The Beginning of the End of the 'War on Terror'
November 26th 2007 17:23
They were all 'incumbent' but now they drop like flies and history will remember them as 'incompetent'. Undoubtedly the re-election of John Howard, George Bush, Jarosław Kaczyński amongst many others can now, without question, be viewed as mistakes made by voter.
Right wingers claim the world has gone soft, that voters no longer have the bravery of continuing the war in Iraq and fighting terrorism. Others say that voters are tired of the war, they're tired of the mess caused by their own poor choices in past elections.
There is no escaping it, every American will suffer for the dealings of their president long after the inevitable election of a more restrained leader. Other allies in the ex-Coalition of the Willing will suffer less mostly due to their lesser contribution to the war. The United States being the driving force shows in splendid detail how costly war is for both the economy and national pride. Every other country that joined with the United States has suffered the same symptoms but to a lesser extent.
The war is all but over, those advocating it are being silenced, any claims the war mongers are making even if through the most popular of media outlets are falling on deaf ears. When George Bush declared he was 'the decider' and John Howard boasted that even if the majority of Australians did not want to go to war he would take the country to war we could see the beginning of the end. Their own arrogance proved to be their ultimate downfall, the anger it caused, the negative sentiment it created will soon be forgotten though the effects long felt.
Now as George Bush looks at his 'Coalition of the Willing' he undoubtedly sees bruised and battered friends who are no longer willing or are now unable to be a part of his war. The war that will be remembered as the greatest blunder of the 'free world' since Vietnam was not even a blunder. It was a carefully planned stage play to profit individuals. War brings money to the rich, during World War 2 many millionaires were made and no doubt during this war many billionaires have been made.
Those of us who aren't millionaires, who never had a financial interest in the war will suffer for the mistakes we or other people made on our behalf. Yet we will forget, and soon we will end up right here, we will based on emotion start another war devoid of reason and merit and end with creating more problems than we actually solve.
For now however we can rejoice in our small victory, the war is over, whether we see it or not, the coalition of the willing no longer exists, President Bush has set records with his low approval rating, all his allies are either changing course or being voted out of power. There is no longer a coalition of the willing, there is no longer support for this war. The checkmate against the war mongers is ready to be made and will be made come the 2008 US presidential elections. The war on terror will meet its unceremonious end soon, until then all we can do is wait.
Right wingers claim the world has gone soft, that voters no longer have the bravery of continuing the war in Iraq and fighting terrorism. Others say that voters are tired of the war, they're tired of the mess caused by their own poor choices in past elections.
There is no escaping it, every American will suffer for the dealings of their president long after the inevitable election of a more restrained leader. Other allies in the ex-Coalition of the Willing will suffer less mostly due to their lesser contribution to the war. The United States being the driving force shows in splendid detail how costly war is for both the economy and national pride. Every other country that joined with the United States has suffered the same symptoms but to a lesser extent.
The war is all but over, those advocating it are being silenced, any claims the war mongers are making even if through the most popular of media outlets are falling on deaf ears. When George Bush declared he was 'the decider' and John Howard boasted that even if the majority of Australians did not want to go to war he would take the country to war we could see the beginning of the end. Their own arrogance proved to be their ultimate downfall, the anger it caused, the negative sentiment it created will soon be forgotten though the effects long felt.
Now as George Bush looks at his 'Coalition of the Willing' he undoubtedly sees bruised and battered friends who are no longer willing or are now unable to be a part of his war. The war that will be remembered as the greatest blunder of the 'free world' since Vietnam was not even a blunder. It was a carefully planned stage play to profit individuals. War brings money to the rich, during World War 2 many millionaires were made and no doubt during this war many billionaires have been made.
Those of us who aren't millionaires, who never had a financial interest in the war will suffer for the mistakes we or other people made on our behalf. Yet we will forget, and soon we will end up right here, we will based on emotion start another war devoid of reason and merit and end with creating more problems than we actually solve.
