25 August 2005
Renewed offensive on truth
While the neo-con war machine grinds on in Iraq, its chief puppet, Dubya, has renewed his offensive on truth on the home front.
Perhaps worried by the attention the mother of a dead soldier is drawing with her protest in Texas, the presidential liar rejected calls by anti-war protesters to withdraw from Iraq, and vowed that the US would "stay, fight and win the war on terror." While Dubya's position is unsurprising, it seems disappointing that the negative public sentiment over the war misses some very important issues.
Adverse public sentiment revolves around three concerns - the mounting casualties, the war going badly and that the war hasn't made the US safer. As an aside, I should point out the typically self-centred perspective of these concerns. The American public shows little concern for the terrible mess created in Iraq; including deaths of many more Iraqi civilians compared to US troops! If ever there was a wonderful example of why non-Americans fairly or unfairly think Americans are narcissistic, this would be one.
But I digress yet again.
Deep thinking and knowledgeable Americans must remind their compatriots that Dubya illegally invaded Iraq because he claimed Saddam Hussein had NBC weapons that directly threatened the security of the US. Let me repeat, Dubya claimed Saddam Hussein had NBC weapons that directly threatened the security of the US.
Sadly, the public has already forgotten a Congressional committee investigated and concluded no such weapons existed. Even the man appointed by Bush himself to "find proof" Saddam had such weapons, concluded exactly the opposite! Yet the irony of appointing David Kay to "find proof" of NBC weapons after the invasion of Iraq despite Dubya going to war claiming he had "irrefutable" proof, is lost on the nation!
When the presidential liar had to appoint David Kay to find proof, the American public should have called for Bush's impeachment. For not only did he commit the country to an illegal war, he ordered American citizens in uniform to go to Iraq and die for a pack of lies. Bush lied to congress, to the people, subverted their system of government and committed a war crime by invading a sovereign nation.
Today, note how the NBC weapons fantasy is no longer the reason for invading and occupying Iraq. Now the reason is to eliminate terrorists threatening the security of the US. But this too is a lie because even the president's own National Intelligence Council admitted that prior to the invasion, Iraq wasn't a terrorist haven but that the invasion had in fact turned the country into one!
These are some of the issues that should have really concerned the public. But instead, at least 50% re-elected Bush! So exactly where does it leave the American public? Carrying the can for their choice of president, I'm afraid.
I know the consequences of that choice also fall heavily and unfairly on the 48% who voted against Bush. Not only that, those Americans who continued to question the morality of the invasion were also vilified as "unpatriotic" citizens. They are to be admired for their commitment to high principles and are encouraged to stay the course to elect a far better president than the one under whom they are suffering now.
For those among the 50% who re-elected Bush and are sorry for their sin, they can repent at the next election by not voting for a war-mongering neo-con false prophet. In the mean time, they can do penance by reminding their fellow citizens of the original reasons for going to war.
For the remaining die hard Bush supporters, there is no redemption. Unacknowledged and continuing sins deserve all the punishment Dubya can dish out. For them, Dubya is their god, just as Dubya is Dubya's own god too. Their god is right. The US must stay in Iraq to experience more pain and loss, and hopefully, keep everyone else outside of that wretched country out of harm's way.
Perhaps worried by the attention the mother of a dead soldier is drawing with her protest in Texas, the presidential liar rejected calls by anti-war protesters to withdraw from Iraq, and vowed that the US would "stay, fight and win the war on terror." While Dubya's position is unsurprising, it seems disappointing that the negative public sentiment over the war misses some very important issues.
Adverse public sentiment revolves around three concerns - the mounting casualties, the war going badly and that the war hasn't made the US safer. As an aside, I should point out the typically self-centred perspective of these concerns. The American public shows little concern for the terrible mess created in Iraq; including deaths of many more Iraqi civilians compared to US troops! If ever there was a wonderful example of why non-Americans fairly or unfairly think Americans are narcissistic, this would be one.
But I digress yet again.
Deep thinking and knowledgeable Americans must remind their compatriots that Dubya illegally invaded Iraq because he claimed Saddam Hussein had NBC weapons that directly threatened the security of the US. Let me repeat, Dubya claimed Saddam Hussein had NBC weapons that directly threatened the security of the US.
Sadly, the public has already forgotten a Congressional committee investigated and concluded no such weapons existed. Even the man appointed by Bush himself to "find proof" Saddam had such weapons, concluded exactly the opposite! Yet the irony of appointing David Kay to "find proof" of NBC weapons after the invasion of Iraq despite Dubya going to war claiming he had "irrefutable" proof, is lost on the nation!
When the presidential liar had to appoint David Kay to find proof, the American public should have called for Bush's impeachment. For not only did he commit the country to an illegal war, he ordered American citizens in uniform to go to Iraq and die for a pack of lies. Bush lied to congress, to the people, subverted their system of government and committed a war crime by invading a sovereign nation.
Today, note how the NBC weapons fantasy is no longer the reason for invading and occupying Iraq. Now the reason is to eliminate terrorists threatening the security of the US. But this too is a lie because even the president's own National Intelligence Council admitted that prior to the invasion, Iraq wasn't a terrorist haven but that the invasion had in fact turned the country into one!
These are some of the issues that should have really concerned the public. But instead, at least 50% re-elected Bush! So exactly where does it leave the American public? Carrying the can for their choice of president, I'm afraid.
I know the consequences of that choice also fall heavily and unfairly on the 48% who voted against Bush. Not only that, those Americans who continued to question the morality of the invasion were also vilified as "unpatriotic" citizens. They are to be admired for their commitment to high principles and are encouraged to stay the course to elect a far better president than the one under whom they are suffering now.
For those among the 50% who re-elected Bush and are sorry for their sin, they can repent at the next election by not voting for a war-mongering neo-con false prophet. In the mean time, they can do penance by reminding their fellow citizens of the original reasons for going to war.
For the remaining die hard Bush supporters, there is no redemption. Unacknowledged and continuing sins deserve all the punishment Dubya can dish out. For them, Dubya is their god, just as Dubya is Dubya's own god too. Their god is right. The US must stay in Iraq to experience more pain and loss, and hopefully, keep everyone else outside of that wretched country out of harm's way.
