4,000 Americans, Innumerable Iraqis, $3 Trillion

And five years later, here we are.

There were no weapons of mass destruction. We were not greeted as liberators. The war did not pay for itself. The smoking gun was not a mushroom cloud. There was no connection to 9/11. The course we stayed led over a cliff.

Worse, Iraq has become a recruiting station for Islamic terrorists. One presidential candidate foresees a 100-year occupation. Electricity is still a sometime thing in Baghdad. The war that was supposed to pay for itself was recently projected to cost us $3 trillion — that’s trillion, with a ”t,” that’s a three followed by 12 zeroes, that’s three million millions. And American forces have sustained more than 33,000 casualties, including 4,000 dead and 13,000 wounded too severely to return to action.

Pundits and politicians will spend a lot of time debating the war in Iraq on this, its fifth anniversary. They will analyze what we have achieved, pontificate on where we should go from here. I will leave those arguments to them.

Not that those are not worthy issues. But I cannot get beyond what is, for me, the one overriding truth of this war.

It should never have been fought.

Yes, I know: The point is moot. The war was fought, and there is nothing we can do about it. But I submit there is, in fact, at least one thing we must do. Learn from it.

Much has been made of the culpability of the Bush administration, of the arrogance and incompetence that midwifed this mess. Less has been made, however, of the culpability of Bush’s accomplices, the enablers and facilitators who made this misadventure possible. By which I mean you and me, the American electorate.

Granted, many of us have been screaming No as loudly as we could from the very beginning or shortly thereafter. But many more refused to own what we knew, refused to accept the evidence of our own eyes and call this administration to account. We were scared beyond the ability to reason and wanted to feel safe, we were too heavily invested in lies to be turned aside by truth, we needed with a desperation to believe what we were being told, to buy what we were being sold.

Excuses. At some point, you have to stand up and be brave. Stand up like American women and men.

This, we have largely failed to do. Three months after the war began, when it was becoming clear there were no weapons of mass destruction, 56 percent of us told Gallup it didn’t matter, said the invasion was justified regardless. Play that back again: The primary rationale for the war was disintegrating like a sand castle in the waves, yet a majority of us shrugged and said, ”Whatever.” Like our president, we were impervious to truths we did not want to know.

That majority is a memory, but it lasted long past the point it should have, lasted long enough to enable this disaster, to send George W. Bush back to office claiming a mandate, to dig us in so deep the sun feels like a rumor, to create legions of new terrorists, to run up a bill that we will be paying off for generations, to take the lives of 4,000 Americans and Lord only knows how many Iraqis.

So yes, we should at the very least learn from this, commit it to communal memory, so that maybe next time a fear-mongering leader tries to stampede us into precipitate and unwise action, we will have the guts to stop and reason and own what we know. And to realize that the electorate has a role to play in the life of a free nation and it is not a mindless cheerleader.

One can only hope. In the meantime, here we are, five years later. The electorate has largely moved on, more concerned about the price of gas than the price of war.

But the war grinds on. Indeed, it has ground the president’s approval rating down to the low 30s.

Maybe you think that’s accountability at last. Me, I’m surprised it’s still that high.

lpitts@miamiherald.com

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14 Comments so far

sevenpointman March 19th, 2008 12:20 pm

The plan I am sending you has been approved by many prominent thinkers and
activists in the field. Which includes: Benjamin Ferencz, Chief Prosecutor
at the Nuremburg Trials, Ken Livingstone-Mayor of London,
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit, Tom Hayden, Richard Falk, Matthew Rothschild, Anthony Arnove, Danny Schecter, Tony Benn- Former Member of the British parliament ,Reggie Rivers,Frida Berrigan,
Robert Jensen, Andrew Bard Schmookler, Burhan Al-Chalabi and others.
I formulated this plan in September 2004, based on a comprehensive
study of the issues. For my plan to be successful it must be implemented
with all seven points beginning to happen within a very short period of
time.
I have run up against a wall of doubt about my plan due to its
rational nature ,and due to its adherence to placing the blame on the
invaders, and then trying to formulate a process of extrication which would
put all entities in this conflict face to face, to begin to finally solve
the dilemmas that exist.
If you read my plan you will see that it is guided by a reasonable
and practical compromise that could end this war and alleviate the
internecine civil violence that is confronting Iraq at this juncture in its
history.
I am making a plea for my plan to be put into action on a wide-scale.
I need you to circulate it and use all the persuasion you have to bring it
to the attention of those in power.
Just reading my plan and sending off an e-mail to me that you received
it will not be enough.

