Welcome to Year Five
Yep, that's right. As of Tuesday we will have officially entered year five of the war in Iraq. Just as a friendly reminder, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor took place December 7, 1941, and Emperor Hirohito accepted the Allies' terms for surrender on August 15, 1945. In other words, our involvement in World War II didn't even last this long.
Today we hear news that another 7 servicemen died this weekend in Iraq. This seems to be roughly commensurate with the loss rates we've experienced throughout the war. Yes, it's piddly compared to WW2, but it certainly seems that there's a difference between battling a self-declared Empire that has set its sights on taking over the civilized world, and... well, what? Removing non-existent weapons of mass destruction from a petty dictator? Stabilizing an inherently unstable part of the world? Making money for multi-national military/industrial complexes?
That of course brings us to Halliburton's decision this week to move its headquarters to Dubai. So even though Dubai Ports World can't own ports in the United States because of concerns that an Arab terrorist in their employ might infiltrate our ports, it's okay for a company supplying our armed forces to be based in the United Arab Emirates. How much more proof do we need that this war happened solely to line the pockets of these companies?
And any time anyone tries to point out these sorts of issues, they get shouted down in the name of "supporting the troops." You can't say these things because apparently hearing that the folks back home are wondering about whether this war's a good idea will lower troop morale.
Bullshit.
I'm sorry, but it seems to me that seeing your buddies with inadequate armor getting blown up on a daily basis by homemade bombs that every single person you see might be planting in the name of a war whose purpose in entirely unclear, is going to have a much more negative impact on morale than hearing about a debate in Congress over the value of a war that G.I. Joe already knows is pointless.
And now we're hearing the spin cycle starting again. The Pentagon is talking about how death rates are dropping and things feel more secure. Since other things (like the continued death of American servicemen) seem to indicate that things are about the same, this can't be anything other than sleight of hand. Redirect our attention to a few positives so that the negatives don't look so bad. This way, come Summer 2008 the administration can start pulling the troops out claiming that the country is stable and that the mission has been accomplished, just in time for the election.
The problem with this, though, is the same problem that's been operating in the middle east for the last 30 years. Namely, the Sunni and the Shi'a are determined to blow each other to smithereens. Since there isn't a firm and stable central government in Iraq, the country is wide open for Iran and Al Qaeda to battle back and forth through their surrogates ad infinitum. This isn't going to stop on its own, and there's nothing we can do-- short of blasting the entire region to bits-- to make it stop.
Stop wasting our troops on a pointless war. Stop wasting money that could have saved Social Security or created universal health care. Bring them home. Now.
Today we hear news that another 7 servicemen died this weekend in Iraq. This seems to be roughly commensurate with the loss rates we've experienced throughout the war. Yes, it's piddly compared to WW2, but it certainly seems that there's a difference between battling a self-declared Empire that has set its sights on taking over the civilized world, and... well, what? Removing non-existent weapons of mass destruction from a petty dictator? Stabilizing an inherently unstable part of the world? Making money for multi-national military/industrial complexes?
That of course brings us to Halliburton's decision this week to move its headquarters to Dubai. So even though Dubai Ports World can't own ports in the United States because of concerns that an Arab terrorist in their employ might infiltrate our ports, it's okay for a company supplying our armed forces to be based in the United Arab Emirates. How much more proof do we need that this war happened solely to line the pockets of these companies?
And any time anyone tries to point out these sorts of issues, they get shouted down in the name of "supporting the troops." You can't say these things because apparently hearing that the folks back home are wondering about whether this war's a good idea will lower troop morale.
Bullshit.
I'm sorry, but it seems to me that seeing your buddies with inadequate armor getting blown up on a daily basis by homemade bombs that every single person you see might be planting in the name of a war whose purpose in entirely unclear, is going to have a much more negative impact on morale than hearing about a debate in Congress over the value of a war that G.I. Joe already knows is pointless.
And now we're hearing the spin cycle starting again. The Pentagon is talking about how death rates are dropping and things feel more secure. Since other things (like the continued death of American servicemen) seem to indicate that things are about the same, this can't be anything other than sleight of hand. Redirect our attention to a few positives so that the negatives don't look so bad. This way, come Summer 2008 the administration can start pulling the troops out claiming that the country is stable and that the mission has been accomplished, just in time for the election.
The problem with this, though, is the same problem that's been operating in the middle east for the last 30 years. Namely, the Sunni and the Shi'a are determined to blow each other to smithereens. Since there isn't a firm and stable central government in Iraq, the country is wide open for Iran and Al Qaeda to battle back and forth through their surrogates ad infinitum. This isn't going to stop on its own, and there's nothing we can do-- short of blasting the entire region to bits-- to make it stop.
Stop wasting our troops on a pointless war. Stop wasting money that could have saved Social Security or created universal health care. Bring them home. Now.
Comments
... one third of the nation or roughly 100 million people still think that Bush/Cheney are doing a good job.
There are those who still believe that Bush hasn't done enough in Iraq and should use MORE force. What drives these people to believe this? Racism? Hatred? Fear?
This has only helped me to grow in my belief that there is no such thing as a just war. Ever. No matter what our intentions getting into Iraq (Saddam was a despot; WMDs; Saddam harbored terrorists, whatever, etc. etc..) the end result has only been more death, more chaos, more hatred--and 1/3 of our nation takes grim delight in the situation in Iraq, feeling like it's somehow a just war.
To quote my father-in-law: "If there is any absolute moral law in Christianity, in Catholicism or in Natural Law Morality, it is "Thou shalt not murder." In moral law, murder is the intentional unjust killing of a human being(s). Two Popes have said that the war by the United States Government on Iraq is unjust. Killing in an unjust war is unjust killing—murder. Yet, every bishop, archbishop and cardinal who is an Ordinary of a diocese in the United States—save one—believes, to the point of strict moral certainty, that the killing in this war is just. moral certainty they have chosen in the midst of a most grave moral matter, intimately connected with the sanctity of human life and the recognition of the sanctity human life, to follow George Bush’s interpretation of the moral will of God rather than John Paul II’s. They have also countenanced, without even a whisper of protest, those immortal souls in their spiritual care doing the same. Something is very wrong here." -- Father Emmanuel Charles McCarthy
What the cost of the war could buy you.