For now however we can rejoice in our small victory, the war is over, whether we see it or not, the coalition of the willing no longer exists, President Bush has set records with his low approval rating, all his allies are either changing course or being voted out of power. There is no longer a coalition of the willing, there is no longer support for this war. The checkmate against the war mongers is ready to be made and will be made come the 2008 US presidential elections. The war on terror will meet its unceremonious end soon, until then all we can do is wait.
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Comment by tapsearcher
Please note the New World Order is it the New World Disorder? - at Bizarre Politics Com
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Comment by Lester Caudill
Round Politics
You forget what got us to the war on terror, it was the do nothing policies of Bill Clinton.
But let us not forget that most of the democrats supported the war and voted for it, you can't just blame George Bush and the rest of the right wingers.
Just remember when you are pointing your finger at someone, three are pointing back at you.
Comment by Damo
Sometime you write crap and sometime you write terrific stuff. (I am a harsh critic, I know)
However this is terrific.
War on terror is an oxymoron because you cannot kill terrorism with a bullet or a bomb. This is the basics that GWB ignored and we are worse off today than ever. The worst possible way to handle the post 9-11 crisis was stike out and try to terrify the enemy. That is precisely what GWB did.
Lester
You seem to have very strong views about terrorism but can I ask you if you have ever been to country that gripped with terrorism? I just wanted know if you have had any actual first hand knowledge of such situation or are you talking theorietically.
Comment by Ahmed
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PolyKicks
Lester, according to the 9/11 comission report the principle inspiration behind the 9/11 attack which as I'm sure we can both agree started the war was 'blow back'. What caused it? Americas occupation of foreign lands, in particular Saudi Arabia and its manipulation of politics in the middle east. Osama Bin Laden hates the Saudi Monarchy perhaps even more than the United Staets because he views it as an example Americas dominance of the middle east. There is no specific government or person you can blame for it, do so is to welcome another such attack for the very same reasons then blindly blame whoever you want just to feel better.
You have to suck it up, accept the painful fact, and try not to blame it on any individual. The cause has been found and it is very inconvenient in nature, nobody wants to swallow it but it's the truth. Take the bitter medicine now and get it over with.
Damo, sometimes I feel inspired and sometimes I'm just lazy and want to piss people off
Comment by Lester Caudill
Round Politics
I feel going into Iraq was not a good Idea, but going into Afghanistan I feel was the only way to respond to the 9/11 attacks, and that's where we should have stayed and focused our efforts.
I believe George Bush handled the attacks as good as any President could have, and his ratings at that time showed it.
Yes Damo 9/11 has affected many Americans more than the other attacks she suffered, because of the horrific acts we saw repeatedly over and over again.
Hey Ahmed, I know our foreign policies leaves something to be desired from both political parties. Bill Clinton was in office eight years before Bush took office, so the attacks must be in response to his foreign policies or lack of them. Still that does not give anyone a right to kill close to 3000 innocent civilians.
I don't think blaming America for the 9/11 attacks will go to good here in America, and I wish that the Dems will make that mistake.
What we all forget is that if we are not supporting the terrorist, we are against them, and giving syphany to them just makes us look like we are on the side of terrorist.
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
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PolyKicks
There is no sympathy for terrorists, killing innocent people is never justified, it is above and beyond any reason you can throw at it. However what happened, happened for a reason and that reason was blow back.
These terrorists are just the more extreme response, what needs to be understood is what caused their existence. But that isn't dignifying their existence but rather helping us understand their motives and acting in such a way that will rpevent such people form being made in the future.
Unfortunately the real lesson, that is one of non-intervenionism has not been learned and even today the Bush Administration is busily away trying to figure out a way to invade Iran.
Comment by Lester Caudill
Round Politics
It is true that the US has made big mistakes in the middle east, but the greatest reason the terrorist hate us is because of our continued support of Israel.
The United States should stop all aid to the middle east, and stop interfering with any of the Arab countries just let them alone to do to each other what they will.
But as long as the world is dependent on oil there will be troubles. Fix the energy problems and be less dependent on foreign oil, and we have no interest at all in the middle east except for Israel.