This war must end-we who oppose it can do this by using my plan.
We must fight the power and end the killing.

If you would like to view some comments and criticism about my plan
I direct you to my blog: sevenpointman

Thank you my dear friend,

Howard Roberts

A Seven-point plan for an Exit Strategy in Iraq

1) A timetable for the complete withdrawal of American and British forces
must be announced.
I envision the following procedure, but suitable fine-tuning can be
applied by all the people involved.

A) A ceasefire should be offered by the Occupying side to
representatives of the Sunni insurgency and the Shiite and Kurdish communities. These
representatives would be guaranteed safe passage, to any meetings. The
individual insurgency groups and communities would designate who would attend.
At this meeting a written document declaring a one-month ceasefire,
witnessed by a United Nations authority, will be fashioned and eventually
signed. This document will be released in full, to all Iraqi newspapers, the
foreign press, and the Internet.

( The inclusion of Kurdish communities in this sub-section was added in early September 2006-
as an attempt to define the goals of parity and fairness and to avoid any sectarian splitting
of Iraq.)

B) US and British command will make public its withdrawal, within
sixth-months of 80 % of their troops.

C) Every month, a team of United Nations observers will verify the
effectiveness of the ceasefire.
All incidences on both sides will be reported.

D) Combined representative armed forces of both the Occupying
nations and the insurgency organizations and major community factions. that agreed to the cease fire will
protect the Iraqi people from actions by terrorist cells.

E) Combined representative armed forces from both the Occupying
nations and the insurgency organizations/community factions will begin creating a new military
and police force. Those who served, without extenuating circumstances, in
the previous Iraqi military or police, will be given the first option to
serve.

F) After the second month of the ceasefire, and thereafter, in
increments of 10-20% ,a total of 80% will be withdrawn, to enclaves in Qatar
and Bahrain. The governments of these countries will work out a temporary
land-lease housing arrangement for these troops. During the time the troops
will be in these countries they will not stand down, and can be re-activated
in the theater, if the chain of the command still in Iraq, the newly
formed Iraqi military, the leaders of the insurgency/community factions, and two international
ombudsman (one from the Arab League, one from the United Nations), as a
majority, deem it necessary.

G) One-half of those troops in enclaves will leave three-months after they
arrive, for the United States or other locations, not including Iraq.

H) The other half of the troops in enclaves will leave after
six-months.

I) The remaining 20 % of the Occupying troops will, during this six
month interval, be used as peace-keepers, and will work with all the
designated organizations, to aid in reconstruction and nation-building.

J) After four months they will be moved to enclaves in the above
mentioned countries.
They will remain, still active, for two month, until their return to
the States, Britain and the other involved nations.

2) At the beginning of this period the United States will file a letter with
the Secretary General of the Security Council of the United Nations, making
null and void all written and proscribed orders by the CPA, under R. Paul
Bremer. This will be announced and duly noted.

3) At the beginning of this period all contracts signed by foreign countries
will be considered in abeyance until a system of fair bidding, by both
Iraqi and foreign countries, will be implemented ,by an interim Productivity
and Investment Board, chosen from pertinent sectors of the Iraqi economy.
Local representatives of the 18 provinces of Iraq will put this board
together, in local elections.

4) At the beginning of this period, the United Nations will declare that
Iraq is a sovereign state again, and will be forming a Union of 18
autonomous regions. Each region will, with the help of international
experts, and local bureaucrats, do a census as a first step toward the
creation of a municipal government for all 18 provinces. After the census, a
voting roll will be completed. Any group that gets a list of 15% of the
names on this census will be able to nominate a slate of representatives.
When all the parties have chosen their slates, a period of one-month will be
allowed for campaigning.
Then in a popular election the group with the most votes will represent that
province.
When the voters choose a slate, they will also be asked to choose five
individual members of any of the slates.
The individuals who have the five highest vote counts will represent a
National government.
This whole process, in every province, will be watched by international
observers as well as the local bureaucrats.

