IRAQ

Vision is gone from governing and the expediency of getting elected and keeping that job is more important. These guys spend millions of dollars to get elected to a thousand dollar a year job. The insider perks must be amazing. These guys are willing to say and do anything. That right there is the root of the problem.

We won't be able to pull out of Iraq until the political risk of supporting the war and loosing your place at the political table becomes too great. That tide may indeed be turning. Iran then steps into the void and sends troops into Iraq to quell the Sunni’s and we are right back where we started when Saddam was fighting the Iranians. The supporters of democracy will be run off (again) and the women will loose whatever rights they are nurturing right now.

Iraq has arbitrary borders drawn by the British after world war two. To me split that country back up into its natural population centers. Too bad the Sunni’s don’t have oil and the Shiites enslave their women. Why should we die to enlighten them or should we? Aren’t we here to help one another? Isn’t that the grand design? Shouldn’t we just lead by example? Aren’t we setting a poor example right now? I don’t know. But the Kurds can govern themselves and so what if Turkey doesn’t like it and Iran has more influence in the south. Something tells me the Shiites aren’t going to get pushed around. Democracy and freedom can come to the Kurds and the rest can pound sand. So let the pull out begin and the natural order of things take shape. The only problem is that those trying to capitalize on the economic opportunities have their politicians in place, and they want all of Iraq, which leads me to the biggest Dick (Cheney).

Are you sick of Dick Cheney's “reprehensible” attitude? He speaks up with that I'm your father do as I say ‘tude and it's just crap. That overblown arrogance isn’t fooling anyone anymore. Someone tell him to shut up. His self righteousness smacks of such self patronage as he keeps padding his personal income by awarding contracts to Halliburton.

The glimmer of hope is to look at Vietnam - after that stupid slaughter it has somehow become peaceful with a growing market economy. Maybe violence and war is like a mood that somehow has to run its course. After people tire of the blood letting it's over. The rest of us won't resort to it and find it hard to understand in the first place, but unfortunately there are many who strive for power and feel that violence is the way. If we shrink from the hard contest then the bolder and louder will pass us by. In hindsight we should have removed Saddam like we removed Noriega and left. Panama seems fine now. It’s certainly not as noisy as Iraq. Ulterior motives and honesty is out of fashion. Power and greed lead the way. It’s ugly and dangerous isn’t it?