Let's Get Real

Mr. Bush continues to hold forth on the value of his “surge”. Give time a chance to prove that the policy will work, but don’t declare any deadlines for withdrawal because the effect would be for the “enemy” to sit quietly until after the deadline and then resurge, he says.

Point one: The last several days have proven how ineffective the surge is. Over 100 deaths have been inflicted each of the last two days due to suicide bombings – a condition that did not exist in Iraq until we invaded. Additional fighting has broken out in northern cities over the past few days, too.

Point two: I reluctantly voted with MoveOn to approve the funding measures passed in the Senate this week even though I would much rather see them pass funding only for withdrawal. I don’t believe Bush’s assertion that the insurgency would subside until after an announced withdrawal for more than one reason. One, the insurgents are more concerned with their role in the country after we are gone than while we are there. They aren’t fighting us. They are fighting each other with a few bombs thrown in at us just because we are there. Two, every day we are there, the insurgents and the rest of the Iraqis, too, have one more reason to resent us. The majority of Iraqis want us out of there. The longer we stay, the more entrenched becomes their fear and belief that our motive is more to occupy than to liberate.

Finally, if Bush’s assertion that the insurgency would subside until after our withdrawal date were true, it would be one more reason to name the date so that we could look forward to reduced loss of life while we handle the withdrawal logistics.

There is no question about our having to get out of Iraq. The only question is when, and all of BushCo’s answers deny that reality. Every day we delay is just one more day filled with opportunities for violence against us and continued violence between the armed factions of Iraqis.

At this point the only argument against our withdrawal is that it would keep us from meeting the neo-cons’ goals for American hegemony. Those goals have been proven disastrous for America and the Middle East, and threatening to the rest of the world. We must send them the message that they are no longer welcome anywhere. What their goals deserve is a well placed boot – the same boot Germany should have given Hitler in the ‘30s. If had my way, we’d boot them into jail, but I’d be satisfied if we could just find a way to kick them out of Washington, D.C. and every other place where they have been granted an office.

Be patient with us world. I know we haven’t done anything to deserve it for a very long time, but some of us are trying.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. – M.K. Gandhi
When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. – Jimi Hendrix