During this process of local elections, a central governing board, made up
of United Nations, election governing experts, insurgency organizations, US
and British peacekeepers, and Arab league representatives, will assume the
temporary duties of administering Baghdad, and the central duties of
governing.

When the ninety representatives are elected they will assume the legislative
duties of Iraq for two years.

Within three months the parties that have at least 15% of the
representatives will nominate candidates for President and Prime Minister.

A national wide election for these offices will be held within three months
from their nomination.

The President and the Vice President and the Prime Minister will choose
their cabinet, after the election.

5) All debts accrued by Iraq will be rescheduled to begin payment, on the
principal after one year, and on the interest after two years. If Iraq is
able to handle another loan during this period she should be given a grace
period of two years, from the taking of the loan, to comply with any
structural adjustments.

6) The United States and the United Kingdom shall pay Iraq reparations for
its invasion in the total of 120 billion dollars over a period of twenty
years for damages to its infrastructure. This money can be defrayed as
investment, if the return does not exceed 6.5 %.

7) During the interim period all those accused of crimes against the Iraqi people,
or against international law will be given access to a fair trial.
The extent of the implications of the international nature of the crime, and the
security standards which exist in Iraq will dictate the place of the trial, and its subsequent procedures.
All defendants will have the right to present any evidence they want, and to
choose freely their own lawyers.
If they are found guilty they will be given all necessary appeals provided for by the jurisdiction
of their trials, and will be sentenced in Iraq, after all these appeals are exhausted.
If they are found not guilty they will be released and given protection under international law,
with the strict adherence to these laws by the judicial organs of a sovereign Iraq.

unkanny March 19th, 2008 3:40 pm

>… guided by a reasonable

Well then it’s doomed.
America wants free shiny happy things. We want Iraq to be a democracy with us in complete control. We want to be able to stay in Iraq until the war is “over”, not simply there but anywhere. As long as we’re at war, no financial price is too great because losing war means losing everything, therefore it is worth spending everything. War is free because America defers the cost. Free shiny happy things.

No plan will make everyone happy. I’m beginning to wonder if the best plan will make everyone unhappy.

lizard March 19th, 2008 4:57 pm

Seven point man: Nice plan BUT.. how about just getting out and letting Iraqis decide what to do on their own? Don’t you get it yet? Just go home! Nobody wants us there except to help themselves to power. We are not wanted. Our ideas are not wanted. We have no business there. We should get out, apologize and pay reparations. That’s it. Keep your ideas to yourself unless you are an Iraqi! Just shut up and leave! That’s what Iraqis want, when will we respect them?

l.j. fernandez March 19th, 2008 7:02 pm

Forget it all. America will vote for the guy who is going to keep us in Iraq for one hundred years before vote for the guy whose pastor said, ‘goddamn America’. It is really just that simple. We are headed to hell in a hand basket…find an ICBM to hop on, Dr. Strangelove, cause we are headed on down.

sevenpointman March 19th, 2008 7:13 pm

sevenpointman March 19th, 2008 7:14 pm

Lizard-

I agree about what you are saying about the iraqi’s not wanting us-and I strongly defend their right to resist us. But when damage is so bad, an initial stage of rupture-without trying to correct our mistakes would jeopardize any efforts by the insurgents to form a government. Your advice about just shutting up and getting out is the essence of my plan-but as the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and it preemptive withdrawal without leaving space for the development of constituent rights for the citizens, led to a chaotic jihadist birthing period. Whatever shit we left we have to clean up-or the consequences will be worse for the Iraqi populace-especially woman.

Kernel March 20th, 2008 12:06 am

The last five years have been a great tragedy for America. There were many of us that knew the stories that took us to war were fictitious, but what chance was there to say or do anything when so many were sticking ribbons on their cars and trucks? Supporting the troops was equated with supporting the war, which was a cute idea.

We seem to have developed a country where average people do not think for themselves any more, but just follow the crowd. This makes an impossible situation for those who inform themselves as they are labeled some undesirable term and have no influence. After it is too late, many realize their mistake, but the damage is then done.

