A basic flaw in the Administration's argument re: Iraq

Now that WMD's are no longer an issue the administration's new rationalization for what they are doing in Iraq makes even less sense.

On the one hand we're there to liberate the Iraqi people, rebuild the infrastructure and foster Democracy. We're also there because Iraq is being turned into the final battleground against militant Islamic terrorism.

How the hell are we going to be able to do A with B going on all around us in Iraq.

Among other things the U.S. are still expecting $12 billion in oil revenues for 2004 in Iraq. As long as the U.S. are in Iraq oil revenues will be exactly $0.00. Everytime oil is ready to start flowing the pipeline will get blown up again until all foreign troops have left Iraq.

blah, blah, blah, September 11th, blah, blah, blah, evil, blah, blah, smoke 'em out, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, any cost, blah, bring 'em on, blah, blah, evil, blah, blah, tax cut, blah, blah, democracy.

Make sense now?

If not, here's Collin Powell to make you feel better.

Now just relax and forget about Iraq. Didn't you hear? Britney kissed Madonna.

Because, when you really think about it, blah blah blah blah will not falter blah blah blah terror blah blah blah blah America blah blah blah blah blah September the 11 blah blah blah tax cuts for the rich blah blah blah blah Saddam.

The overriding theme for 12 years has been the notion that Iraqis desire 'liberation' from the regime of Saddam Hussein. So, where have those throngs of ordinary Iraqis fighting for their own 'liberation' been? When did they do anything for which the imperialist invaders demonstrated 'support'?

There've been frequent comparisons drawn between Iraq and Vietnam -- but in Vietnam there were millions of people (perhaps 35-40% of the population of the South) who were actively engaged in seeking their own 'liberation' (from colonialism) in a democratic direction, while some greater number were seeking their own 'liberation' in a communist direction. Lest we forget, the vast majority of Vietnamese were actively seeking 'liberation' -- they only differed in whether they viewed the US as an ally or an enemy in that regard. Those who (correctly) viewed the US as an enemy in that regard prevailed.

There is almost no such activity in Iraq. Thus, the biggest lie of all has been the notion that the Iraqi people seek 'liberation'. They don't. The vast majority of those opposed to the militarist autocracy of Hussein are merely supportive of some other sponsor of autocracy -- and absolutely none of them are of a kind "acceptable" to the occupying coalition forces. While our minds may find this difficult to countenance, it is undeniably true.