Comment by Damo
You were talking theoretically.
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
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What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
Lester--we could all be driving air cars by next week and I guarantee you we're still going to have a big problem with the Middle East. The establishment of Israel in 1947 by U.N. vote was/is a big thorn in the sides of Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and a whole host of factions from all over.
That particular hornet's nest has been going on since biblical days, and I for one wish to hell the U.S. and U.N. had never become involved in the whole mess.
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
Comment by Ahmed
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Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Ultimately a butt out approach may be just the thing recquired to end the problems, but it isn't in the Israeli lobby or the United States bestinterestes to have peace.
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
The fighting for that bit of ground has been going on since biblical times. Pretty much nonstop, too. Many different people consider that theirrightful land and they just can't seem to stop fighting over it.
Israel was designated as such after WWII by mutual agreement of participating countries in the U.N., and the transition to the state of Israel was made by Great Britain, who had formerly held governorship by mandate of the League of Nations over that hot piece of real estate since 1923.
Since 1927 and especially after the Holocaust, Zionist groups and Jews persecuted by Hitler's regime wanted a homeland again. Can't blame them for that. They had once had a Hebrew kingdom in Palestine (called Canaan) until eventually driven out by attacks from :Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, and Alexander the Great of Macedonia. That time frame of attacks and violence stretched from 1000 B.C. to A.D. 135.
It was suggested by the U.N. and other peace-oriented factions several times over the years that Palestine be partitioned into an Arab and a Jewish sector; the Arabs said no dice. After all, Muslim Arabs had managed to wrest Palestine from the Byzantine empire in 640 A.D. (still lots of bloodshed going on here) and rule it till the Brits beat the Turks there in 1923 (WWI). Quite a long time --long enough to feel that they also had a claim to Palestine.
And therein lays the crux of the matter. Not one but threemajor religious groups (Muslims, Jews and Christians) consider Palestine to be their holy land, and nobody wants to share. That has always gone on and it always will till the end of mankind.
I don't think the U.N. knew what it was getting into. The original idea to partition Palestine (not all of it-just part of it) to the Jews came from international sympathy for what the Jews had suffered after Hitler's mass genocide, and to give the refugees a home of their own. Not that simple though!!
The day after the state of Israel was claimed (and sanctioned by the new major power, the U.S., in hopes of everyone being happy with dividing it up) Arab forces from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded the new nation. The new nation retaliated by increasing their original share of territory by 50%, attacking and taking Galilee. Their "We're not giving it back, either" attitude pissed the Arabs off even more and chagrined the hell out of the U.N. and the U.S.
And on and on it goes.
As for your rather jaded view that it isn't in the best interests of the U.S. to have peace in Palestine, I think you've forgotten how many times the U.S. has withdrawn or threatened withdrawal of support for Israel over the period of many many bloody years. Not to mention trying over and over and over again to get the Arabs and the Jews to negotiate an agreement.
Both Arabs and Israelis are to blame for the neverending bloodshed over there. Don't even try to pin any of that stupidity on the U.S.
If the U.S. withdrew tomorrow, the Arabs and the Jews would keep right on killing each other, just as they have for hundreds of years. You'd think the U.S would have learned by now that there is no amount of negotiating, reasoning, or threats that can stop it.
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
If the US did butt out completely Israel would be left out in the cold and would eventually crumble, without a doubt it will either be economical or military since it has been using the aid it has been recieving from the US as a drip feed to grow its economy, in a way the aid it recieves is a lifeline.
The US will never withdraw support to Israel, and of course it isn't in its best interests to have a peaceful Israel. Israel is a proxy-base for the US and even if it wasn't the Israeli Lobby itself is a powerful force in the US political system.
YOu cannot give billions a year to a country which is developing nuclear weapons and buying military equipment and then say 'we have nothing to do with the hostilities, look, they've been ifghting for so long'. The US is contributing to the tensions simply be involving, you cannot sugarcoat that fact no matter which angle you try to look at it from.