The fundamentalists can take their share of the blame also, as they were convinced our Christian President could not be wrong. How could a few people that understood the disaster we were getting into combat the religious and patriotic fever that so many fell into? As a result, we have all of the dead, injured, ruined families, and enormous debt that may be impossible to pay back.

collinsa March 20th, 2008 12:50 am

I agree with Kernel. I was reviled by my own family for being against the war at the very beginning - shouted down, run out of the house. I couldn’t seek solace in my friends or neighbors; guys in trucks gave me the finger when they saw the peace sign on my car and even some close friends looked at me curiously, “You mean, you think this war is wrong?”. When I brought the topic up at work I was viewed suspiciously - even lost two jobs because of it (I was given other excuses but it was pretty clear the other employees and management didn’t appreciate being challenged). A number of students in my political science class became hostile when I opposed the war vocally and suggested that it was about oil, not about “bringing democracy to Iraq”. I wrote letters to our local newspaper and participated in anti-war demonstrations, supported anti-war candidates - all to no avail.
We do seem to have developed into a country where “average people do not think for themselves anymore”. But it’s ironic that these very same people accuse me (and others who do think for themselves) of “being influenced by your internet, by your propaganda”. They actually view careful analysis (and passionate protest) that explicitly states it’s own position and goes against the tide, against the slick commercialized slogans….. as propaganda! Can you believe it? It’s a measure of how twisted, how distorted, things have become.
Gradually, my stance been borne out as “right”. But no one is acknowledging that. No one even talks about the war anymore. It’s as if it disappeared.
I am sickened at heart. What a dead bit of wood is “right” - that after the fact, smug acknowledgement. When will we all just do what is right???

cliokist March 20th, 2008 1:35 am

Sad and sick at heart I stood out in the rain of the Pacific Northwest today for an hour and a half with my anti-war sign. I have been doing this once a week almost every week since September of 2002, when it dawned on me that these small men would attack a country that did nothing to us. Today, the only thing I can extract from these actions given the lack anger of most Americans at being lied to and led astray is a simple public pronouncement. That is…my fellow citizens, the invasion and occupation of Iraq was not and is not done in my name. Then again, Alexander Haig said, “I don’t care how much they protest as long as they pay their taxes.”

MeAlsoToo_ARealist March 20th, 2008 6:36 am

“…that’s a three followed by 12 zeroes, that’s three million millions”

Add-in another ‘three followed by 12-zeros’ for Israel (since 1946), and half-of-that for Egypt&Pakistan, and perhaps another ‘one followed by 12-zeros’ for crap related to Iran (baksheesh, much of it, since 1953 and that other Farce in 1979 — for an ‘October&Continuing-Surprise’ and phony/new ‘enemy/threat’ to replace the USSR-with). Then, add another ‘one and one-half followed by 12-zeros’ for Reagan’s “Saving&Loan-deregulation”, and maybe another ‘four followed by 12-zeros’ for Bush-II’s “Banking&Wall-Street&Ratings-deregulation”. And, don’t forget a ‘really-big-number followed by 12-zeros’ for JDRockefeller’s “Energy&Refinement&monopoly/Privateering-deregulation/de-Nationalization” that resulted in fleets of trucks/cars/etc. using dirty-gasoline instead of cheaper/cleaner/better-LPG or non-foodstuff bio-diesels. And, ANOTHER ‘big-number followed by 12-zeros’ for big-Grid/AC power-’Utilities’ burning unregulated/dirty-Coal or dangerous-Uranium — instead of the community-based/competitive/cleaner DC-plants Tesla wanted (before he AND Diesel were murdered) prior to JDR/Westinghouse “having their way, instead”…

Wow…that’s a ‘whole-lotta-numbers&zeros’ — considering it doesn’t even address all those Numbers&Zeros that were wasted since WW-II on ‘Defense&Arms’ and HAARP and the-EPA — huh?

I wonder if all those round-the-clock printing-presses at the Fed-Reserve are worn-out, yet? [Should we ask Baron David Mayer de Rothschild, who owns many of these&similar-Presses and uranium-mines, and whose family ‘backed’ both JDR&JPMorgan — who thereafter-backed the U-of-Chicago and Greenspan/Friedman? You know, the ‘adventuresome’ and “carbon-taxing” new-world-order pal of Nobel-laureate, Gore and Rhodes-scholar, Bill? He might know, or at-least know ‘who to ask’?]

