“I feel good!”, said the bush, as he pumped his fist into the air, to start his invasion of Iraq, launching a new round of carnage in the Middle East. Smugly excited, as if it was one of those games he watched from the sidelines in his cheerleader uniform in college. Unconcerned at the impending deaths and destruction. After all, it wasn’t any of his family or friends that would be making the sacrifice. Himself, either.
And now, almost 4 years later, hundreds of thousands of deaths later, millions of destroyed lives later, thousnads of torture victims later, hundreds of billions of dollars of damage later, no remorse, as he once again turns to daddy to bail out the drunken son. And daddy, to protect the family name, does. Not to right any wrongs, not to stop the carnage, not for justice, mercy, or plain humanity, but to protect the family name, and the republican party.
The US is trapped in Iraq because the only plan the bushistas had was to destroy and loot. That’s it. All that talk of “democracy”, “liberation”, “removing a dictator”, were, and are, merely ass-covering platitudes bleated out by the administration and its supporters to mask the horror of what they’ve done, an attempt to soothe their own bloody selves. No thought was ever given to the Iraqi people, or the Afghans for that matter. Those people that were soon to be under the bombs and cruise missiles, watching their family, their friends, their neighborhoods and cities, and children, and their children, disappear forever under that deadly rain. Trapped, doomed, just as those in the World Trade Center on Sep 11, 2001. Just as innocent. Just so much “collateral damage”. As rumsfeld said, “Stuff happens”. Nothing to worry or “beautiful minds” about, as barbie bush said.
No thought was ever given to the American military personnel that were about to be killed and maimed, or their families.
There was a buck to be made. There wasn’t a dime to spare for useless things like adequate armor for Humvees, or body armor. Not a nickel to protect the Iraqi cultural or historical infrastructure, such as museums. Not a penny to provide adequate medical care to the people caught in the crossfire. Sick, perverted bastards, the whole lot of them. Disgusting. These are the same kinds of people who prowl the kiddie porn sites on the internet.
Now the neo-cavemen that authored this abomination are backing away faster than a burglar caught in the act. In the hope that we’d all forget their enthusiasm for this war, they are to push the blame to others. They are all flailing around like hooked fish, hoping to escape, now that their bankrupt philosophy is exposed for the obscenity it is. And you know what? We’re going to let them go. We will passively sit and watch, clucking our tongues at the injustice of it all, while our “betters” sort this out. Except for unusually bloody days, or a political assassination, Iraq’s in the middle pages, Afghanistan lucky to get a mention. Palestine? The less said the better.
In about a month, Christians will be celebrating the birth of Jesus. They’ll be beaming at their children, happily passing out gifts all around, eat a big dinner, and be content. And on Christmas, a child will be killed in Iraq by the violence they have unleashed.
So, where do we go from here? There aren’t any options left. Except to leave. Whether we go, or stay, the Iraqis will have to decide for themselves what sort of government they want. As things stand now, that process is not going to bloodless. No matter what, the Iraqis face many and huge difficulties putting their country back together again.
“Oops, sorry. Here’s a couple of bucks for the damage.”, is not going to be enough. Those who caused this must be punished. If we allow the bushistas to dance away to enjoy their lives and riches, we’re no better than they are. Impeachment and criminal courts for the bushistas, all of them, is a moral imperative. In the next two years, it’s the most important thing that America needs to do. If for no other reason than to drag these crimes into the light of day for all to see. Then we can decide what kind of country that we want.
For us, as well as the Iraqis, that’s the decision that needs to be made, and the sooner the better. The Iraqis don’t need our help in their decision. They are fully capable on their own. They’re neither ignorant nor children. As for us, we are. We’ve been perfectly content not to look at unpleasantness, nor to face up to the consequences of our actions, just like children. We’ve chosen to be ignorant of the reality of the world and the society around us. We’ve assuaged our conscience with platitudes and patriotic fervor.
These next two years, with the republican, one-party, neostalinist hold on the government broken, at least temporarily, is the window of time we have to decide. What difference will it make what party is in power if we keep pursuing the same bankrupt and destructive policies? Right now, this time, this place, conditions are ripe for a true political revolution. The ambitious will be jockeying for position and power. They’ll be jostling for the good seats. Coalitions and alliances will be made and broken. Rumors will fly.
In a time of political uncertainty, as we’ve learned from numerous US interventions in the political process of other countries, a nudge at the right time and place can move the paradigm a great distance. And as we’ve learned from our own experience in the ‘60s and ‘70s, a vocal populace can move it even further.
This holiday season, let’s remember the kids. Our children, our grandchildren and their children, will have to live with the choices we make today. While we watch them rip the wrappings off that new toy, let’s try to think about where they’re going to be 20, 30 years from now.
We have the chance and the ability to create a political climate where impeachment of the bush administration is possible. Not only possible, but the only choice for any person hoping for a future in politics. We have the chance and the ability to create a political climate where criminal trials of the bush administration are possible. Why not go for it?
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