Mission Accomplished

Mr. Bush won’t be talking about it, but today’s news brought the first sign that his mission in Iraq really has been accomplished – at least to the extent that Halliburton feels secure enough in the Middle East to move its corporate headquarters there.

The first time the pres declared the mission accomplished it was clearly smoke and mirrors. In a manner braggadocios enough to make any veteran sick - he who never truly served; he who ducked his responsibility to his country during a time of war - pranced across the deck of an aircraft carrier touting the end of the war beneath a banner declaring MISSION ACCOMPLISHED – almost four years ago. Wrong again!

This time, though, it is clear that, at least to some extent, the neo-cons have achieved their mission which was to establish at least enough control in the Middle East that American corporations could safely manage the oil business. Our illustrious Veep can now happily gloat his way back to another cushy no-responsibility position with Halliburton upon completion of his eight year mission (not to mention counting the gains from his still held bonus stocks), and the pres, barred from another public display, can don his flight suit and strut around in front of his boudoir mirror waving a Mission Accomplished sign in one hand and perhaps an American flag in the other.

Meanwhile the other side of the coin gets uglier as evidence emerges that the kind of “support” these people provide for our troops includes heavy doses of psychotropic drugs so that those suffering from PTSD can hold their places on the front lines.

And so many voters who support this administration claim they do so because they believe the president is a fine, upstanding Christian. At the same time they say that those of us who keep trying to get our kids out of danger in a war that should never have been declared don’t support the troops. What have we come to, and where can we possibly be going when our leaders’ and citizens’ perceptions are so obviously and seriously warped?

Support our troops. Impeach our president.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. – M. K. Gandhi