MeAlsoToo_ARealist March 20th, 2008 8:01 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_G8hkqnJBE&feature=related

“…Do not underestimate the power of an individual to inspire-change”–DMdR

[ESPECIALLY if/when born with more money than G_d…controlling (between-showers) the ‘Central/Reserve-Banks’ printing all the world’s fiat-currencies (except Cuba’s/Iran’s&Libya’s), 90% of the world’s ‘non-Reservation’ uranium-mines, the Rockefeller/Morgan/Rhodes/DeBeer-’Interests’, and having once-’donated’ one-country’s Flag and Knesset (guess ‘which’-country!)]

His family has certainly brought ‘adventure’ into this world since the Enlightenment. DON’T “underestimate” Him…(love the Baronic-hair and flouncy-shirts…are codpieces and dusted-wigs “coming-back”, also?).

abe w goodman March 20th, 2008 4:45 pm

Market value of all Iraqi Oil, estimated in 2002: 3 trillion
Value today: 12 trillion

Earl Simmins March 20th, 2008 5:40 pm

Soon we will elect McCain ( Bushes Mini-Me) he has a 100 year plan: kill enough people in lraq and spend enough money and all will be well.

Hetware March 20th, 2008 8:26 pm

Usura slayeth the child in the womb
It stayeth the young man’s courting
It hath brought palsey to bed, lyeth
between the young bride and her bridegroom

CONTRA NATURAM
They have brought whores for Eleusis
Corpses are set to banquet
at behest of usura. ~ Canto XLV - Pound

sevenpointman March 19th, 2008 12:20 pm

The plan I am sending you has been approved by many prominent thinkers and
activists in the field. Which includes: Benjamin Ferencz, Chief Prosecutor
at the Nuremburg Trials, Ken Livingstone-Mayor of London,
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit, Tom Hayden, Richard Falk, Matthew Rothschild, Anthony Arnove, Danny Schecter, Tony Benn- Former Member of the British parliament ,Reggie Rivers,Frida Berrigan,
Robert Jensen, Andrew Bard Schmookler, Burhan Al-Chalabi and others.
I formulated this plan in September 2004, based on a comprehensive
study of the issues. For my plan to be successful it must be implemented
with all seven points beginning to happen within a very short period of
time.
I have run up against a wall of doubt about my plan due to its
rational nature ,and due to its adherence to placing the blame on the
invaders, and then trying to formulate a process of extrication which would
put all entities in this conflict face to face, to begin to finally solve
the dilemmas that exist.
If you read my plan you will see that it is guided by a reasonable
and practical compromise that could end this war and alleviate the
internecine civil violence that is confronting Iraq at this juncture in its
history.
I am making a plea for my plan to be put into action on a wide-scale.
I need you to circulate it and use all the persuasion you have to bring it
to the attention of those in power.
Just reading my plan and sending off an e-mail to me that you received
it will not be enough.

This war must end-we who oppose it can do this by using my plan.
We must fight the power and end the killing.

If you would like to view some comments and criticism about my plan
I direct you to my blog: sevenpointman

Thank you my dear friend,

Howard Roberts

A Seven-point plan for an Exit Strategy in Iraq

1) A timetable for the complete withdrawal of American and British forces
must be announced.
I envision the following procedure, but suitable fine-tuning can be
applied by all the people involved.

A) A ceasefire should be offered by the Occupying side to
representatives of the Sunni insurgency and the Shiite and Kurdish communities. These
representatives would be guaranteed safe passage, to any meetings. The
individual insurgency groups and communities would designate who would attend.
At this meeting a written document declaring a one-month ceasefire,
witnessed by a United Nations authority, will be fashioned and eventually
signed. This document will be released in full, to all Iraqi newspapers, the
foreign press, and the Internet.

( The inclusion of Kurdish communities in this sub-section was added in early September 2006-
as an attempt to define the goals of parity and fairness and to avoid any sectarian splitting
of Iraq.)

B) US and British command will make public its withdrawal, within
sixth-months of 80 % of their troops.

C) Every month, a team of United Nations observers will verify the
effectiveness of the ceasefire.
All incidences on both sides will be reported.

