The rant-generator that is Iraq
What a shambles this Iraq thing has become. I call it thing because I don't know what it is, just that it's cost many, many people their lives and the United States an unbelievable amount of face, good will and money.
I believe history will show president George W. Bush to have been one of two things: a dogged fool misled by dangerously incompetent advisers or an evil, careless, cruel, corrupt nicompoop. Either way he's an idiot.
Hey, I'm not that smart myself. I've done lots of things in my life that have shown me that. I barely follow current events, I know almost nothing about international politics (in fact I have these things in common with GWB but nobody'll elect me commander-in-chief), but it was clear to me (and every normal, thinking person) that the US and the UK were making a huge mistake starting a second campaign in Iraq.
I remember telling everyone who'd bother to listen that the US was sticking it's head in a bee-hive looking for honey, and that it would struggle with the after-effects of this foolish decision for a long, long time. I remember being alarmed at the catchphrases they came up with; "An Axis of Evil" and "The War on Terror". Well, the war on terror turned out to be a blank cheque and a paranoiac excuse to do anything to anyone at all. And I guess the axis of evil is just another way of saying "our enemies for the month of October".
I also remember my disgust at CNN's slanted coverage of the run-up to the war, and thinking to myself how low they'd sunk since 9-11... into the very depths of journalistic propaganda.
It's coming to light now how sleazy Tony Blair's government is. What other creepy crawlies will be exposed when we examine the underside of the Bush administration? And even then, what will anyone do about it? Both men lied to the world to legalize their war, and then they squandered their countries' resources and killed thousands of people to achieve fairy tale objectives. And when they were found out what happened? Nothing. Both men deserve to be in jail but they're going to get away with it!
Hm. Go 'head George, do your thing. Finish the job, stay the course. You're in too deep now to turn back anyway. And when you've served your term go back to your ranch or whatever and you and your father scheme your little brother into power.
At least now everyone knows for sure you're an idiot.
posted by xzecute at 9:18 PM
1 Comments:
I'm posting verbatim an e-mail I got from a friend that I think's relevant:
Read the following and see which one had better judgment based how things turned out? Note these speeches were made within 2 weeks of each other back in 2002.
Based on what they said in their 2002 pre-war speeches, the two frontrunners were miles apart in their judgments about the threat that Iraq posed. Read the speeches for yourself. Below are the links to their speeches, followed by some excerpts:
An excerpt of Hillary Clinton's Iraq War Speech: October 10, 2002
In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members, though there is apparently no evidence of his involvement in the terrible events of September 11, 2001.
It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East, which as we know all too well affects American security.
An excerpt of Barack Obama's Iraq War Speech: October 26, 2002
Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history.
I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences.I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the middle east, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of Al Queda. I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars.
6:27 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home