Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Damage to America
When President Richard Nixon did evil things to America, there was an uproar, impeachment, a lot of soul searching and many, many changes to the American Establishment.
When America first invaded Iraq, many regimes in the area (and elsewhere) were petrified with fear; many even started some political reforms in their countries! Now, these people are laughing through their teeth!
• The huge American army and administrative machines could not manage to run one country of 25 million people properly after a year of trying. Things are now actually worse than when they started. Extremists? Terrorists? Remnants of the previous regime? That’s no excuse. These are all part of the problem the administration was supposed to solve! They have in fact “created” some of these problems!
• Those billions (many billions!) of taxpayer dollars poured into Iraq and the army machine! Shouldn’t there be some returns for that huge investment? There are huge “negative” returns!! That money was spent to defend America and fight terrorism. Well, they have done more to recruit more terrorists than any imaginable terrorist propaganda campaign.
• America’s standing in the world on moral issues is at an all-time low.
• Increased hatred and mistrust of America in so many parts of the world.
• After all this, can any honest American look anybody in the eye and, with a straight face, talk about democracy, liberty, justice and human rights?
Whose fault is that?
The American values and ideals have not changed, have they?
Isn’t that sufficient damage to warrant some serious soul searching by Americans?
When America first invaded Iraq, many regimes in the area (and elsewhere) were petrified with fear; many even started some political reforms in their countries! Now, these people are laughing through their teeth!
• The huge American army and administrative machines could not manage to run one country of 25 million people properly after a year of trying. Things are now actually worse than when they started. Extremists? Terrorists? Remnants of the previous regime? That’s no excuse. These are all part of the problem the administration was supposed to solve! They have in fact “created” some of these problems!
• Those billions (many billions!) of taxpayer dollars poured into Iraq and the army machine! Shouldn’t there be some returns for that huge investment? There are huge “negative” returns!! That money was spent to defend America and fight terrorism. Well, they have done more to recruit more terrorists than any imaginable terrorist propaganda campaign.
• America’s standing in the world on moral issues is at an all-time low.
• Increased hatred and mistrust of America in so many parts of the world.
• After all this, can any honest American look anybody in the eye and, with a straight face, talk about democracy, liberty, justice and human rights?
Whose fault is that?
The American values and ideals have not changed, have they?
Isn’t that sufficient damage to warrant some serious soul searching by Americans?
Saturday, June 05, 2004
Quote of the Month!
I find the following quote particularly memorable:
President Bush, less than a month ago, referring to Muqtada al-Sadr (the young rebel cleric): [he wants] “…to influence the course of democracy by force. This is against democracy”!!
I am no great fan of Mr. Muqtada al-Sadr, but to be fair, the man was relatively docile over the past year. It was George Bush who was trying to influence “the course of democracy by force” (ignoring the existence of all “undesirable elements”)…and look where it got him…and us!
President Bush, less than a month ago, referring to Muqtada al-Sadr (the young rebel cleric): [he wants] “…to influence the course of democracy by force. This is against democracy”!!
I am no great fan of Mr. Muqtada al-Sadr, but to be fair, the man was relatively docile over the past year. It was George Bush who was trying to influence “the course of democracy by force” (ignoring the existence of all “undesirable elements”)…and look where it got him…and us!
Friday, June 04, 2004
Damage and Glory
How could anyone do enormous damage to his country and get away with it?
Easy! Through oppression and brutal, merciless force! We have seen that happen in Iraq and elsewhere.
But how can that be done in a democracy?
I don’t know; You tell me!
Easy! Through oppression and brutal, merciless force! We have seen that happen in Iraq and elsewhere.
But how can that be done in a democracy?
I don’t know; You tell me!