D) Combined representative armed forces of both the Occupying
nations and the insurgency organizations and major community factions. that agreed to the cease fire will
protect the Iraqi people from actions by terrorist cells.

E) Combined representative armed forces from both the Occupying
nations and the insurgency organizations/community factions will begin creating a new military
and police force. Those who served, without extenuating circumstances, in
the previous Iraqi military or police, will be given the first option to
serve.

F) After the second month of the ceasefire, and thereafter, in
increments of 10-20% ,a total of 80% will be withdrawn, to enclaves in Qatar
and Bahrain. The governments of these countries will work out a temporary
land-lease housing arrangement for these troops. During the time the troops
will be in these countries they will not stand down, and can be re-activated
in the theater, if the chain of the command still in Iraq, the newly
formed Iraqi military, the leaders of the insurgency/community factions, and two international
ombudsman (one from the Arab League, one from the United Nations), as a
majority, deem it necessary.

G) One-half of those troops in enclaves will leave three-months after they
arrive, for the United States or other locations, not including Iraq.

H) The other half of the troops in enclaves will leave after
six-months.

I) The remaining 20 % of the Occupying troops will, during this six
month interval, be used as peace-keepers, and will work with all the
designated organizations, to aid in reconstruction and nation-building.

J) After four months they will be moved to enclaves in the above
mentioned countries.
They will remain, still active, for two month, until their return to
the States, Britain and the other involved nations.

2) At the beginning of this period the United States will file a letter with
the Secretary General of the Security Council of the United Nations, making
null and void all written and proscribed orders by the CPA, under R. Paul
Bremer. This will be announced and duly noted.

3) At the beginning of this period all contracts signed by foreign countries
will be considered in abeyance until a system of fair bidding, by both
Iraqi and foreign countries, will be implemented ,by an interim Productivity
and Investment Board, chosen from pertinent sectors of the Iraqi economy.
Local representatives of the 18 provinces of Iraq will put this board
together, in local elections.

4) At the beginning of this period, the United Nations will declare that
Iraq is a sovereign state again, and will be forming a Union of 18
autonomous regions. Each region will, with the help of international
experts, and local bureaucrats, do a census as a first step toward the
creation of a municipal government for all 18 provinces. After the census, a
voting roll will be completed. Any group that gets a list of 15% of the
names on this census will be able to nominate a slate of representatives.
When all the parties have chosen their slates, a period of one-month will be
allowed for campaigning.
Then in a popular election the group with the most votes will represent that
province.
When the voters choose a slate, they will also be asked to choose five
individual members of any of the slates.
The individuals who have the five highest vote counts will represent a
National government.
This whole process, in every province, will be watched by international
observers as well as the local bureaucrats.

During this process of local elections, a central governing board, made up
of United Nations, election governing experts, insurgency organizations, US
and British peacekeepers, and Arab league representatives, will assume the
temporary duties of administering Baghdad, and the central duties of
governing.

When the ninety representatives are elected they will assume the legislative
duties of Iraq for two years.

Within three months the parties that have at least 15% of the
representatives will nominate candidates for President and Prime Minister.

A national wide election for these offices will be held within three months
from their nomination.

The President and the Vice President and the Prime Minister will choose
their cabinet, after the election.

5) All debts accrued by Iraq will be rescheduled to begin payment, on the
principal after one year, and on the interest after two years. If Iraq is
able to handle another loan during this period she should be given a grace
period of two years, from the taking of the loan, to comply with any
structural adjustments.

6) The United States and the United Kingdom shall pay Iraq reparations for
its invasion in the total of 120 billion dollars over a period of twenty
years for damages to its infrastructure. This money can be defrayed as
investment, if the return does not exceed 6.5 %.

7) During the interim period all those accused of crimes against the Iraqi people,
or against international law will be given access to a fair trial.
The extent of the implications of the international nature of the crime, and the
security standards which exist in Iraq will dictate the place of the trial, and its subsequent procedures.
All defendants will have the right to present any evidence they want, and to
choose freely their own lawyers.
If they are found guilty they will be given all necessary appeals provided for by the jurisdiction
of their trials, and will be sentenced in Iraq, after all these appeals are exhausted.
If they are found not guilty they will be released and given protection under international law,
with the strict adherence to these laws by the judicial organs of a sovereign Iraq.
unkanny March 19th, 2008 3:40 pm

>… guided by a reasonable

Well then it’s doomed.
America wants free shiny happy things. We want Iraq to be a democracy with us in complete control. We want to be able to stay in Iraq until the war is “over”, not simply there but anywhere. As long as we’re at war, no financial price is too great because losing war means losing everything, therefore it is worth spending everything. War is free because America defers the cost. Free shiny happy things.

