Letters to the Editor
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Sorry, we've seen this script before
We've seen this script before: Bush will wander out with his sad-faced "Oh shucky-darn!" act, say some banality about "Americans don't do these things" (despite the clear evidence that they have and continue to), Snow or whoever the latest press secretary is will stonewall with blather about "We do not comment on an ongoing investigation," and the conservative blogosphere will attack anyone who dares to mention Haditha or any other atrocity that comes to light, saying nonsense about how it demoralizes our troops, as if the troops have the luxury of time or even the ability to surf liberal weblogs--as opposed to being demoralized by the ugly facts on the ground, with bombs, guerilla warfare, being overstretched, understaffed and lied to routinely and habitually by their superiors. And when more news and photos finally come out a year or two afterwards, they'll be pish-toshed as old news and irrelevant to all the wonderful things happening here and now.
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Oh who cares?
The Bush Administration nominates to be US Attorney General the guy who said it's okay-fine to commit torture. Thousands of men and even boys, many likely innocent, rot away in a legal netherworld purposedly set up that way with a great big fuck you to human rights organizations and the UN. U.S. citizens are declared enemy combatants then dribbled here and there like a basketball to escape unfavorable court rulings. Ordinary Americans are lied to, spied upon, illegally held when they protest, barred from speaking in the presence of King George, and probably investigated in ways we have yet to learn. The outrageousness from this Administration is endless. Yet what's the response? Over half of the country votes to re-elect. In my opinion everyone who voted for Bush the second time (they can be forgiven the first), including my own father, is damned to hell and deservedly so. "You're either for me or against me." That's probably the only time Bush has not lied.
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TROUBLED???
Wouldn't you expect the leader of the free world to take this opportunity to express moral outrage at the Haditha massacre? Wouldn't you expect him to show something more than a bit of dismay over the fact that 24 innocent people, some women, children and babies, were slaughtered by people that he commanded? But no, instead of outrage, we have a president who apparently had all he could do muster up that seething emotion "troubled". And can you continue to call yourself *commander in chief*, Mr. Bush, when we now know that you only found out about this incident after a reporter from Time Magazine started asking questions (back in MARCH)?!?! And shouldn't that have been when the order went out for our troops to begin receiving their "Core Value Training" instead of starting the training today (now that the whole world knows what happened in Haditha and when)? As usual, Mr. Bush, you don't give a crap about all of the people who have already died in Iraq and you obviously aren't interested in saving any lives either. Everything you say and do is scripted. You don't govern, you react. You don't unite, you divide. You don't lead, you decide. And do you know what else you do, Mr. Bush? You make millions of us feel ashamed to be Americans.
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The Iraq war is an atrocity
There is a new book out on a special forces unit that was founded by Col. Hackworth called Tiger Force. The Tiger Force has been attributed in the book and elsewhere with atrocities. When Hackworth was asked about this he said something along the lines of "Yes, it all happened. The entire Vietnam war is an atrocity".
The entire Iraq war is an atrocity. In fact, war is, by its very nature an atrocity. What do people think: only the "bad guys" get killed in war? Why is it that it is not an atrocity to kill hundreds of civilians with bombs, but shooting them up close and personal is an atrocity? What do people think happened in Fallujah? The entire Iraq war is an atrocity.
I'm not a pacifist. There are times when military force is necessary and there are times when there is no choice but war. The invasion of Afghanistan was such an example. We all know now that Iraq was a war of choice. The Bush administration has committed war crimes, from the actual invasion to torture. There is no point singling out Haditha and the marines who killed the civilians. This whole story is nothing but another example of the blindness that people in the United States embrace.
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It's all bad.
War, that is. The concept of a civilized, ethical war is absurd and defective. There is no such thing. Not to say we shouldn't try anyway once we do get into these conflicts. But war is stupid, barbarous and on it's face, represents failure. That is what should be avoided at all costs. Or not. We have to make this basic decision first...
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How many more?
Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, Hadita and how many more we dont know about yet? We're trained to kill and kill we will, we all must have heard it at least once. It is the bootcamp shout of the Marines. So why are we surprised? Again there will be prosecution of the little guys and sentences to be served. The responsible parties who started this mess will sit in judgement and cover their rear ends. And while we are talking war crimes, Bush, Cheney. Rumsfeld, Gonzales, etc etc should face war crimes trials. It has happened before to highest ranking "leaders" of nations, including military personnel,organized by none other than the US, afterall Nuremberg was in the American Zone and Tokio, also US occupied.What was good for the goose should be good for the gander! Even if king George the W and Co fakes ignorance.
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Whose Responsibility? It Depends!
Yes, many of us now finally agree after 6 years of missteps, misinformation, and a MIA president that Dubya for all his swagger just doesn't lead when and where he's really actually called upon to lead. Yes, he's completely inarticulate. Yes, he is at best a D- and that's only because of a curve. Strong leaders accept responsibility and are inherently accountable for their decisions. Bush has had so many do-overs that it's time to call him to task, hold his feet to the fire, and demand that he actually do something!
He sold slightly 51% of some of us on his leadership, vision, and sense of morality. Leadership and vision are clearly in the tank. No argument can be made about the guy's leadership and vision. It's just not there. Look under any rock, any corner, and he has consistently failed to lead and most importantly to lead with vision. Some may still attempt that at least he is sticking to his, and I emphasize 'his', his moral compass. Well, W's moral compass seems to be broken.
He'll eventually fess up ever so slightly to mistakes and misteps when it's safe. For example, how long did it take for him to, and even with his perpetual with a damned smirk and snicker, admit that stating firmly and with great resolve, Bring Em On was maybe just maybe not appropriate to say. History will not be kind to this dumbass masquerading as a powerful leader, but unfortunately that does absolutely nothing to justify the horrific loss of life under his so ever so diligent watch!