Shakespeare's Sister posts on Bush's statement today about Iraq:
From his confab on the Iraq War at Camp Branch Davidian (which is where the below picture was snapped), President Bush issued this statement today:I keep reminding the American people that the stakes are worth it. It is worth it to help Iraq succeed. It is worth it to have a democracy in the Middle East. It is worth it to show other reformers and people who want to live in a free society what is possible.
So, the question of the day is, what do you think of that assertion? Do you believe it's even possible for any success to emerge from the war, that we'll ever see a genuine Iraqi democracy? If something good does, miraculously, manage to eke its way out of all this, will it have been worth it? Basically, I'm just soliciting Shakers' current thoughts on the war.
I never supported the war; I vainly hoped when it was launched that at least some humanitarian success could come out of it; I don't believe we will see, anytime in the near future, anything that could be categorized as a "success," but, at the same time, I don't want Iraq to be a total failure for the sake of its people. And yet, I'm not sure that anything but a total failure is possible, unless we leave, and even then, who knows what will happen. I find myself in a constant state of flux, ranging from hopeless to slightly less hopeless. And sometimes incredibly angry. What is Bush talking about when he suggests we're showing "other reformers and people who want to live in a free society what is possible"? Do Middle Eastern reformers really need an example? Isn't that just dreadfully fucking arrogant? Even if they did need an example, how is our endeavor in Iraq providing one? The whole thing makes my brain spin, and as soon as he starts talking about it in his ghastly spinspeak, it makes my brain want to explode.
I know how she feels.
This response from one of Shakes' readers stopped me in my tracks:
Four years ago, I told my friends, family, and co-workers that we'd be in Iraq at least 10 years. Several laughed in my face. Others became enraged. A few told me that they thought I was a moron.
Not so much anymore.
People are beginning to admit that I was right. I'm quick point out that I'm in no way a political genius. I don't have psychic powers. I do know people -- they're the same everywhere.
When the thousands of Iraqi war orphans -- those who suffered most during this war -- grow up, they will hate us more than we can begin to imagine. That will be the generation that will do anything to strike back at us. Anything.
In 10 years, we'll begin to pay the price for what we've done. Just ask yourself what you'd do to someone who destroyed your family, your country, and your way of life.
This is how we should answer war supporters who say the war is a success because there haven't been any terrorist attacks on U.S. soil since 9/11.
We are sowing the seeds now; we will reap the harvest later.
5 comments:
More violence on al Qaeda’s part will not defeat the U.S. and her allies. As soon as you kill one U.S. soldier, two more will spring up to take his place and thousands more Americans will be spurred to support the War on Terror. Face it, the violence hasn’t worked.
Al Qaeda must not retaliate for this latest American attack. To do so would only perpetuate the cycle of violence. Al Qaeda bombing follows U.S. bombing follows Al Qaeda bombing…. Where does it all end? Only once al Qaeda puts away its desire for revenge and beats its swords into plowshares can we finally work for a mutually acceptable peaceful solution. America’s demands for freedom and non-interference in its internal affairs must be respected, or there will be no long-term peace. Al Qaeda must cease its aggression and quest for hemogenic control and negotiate in good faith.
Violence begets violence. It’s time for the war and the killing to stop. Al Qaeda, the opportunity to work for a lasting peace is at hand. Do it for the children.
EFG
The last German resistance group was finally put down in 1949.
Was World War II worth it?
Go here
for New York Times articles from that period. I think you will not find much difference between them and articles about the Occupation of Iraq, except for the German Occupation was more of a mess,
Was it worth it?
"In 10 years, we'll begin to pay the price for what we've done. Just ask yourself what you'd do to someone who destroyed your family, your country, and your way of life.
This is how we should answer war supporters who say the war is a success because there haven't been any terrorist attacks on U.S. soil since 9/11.
We are sowing the seeds now; we will reap the harvest later."
Yes, you would think we would have learned the lessons from 200 years of dealing with English, American Indian, Spanish, Mexican, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese(and whoever else I might be forgetting) terrorists getting back at us for past wars. Release Saddam, maybe they will then forgive us.
Reap what we've sowed?
And just what is that? Maybe you've been living in a cave - well never mind, Osama manages to keep up better with world events than you do despite that.
Just a quick recap: in five years the United States has invaded two countries literally thousands of miles away, overthrown their governments, helped form new ones, and consistently defeated any challeges on the field of battle.
And despite all the rage caused by America's reminding everyone that yes indeed we can fuck your shit up without even missing a beat back home, the "whirlwind" seems to have be more interested in hiding from laser-guided 500lb bombs than giving us what we apparently deserve.
Five years and people like you still haven't figured it out. There isn't a hero on a white horse coming to save you. Not Howard Dean, not John Kerry, not Markos or antiwar.com or Counterpunch or Common Dreams or MoveOn or Noam.
You gave it your best shot. You failed. The United States is ultimately going to get exactly what we wanted from Afghanistan and Iraq and there's really just fuck-all you can do about it.
Ignorance of just how powerful the United States is certainly can lead to interesting fantasies being publicly aired by barely-intelligent nutjobs, but in the end, a JDAM really just doesn't give a damn about America's terrible 20th century history of blowing up Nazis and Communists.
Only once al Qaeda puts away its desire for revenge and beats its swords into plowshares can we finally work for a mutually acceptable peaceful solution.
It doesn't work that way. Peace is a process and a way of resolving conflicts ON ALL SIDES. It's not a "goal" that can be "achieved" by beating, bombing, and killing until the other side becomes peaceful.
The United States is ultimately going to get exactly what we wanted from Afghanistan and Iraq and there's really just fuck-all you can do about it.
And what we want is unlimited and unchallenged access to that region's natural resources and strategic geopolitical location.
Thank you for your honesty. I always prefer that to false claims of benevolent intentions.
Face it, the violence hasn’t worked.
I couldn't agree more.
And despite all the rage caused by America's reminding everyone that yes indeed we can fuck your shit up without even missing a beat back home, the "whirlwind" seems to have be more interested in hiding from laser-guided 500lb bombs than giving us what we apparently deserve.
The arc of the moral universe is long; but it bends toward justice.
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