No plan will make everyone happy. I’m beginning to wonder if the best plan will make everyone unhappy.
lizard March 19th, 2008 4:57 pm

Seven point man: Nice plan BUT.. how about just getting out and letting Iraqis decide what to do on their own? Don’t you get it yet? Just go home! Nobody wants us there except to help themselves to power. We are not wanted. Our ideas are not wanted. We have no business there. We should get out, apologize and pay reparations. That’s it. Keep your ideas to yourself unless you are an Iraqi! Just shut up and leave! That’s what Iraqis want, when will we respect them?
l.j. fernandez March 19th, 2008 7:02 pm

Forget it all. America will vote for the guy who is going to keep us in Iraq for one hundred years before vote for the guy whose pastor said, ‘goddamn America’. It is really just that simple. We are headed to hell in a hand basket…find an ICBM to hop on, Dr. Strangelove, cause we are headed on down.
sevenpointman March 19th, 2008 7:13 pm
sevenpointman March 19th, 2008 7:14 pm

Lizard-

I agree about what you are saying about the iraqi’s not wanting us-and I strongly defend their right to resist us. But when damage is so bad, an initial stage of rupture-without trying to correct our mistakes would jeopardize any efforts by the insurgents to form a government. Your advice about just shutting up and getting out is the essence of my plan-but as the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and it preemptive withdrawal without leaving space for the development of constituent rights for the citizens, led to a chaotic jihadist birthing period. Whatever shit we left we have to clean up-or the consequences will be worse for the Iraqi populace-especially woman.
Kernel March 20th, 2008 12:06 am

The last five years have been a great tragedy for America. There were many of us that knew the stories that took us to war were fictitious, but what chance was there to say or do anything when so many were sticking ribbons on their cars and trucks? Supporting the troops was equated with supporting the war, which was a cute idea.

We seem to have developed a country where average people do not think for themselves any more, but just follow the crowd. This makes an impossible situation for those who inform themselves as they are labeled some undesirable term and have no influence. After it is too late, many realize their mistake, but the damage is then done.

The fundamentalists can take their share of the blame also, as they were convinced our Christian President could not be wrong. How could a few people that understood the disaster we were getting into combat the religious and patriotic fever that so many fell into? As a result, we have all of the dead, injured, ruined families, and enormous debt that may be impossible to pay back.
collinsa March 20th, 2008 12:50 am

I agree with Kernel. I was reviled by my own family for being against the war at the very beginning - shouted down, run out of the house. I couldn’t seek solace in my friends or neighbors; guys in trucks gave me the finger when they saw the peace sign on my car and even some close friends looked at me curiously, “You mean, you think this war is wrong?”. When I brought the topic up at work I was viewed suspiciously - even lost two jobs because of it (I was given other excuses but it was pretty clear the other employees and management didn’t appreciate being challenged). A number of students in my political science class became hostile when I opposed the war vocally and suggested that it was about oil, not about “bringing democracy to Iraq”. I wrote letters to our local newspaper and participated in anti-war demonstrations, supported anti-war candidates - all to no avail.
We do seem to have developed into a country where “average people do not think for themselves anymore”. But it’s ironic that these very same people accuse me (and others who do think for themselves) of “being influenced by your internet, by your propaganda”. They actually view careful analysis (and passionate protest) that explicitly states it’s own position and goes against the tide, against the slick commercialized slogans….. as propaganda! Can you believe it? It’s a measure of how twisted, how distorted, things have become.
Gradually, my stance been borne out as “right”. But no one is acknowledging that. No one even talks about the war anymore. It’s as if it disappeared.
I am sickened at heart. What a dead bit of wood is “right” - that after the fact, smug acknowledgement. When will we all just do what is right???
cliokist March 20th, 2008 1:35 am

