Escalation announced tonight
In his speech tonight, Bush gave no specific time lines for expected results. The first words from news commentators referred to six months for results. But Bush can avoid any accountability in six mo
In his speech tonight, Bush gave no specific time lines for expected results. The first words from news commentators referred to six months for results. But Bush can avoid any accountability in six mo
I fear that we citizens are on a runaway train and cannot get off. I fear that a "victory" by my country - the destruction of Bagdad - will be used to terrorize other countries that do not do our bidding. That we will seek regime change in Iran, Syria, Venezuela, North Korea and then look for more countries to force our will upon. I fear that Bush intends to wage such destruction on Bagdad as to achieve a false calm - a calm because all decent citizens have fled. Already millions have fled the violence but you have to search hard to learn this from our news media.
We need - more than anything and more than ever - to have honest news reporting from Iraq. We need to know what the results of Bush's escalation actually are. Do we now destroy entire blocks of homes in our effort to deny safe refuge to the "enemy"? Who is the enemy? Bush suggested it was terrorists from outside Iraq - but we know that is not the truth. The Sunnis and Shiites are fighting each other and they are all Iraqis. Our news media never showed us how much we destroyed the city of Fallujah and I fear we will not be shown how much we will now destroy Bagdad. Bush spoke of changing the rules so our troops can kill more. I fear that means random killing to terrorize everyone.
I fear we are now really set up for defeat and that Bush is ready to destroy Iraq in order to avoid defeat. Towards the end of his speech, Bush challenged those who had a differing opinion to present their solution to the problem. The solution is to never get bogged down in a land war in Asia. We are now bogged down. There is no good solution. Iraq will be further destroyed and we will become feared even more around the world. Bush will call that "respected". We are embarking on war without end.
Here is a test you can use to judge whether we are securing the city of Bagdad or destroying it. If you see increased reports of aerial bombing "in support" of troops on the ground then you know we are destroying the city. If you see TV reports of our troops busting down doors to homes and shops - like we did in Fallujah - then you know we are destroying the city. I invite you to read more of the foreign press to learn what is happening - like this report from the Netherlands - Holland - in Europe. Our terrified troops are terrifying the Iraqis. Our poor kids are coming back by the thousands with troubled minds and bodies and leaving behind a gradually destroyed country.
I fear we are just like the decent Germans in the 1930s - helpless to stop the madness. They were in the majority then but it did them no good. We voted to end the war but the result is an increase. And we are expected to passively sit quietly for - - - - he did not say for how long - and believe his next speech when he tells us things have gotten better even if they have gotten worse and that we need to increase the violence even more to ensure victory. But there is never victory in a process like this. Only another enemy. Only more war.
Wonder where Rick Larsen is on all this? On the fence? And seeking to destroy those who dare to try and make him accountable. I tip my hat to those who risk their civil rights in demanding that Rick Larsen be accountable to us citizens. If we want to stop this war then fence-sitters like Larsen need to be pushed into opposing this war. If you want to know what you can do to stop this madness of war - I will tell you to confront Rick Larsen - in writing, by protesting at his office or by phoning his office. Do it once - do it often. That is how our democracy is supposed to work. A check of Rick's website shows he has not answered our question of Jan 1. Please join me in pushing him.
Oh - one last little thing. Bush declared war on Iran this evening. Expect a new bombing offensive. And expanded war. And, yes, those Israeli air strikes on Iran - maybe with nuclear weapons. Hell, the planes may be in the air on their way as I write this. Just another war with another country.
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