...if the surge has indeed been successful, which is up for debate, and there is no where near as much violence as we have seen for the past 6 years...thank god...the question is, is this VICTORY, by any means? Is that really the appropriate term?
. How can it be considered a victory if it never should have happened?
Is it just that it is unpatriotic to let our soldiers know that it never should have happened? So we call it victorious, call ourselves winners? It is so odd and SAD to me to have caused so much harm for all involved for so long...wasted so much money that could be used defending our...hmmmmm? ports? (still largely left undefended)...etc....
Imagine George Bush's "victory" speech at last weeks RNC convention in an alternate universe...if he had taken a pass on this war and went after Osama instead... he would be all over that convention. Can you imagine how much better we would be doing in every way...our ecomony doing better, fewer terrorist recruits springing up and being financed every single day by people with new reasons to hate us... etc. The Republicans would have far more respect as would our country..
It is just weird in my opinion to say that we liberated or brought democracy to Iraq. The analogy that always plays in my head is this: Iraq is a woman in a horrible abusive relationship, trapped, victimized etc....we, the U.S., are the gang of thugs that stormed in, in the the night, kidnapped her, beat her in front of her children... the next generation. Then years later when she is on her own two feet (sorta), the thugs want the credit for her ability to survive it and move on. And her children will never forget it and many of them will want vengence.
Can democracy be forced on someone? Doesn't it take something from within? This is not to say that the Iraquis don't have that something...but any revolution involves timing, the right leaders and the will to basically sacrifice your lives and possibly the lives of your children. Is this the kind of decision that should be forced on an entire country by someone from the outside. (Especially since they didn't attack us on 911, have WMD, or really deserve it any way...the people that is, not Saddam)
I know this is harsh. I am not calling each individual military man a thug ...that would be the honor of our government alone over the past 8 years. As always the soldiers are only doing their job and it is the job of our government to make the big decisions..but our country in this war has behaved entirely on its own behalf while insisting loudly that it's all for them. Come on. And hows that oil thing going for us anyway? Not so well. Now, Iraq in it's supposedly free, messy democracy sells most of it's oil to China.
Well, there's oil and troubles in the Sudan...why not beat the shit outta them too?
I honestly believe that if any of these guys (those responsible for this endless war and occupation) could admit this huge mistake and wouldn't have to eat crow for the rest of their existence they would happily go back in time, to just take a Pass on this war. But then again, why do that when they can instead claim victory and never really pay the price at all. You see, Republicans don't actually have to save money, just say they do. They don't have to actually keep us safer, just say it. They don't have to actually protect our freedoms, they just scream louder about it. They yell at the top of their lungs that states should decide ("smaller government ") unless they don't like the decision made, then they unconstitutionally allow the government to take over (I am talking about the Al Gore George Bush recount)...the hypocracy is everywhere.
When wrong just say louder and louder... VICTORY, NO TAXES!! Why, because it has worked in the past and seems to continue to work. Even though there are more terrorists than ever, more cells thriving all over the world than ever. (Just ask one or all of the many generals who opted out of this whole thing.) And that old idea that we are fighting them over there istead of here kills me. Time is on the terrorists side. The more we attack the more recruits they have, and the more money. It was many years between the two World Trade Center attacks and we weren't fighting anyone at all over there. It has only been a bit less than 7 years since 911...how many was it between the other attacks here in the U.S.? SEVEN!? Who knows how many plots are out there to get us, coming from how many different terrorist cells in how many different countries. I personally think it would be a hell of a lot smarter to spend the big bucks HERE keeping us safe, instead of making more and more enemies. And no one trusts us. No one even really wants to talk with us as we have proven to be completely untrustworthy. We need someone who can show the world we are NOT going to act like this anymore. We will be thoughtful, not hotheaded and impulsive and greedy. We will be strong AND just. We need someone who can sit at the world table and convince, make allies, be diplomatic as well as firm and clear.
And who really thinks Mc Cain and Palin can do that?
The idea that writing this might upset our soldiers just kills me. ...and I'd hate to upset them. Killing them is ok, separating them from their families for years is ok and bringing them home to little more than a big thankyou parade is A-OK (because saying "we love our brave soldiers" loudly, again and again, can take the place of actual action, mental healthcare, rehabilitation, etc)
It is tacky to call this war a victory. Is it elitist to call it tacky?
Craig and I are 40
Dinner with friends and family
My buddies narc-ing around downtown
Self-portrait at 99 Ave B
Lisa
Pop
Camster
Saw Liz in Trenton
The whole clan with Joe and chickens
Saw Pete Francis with the Flyers
