these men on trial and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. We must do this for justice, and as an object lesson to the next man who thinks he can trample our political and social values in pursuit of his greed.
Of course, I also want to see these men pay for their crimes.
But that's the subject of another post.
There's no doubt that we want American troops out of Iraq, and the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld vision of permanent military bases in that country to control the flow of oil, (not increase the flow of oil - control the flow,) is more or less dead.
It's also clear this same cabal wanted to invade Iran and basically take control of both countries, and that won't happen either.
But the Bush Administration created a mess and we have to clean up that mess before we can leave Iraq. (This is just one of the messes the administration has left for us.)
An overwhelming number of Americans want us out of Iraq, but to leave the country without having it descend into chaos (or greater chaos than at present) will require an overwhelming number of troops to stabilize and safeguard the country before we can leave.
This means we're going to need more troops in Iraq right now and for the immediate future. As someone who opposed this war before Bush started it I do not like stating this, but what I want and reality are often not the same thing. I want a promise from our government we won't become a permanent fixture in Iraq, and I think that's what most Americans want. But after securing that promise, we will have to bring in more troops in the short-term to clean up George's and Dick's and Donnie's mess.
The other thing we have to do is sit down with our enemies. This means talking with representatives from the insurgency, representatives from Iran and Syria, and all the major players within the country.
Remember there was a time when the British government said they would never negotiate with the IRA, (whom they called "terrorists.") But eventually they were forced to sit down with the IRA to bring about a permanent peace in Northern Ireland.
Keep in mind also that one man's "terrorist" is another man's "freedom fighter."
More troops. Talk with our enemies. Give up the idea of controlling Iraq's oil.
And could I have fries with that?
These are not solutions the Bush Administration wishes to look at, nor do the British and American oil companies, nor do the "neocons" in the Pentagon – but the latest protest vote from the American people have made clear that we don't share their desires. These are very powerful groups who are caught up in the arrogance and blindness of power. They will not give up what they want easily.
We have to take it from them by force.
The latest vote was part of that force. Americans showed these powerful interests that, contrary to their beliefs, they do not own this country. Another protest vote in 2008 that takes more "Republican" seats away and returns the presidency to "Democratic" control will be another necessary show of this force, because the men who did not get voted out this time will block us from achieving this goal.
The Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal and their ilk will stand in the way come January. They will block reform and try to blame their greed and avarice on these new leaders. We will see this for what it is, and it will piss us off and drive another protest vote in 2008.
But long before 2008 we will need those additional troops in Iraq. This will look counter to what we want unless we make up these additional troops from outside American and British control. The logical next step is to bring in a U.N. force made up of many countries, but the U.N. is not going to play lap-dog to American and British oil interests. Unless they share in the command and decision-making process they will not help.
This will also be unacceptable to the current power elite, and they will fight such a move. The same will happen over the idea of bringing in Syrian and Iranian troops also. The two next most logical moves will be blocked by the remnants of the power elite.
So be prepared for more bickering. Be prepared for another protest vote to more completely "clean house." And while we fight about all this, be prepared for more death and chaos in Iraq.
My main worry? That Iraq will spin hopelessly out of control while we are bickering. If this happens we will have another Vietnam on our hands, and our only option will be to get our people out of harm's way and watch Iraq become even more hellish than it is now.
In the meantime I believe we need to hold George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld accountable for creating this mess. After we remove the so-called "detainee act" and restore our Constitution, our Bill Of Rights and our commitment to the Geneva Convention, we must put these men on trial and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. We must do this for justice, and as an object lesson to the next man who thinks he can trample our political and social values in pursuit of his greed.
Of course, I also want to see these men pay for their crimes.
But that's the subject of another post.
# posted by Phillip T. Alden @ 10:55 PM 