Sad and sick at heart I stood out in the rain of the Pacific Northwest today for an hour and a half with my anti-war sign. I have been doing this once a week almost every week since September of 2002, when it dawned on me that these small men would attack a country that did nothing to us. Today, the only thing I can extract from these actions given the lack anger of most Americans at being lied to and led astray is a simple public pronouncement. That is…my fellow citizens, the invasion and occupation of Iraq was not and is not done in my name. Then again, Alexander Haig said, “I don’t care how much they protest as long as they pay their taxes.”
MeAlsoToo_ARealist March 20th, 2008 6:36 am

“…that’s a three followed by 12 zeroes, that’s three million millions”

Add-in another ‘three followed by 12-zeros’ for Israel (since 1946), and half-of-that for Egypt&Pakistan, and perhaps another ‘one followed by 12-zeros’ for crap related to Iran (baksheesh, much of it, since 1953 and that other Farce in 1979 — for an ‘October&Continuing-Surprise’ and phony/new ‘enemy/threat’ to replace the USSR-with). Then, add another ‘one and one-half followed by 12-zeros’ for Reagan’s “Saving&Loan-deregulation”, and maybe another ‘four followed by 12-zeros’ for Bush-II’s “Banking&Wall-Street&Ratings-deregulation”. And, don’t forget a ‘really-big-number followed by 12-zeros’ for JDRockefeller’s “Energy&Refinement&monopoly/Privateering-deregulation/de-Nationalization” that resulted in fleets of trucks/cars/etc. using dirty-gasoline instead of cheaper/cleaner/better-LPG or non-foodstuff bio-diesels. And, ANOTHER ‘big-number followed by 12-zeros’ for big-Grid/AC power-’Utilities’ burning unregulated/dirty-Coal or dangerous-Uranium — instead of the community-based/competitive/cleaner DC-plants Tesla wanted (before he AND Diesel were murdered) prior to JDR/Westinghouse “having their way, instead”…

Wow…that’s a ‘whole-lotta-numbers&zeros’ — considering it doesn’t even address all those Numbers&Zeros that were wasted since WW-II on ‘Defense&Arms’ and HAARP and the-EPA — huh?

I wonder if all those round-the-clock printing-presses at the Fed-Reserve are worn-out, yet? [Should we ask Baron David Mayer de Rothschild, who owns many of these&similar-Presses and uranium-mines, and whose family ‘backed’ both JDR&JPMorgan — who thereafter-backed the U-of-Chicago and Greenspan/Friedman? You know, the ‘adventuresome’ and “carbon-taxing” new-world-order pal of Nobel-laureate, Gore and Rhodes-scholar, Bill? He might know, or at-least know ‘who to ask’?]
MeAlsoToo_ARealist March 20th, 2008 8:01 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_G8hkqnJBE&feature=related

“…Do not underestimate the power of an individual to inspire-change”–DMdR

[ESPECIALLY if/when born with more money than G_d…controlling (between-showers) the ‘Central/Reserve-Banks’ printing all the world’s fiat-currencies (except Cuba’s/Iran’s&Libya’s), 90% of the world’s ‘non-Reservation’ uranium-mines, the Rockefeller/Morgan/Rhodes/DeBeer-’Interests’, and having once-’donated’ one-country’s Flag and Knesset (guess ‘which’-country!)]

His family has certainly brought ‘adventure’ into this world since the Enlightenment. DON’T “underestimate” Him…(love the Baronic-hair and flouncy-shirts…are codpieces and dusted-wigs “coming-back”, also?).
abe w goodman March 20th, 2008 4:45 pm

Market value of all Iraqi Oil, estimated in 2002: 3 trillion
Value today: 12 trillion
Earl Simmins March 20th, 2008 5:40 pm

Soon we will elect McCain ( Bushes Mini-Me) he has a 100 year plan: kill enough people in lraq and spend enough money and all will be well.
Hetware March 20th, 2008 8:26 pm

Usura slayeth the child in the womb
It stayeth the young man’s courting
It hath brought palsey to bed, lyeth
between the young bride and her bridegroom

CONTRA NATURAM
They have brought whores for Eleusis
Corpses are set to banquet
at behest of usura. ~ Canto XLV - Pound

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