Two Years Into the Iraq War

This weekend is the second anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war.

It means less to me than I had thought it would. Neither of us demonstrates much any more. I have had to put the political writing on a back burner while I deal with some of the writing I have to do for my day job. But more than anything else, I think I have become more worried about what's going on in America.

They say democracy is taking root in the Middle East; I personally don't believe it, partly because I have noticed this pattern in Iraq-related propaganda: the Bush administration pulls off some PR coup, the media say, "Wow, those critics of the war sure have egg on their face now!", and then in a week or two it's obvious that things are going to hell just as fast as they always were. So far, in two years, it's gone like this:

U.S. Army pulls down statue of Saddam Hussein in front of a cheering crowd.

US Media: Look, the Iraqis are welcoming us with open arms and celebrating us as liberators!

International media: This is obviously staged. Look, you can see how apart from the 200 guys who they bused in from somewhere, the square is completely empty.

Two weeks later: Looting continues apace. Anarchy reigns. Somewhere in the back streets, people are starting to make car bombs.

U.S. Army captures Saddam Hussein.

US Media: Now that they've got Saddam Hussein, the resistance will crumble!

International media: We're really not sure that the resistance is going to give a shit.

Two weeks later: "The increasing severity of the attacks is a sign that the enemy is getting desperate!"

U.S. Army levels Fallujah.

US Media: This will break the back of the resistance!

International media: Good God, have you seen the pictures of devastation? By the way, it looks like most of the resistance fighters had already hightailed it to other cities in Iraq before the entire city was levelled.

Two weeks later: Strange, there seems to be more resistance activity in other cities in Iraq.

Elections held in Iraq.

US Media: Freedom is on the march! Look at all the blue fingers!

International media: How can you possibly hold a meaningful election under these conditions? Also, we notice that gigantic car bombings continue apace.

Two weeks later: Boy, getting all these people to work together was harder than we thought!

And so on. My position on the Iraq war hasn't changed, though it has to some extent intensified. It was wrong to begin with and it gets wronger every day. It was a dangerous, reckless, stupid thing to do, on top of being morally and legally indefensible, and we will be reaping the consequences for years to come. The only thing that makes sense to do is get out as soon as we can.

But, I do not for one moment think that the current administration will ever withdraw troops no matter how much resistance is offered. Their entire M.O. is to take these unpopular and destructive policies and inflict them on the American people whether we want them or not. You can see that happening right now with Social Security "reform." Nobody wants this plan. They've been shopping it all over the country and all their efforts at 'outreach' are only making it worse. They don't care. They run all 3 branches of government, and they're going to shove it down our throats. It would be nice if they could make it look like the program had some popular support, but you know what, if that's too difficult, they can do without it.

If freedom is on the march, it's because it's marching away from here. We are looking at one-party rule in this country, certainly until Bush is out of office and perhaps even afterwards, depending on whose theory you believe about why Bush really won Ohio. It's not any better for us than it was for the Soviet Union.

I guess that's what's happened over the past year, for me. The war has come home. This time last year I was hopeful about Bush being a one-term president. Dislodging him wouldn't have ended the war, probably, but it would certainly have given me hope. But we all know what happened instead.

Happy second anniversary, Rumsfeld. I hope you're celebrating. Maybe after you have your big helping of blood cake you and your friends can play pin the electrodes on the hooded prisoner.

Sick now,

The Plaid Adder

is Hitler's grandest "dream" come true. Hitler would have done anything to have a media doing his bidding so willingly, and Busholini got it!


...and to that I....

:argh:

...and

:puke:

actually *worse* than state-run media?

think you can rely on it you start to believe the half truths.

If it were a weather service telling you there was a fine day ahead when they should be putting out a severe storm alert and a tornado warning and you found out about it after your home had been obliterated it would probably make sense to you, but this whole news manipulation is all the more worse because people want to believe their government is telling the truth and the news is really the news.

I guess it's like those people who diluted penicillin, making it stretch so they didn't have to turn people away and face the angry mob, but killing more people than if they had delivered full strength to the number of people they had supplies for.

PA, I hope you sent this as an Op-Ed submission to every major newspaper in the country.

But it's only a success in terms of their real agenda: military bases and control of the oilfields. When Bush says things are going well, he reveals the disconnect between his public words and his private goals. It's easier to digest what he's saying if one substitutes the phrase "American geopolitical & economic interests" for his every utterance of the word 'democracy.'

My question to you, to myself, to everyone thinking as we do on this situation is, what do we do now?
I too have engaged supporters of the illegal invasion and tried to discuss the events based on facts. It doesn't seem to matter, it's as though 50% of the country is hypnotized.
I am encouraged by the fact we are all still here though, discussing events and expressing our outrage.
If we fold up our tents and go home, there would be no voices crying in the wilderness. It would mean the end of hope and that truly means the end.
So to you Plaid Adder, to all who post here at DU I say keep fighting the good fight! It is the least we can do.................

She hasn't seen any real news in ages and it was really good for her to hear the truth being spoken. Oh, she believes me when I tell her things, but she isn't always too certain of my sources.

However when she saw 1,500 people Marching for Peace it made an impact on her. When she heard things being said from the podium by respected community leaders that the news is hiding from US, it really reinforced that I'm not just confused. There really is something going on.

I understand that those of you who have been in this fight the longest are beginning to get impatient with the process, but hang in there. I know this sounds hokey, but I can really feel the "shift" in the way people listen to what I say these days compared to in the beginning when I got verbally slapped down for even opening my mouth.

DEMs in the House and Senate are beginning to roar, there are multiple impeachment processes started, several vote fraud measures being proposed, real reporting is popping up here and there. Bush even got real questions in his last press conference. Almost made him pee on himself and they canceled all the SS Town Hall Meetings.

Government is beginning to fear the people again. The over reaction in Chicago for their 1,000 protesters is classic.

We can get up in arms about protesters in NY getting arrested for sitting in the streets or we can say, "Hey, way to go! You really put your ass on the line for all of us." Write in to the judges and recommend community service for civil disobedience.

As far as I can see this 200+ year old country is waking up real good, at our age though, bits and pieces still get that old pins and needles bit until you shake them out a bit.

People ARE getting involved. That is why we aren't hearing about it. The numbers really are huge. I'm sure of it, but if the government can keep that quiet then it thinks we won't feel the solidarity. It's there, Plaid. It's there. And thank you for being one of the first to be out there speaking truth to power.

Actually we should call it the illegal invasion of Iraq
US Congress never declared "War" on Iraq, so that is not the right
terminology, just like the sickening phrase "War on Terror"
there is no war, and you cant have a war on a phrase"

Over 1500 brave US Soldiers killed for weapons of mass deception, or was it the removal of Saddam, or was it that an Iraq attack on
the US was imminent, or was it to liberate the Iraqi's, or was it
so that the Iraq people could vote.
Whatever it was, the real reason is oil
and 1500 Soldiers have died for GW Bush's mistake

I distinctly remember that Viet Nam era protestors were never liked very much, even when most of the country agreed with them. We kept spoiling the party right up to and including the day we ended the war.

would not refer to it as the "Iraq war"

This is what the Pentagon, Whitehouse and the MSM Propaganda bullshit artists sell it as
when in reality it was an invasion by the most advanced Military in the World against a third World Country, without provocation.

It is not & has never been a War.

Sorry to pick at this point it just burns my ass when it's refereed to as a "War"

;-)

Just in time for the anniversary TWO YEARS AFTER bush's "mission accomplished".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1326565