Fade to Black

It strikes me that people in the Media, and Presidential Campaigns say how “complicated” the situation is in Iraq.  Perhaps this is because they believe the American people are so stupid that they cannot handle plot lines that are more complicated than Heroes, but then the ratings for that craptastic show are better than voter turnout now isn’t it?

The best way to understand Iraq is to understand the motives of the players involved.  Then we can formulate a plan to either fix the problems, or get the hell out of there and let countries deal with their own problems, its not like the oil prices will go down no matter what we do - and the oil profits seem to be rising as well guess they need more subsidies.

What follows are the motivations behind where we are now-

The United States - the Prime motivation for invading Iraq was to get George W. Bush a second term as President of the United States.  American’s are very hesitant to switch horses mid stream in a war no matter how how poorly things are going initially.  Reference Abe Lincoln and FDR, even LBJ perhaps would have received a new term, but decided not to run.

The secondary motivation was for the US to look tough.  The terrorist attacks shocked and were a decidedly large PR hit to the vulnerability to the lone Hegemon -Greek word meaning ultimate badass- on the globe.  Knocking out Afghanistan wasn’t all that impressive cause nobody knew where it was.  Even knowing that the Soviet Union couldn’t do what we did was no longer impressive because as it turns out nobody is impressed with what a dead empire did 30 years ago.

The last motivation was to make all the Arabs play nice and bring peace to an are of the world that has either been at war with itself, or war with the outside world, since God kicked Adam out of the garden of Eden.  Then it turned out that not all Arabs are the same and there are different dialects, ethnicities, religions, and we have a huge pile of mess with burning oil on the side.  The goal then became to stabilize it enough to go after Iran.

Great Britain-  Great Britai’s motivations fall squarely on the shoulders of one Tony Blair.  Prime Minister Blair has at his core the fundamental belief that International Organizations such as NATO, and the UN, can only be effective as organizations if they carry the credibility of force should mandates not be followed.  This point can be directly seen as to the British forces involvement in the military strikes against Serbia during the Clinton Administration.

US forces, namely politicians, were not interested in the least of having another Somalia situation where the death of 29 soldiers by combat related incidents caused huge uproars and demands that our forces be pulled - ironic now that in Iraq that total has topped 4,000- and the Republican Party criticized our forces even being present in Serbia because -meddling in other countries affairs is not the role of the United States- As such US forces were relegated to backup positions and air support.

It was the British forces that took the responsibility to carry out front line  operations and suffer the casualties that were inevitable.  So that the teeth of NATO could be seen in order to strengthen the resolve of the newly formed Countries caused by the fall of the Soviet Union.

Iraq -  The motivations that got Iraq invaded was Saddam Hussein making the right decisions, but at the wrong time.  Invading Kuwait was the correct decision, given the circumstances presented at the time.  The current President of the United States was the Vice President to Ronald Reagan- who had given aid to Iraq in its war with Iran due to the hostage situation that embarrassed the United States.  The same Ronald Reagan who was President when a terrorist organization in Lebanan- Hezbollah - attacked a Marine Barracks killing 241 American Service Men- and responded with complete withdrawal.  Ronald Reagan the Cold Warrior - became a cut and runner.

We must also place into context  that Kuwait was one of the only Arabic states who was pro-Soviet Union rather than pro-America during the Cold War.  Thus, one would assume that the United States would not be terribly beholden to keep said country form being invaded.  Combined with the US Ambassador April Glaspie, who told Saddam in a conversation, “We have no opinion in Arab-Arab conflicts”and “the Kuwait issue is not associated with America” -both of which come from transcripts published by the New York Times September 23rd 1990 issue-

This was an almost clear green light, and the tanks rolled and the world was shocked.  Saddam got his tail whipped, but still clung to power through intimidation of force and WMD.  That was his only card in keeping power in an area where assassinations, and coups are not all uncommon.  But Republicans who wanted to conquer the land of Babylon, Cheney, Rumsfield, Wolfowitz- were determined to finish what they started.

Iran -  Iran’s motivations are actually quite simple.  They are the third Axis of Evil, and they have on either side of their border a country that was invaded and still holds large numbers of US military personnel.  Having the possession of neither Chemical, Biological, or Nuclear weapons that would deter a US invasion, it is in their best interest to keep Iraq an utter disaster to literally keep the US occupied and unable to advance on Iranian soil.

The trick is that it would be devastating to Iran should Iraq fall apart for a variety of reasons.  The first of which is, nobody likes large number of immigrants and a dissolved Iraq would bring thousands to the door step of Tehran.  Second, Iran has a large Kurdish population that borders Iraq’s own Kurd population and would be deeply concerned the two would attempt a merger, and that would be unacceptable.  The third reason is that since the Iranian Revolution, the Mullahs have seen Iraq as the Gateway to export their Islamic Republic system throughout the Middle East, for it to disintegrate would be a fundamental blow for that goal.

Saudi Arabia - As the self seen leader of the Middle East because of the possession of the 2nd and 3rd most holy cities in all of Islam - Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia seeks to be the champion of the Sunni Islam.  They also realize that with the Saudi family’s close relationship with the United States, they would be a prime target for the Export of an Islamic Republic form of government should Iraq fall.  Thus to keep that from happening they too try to keep the flames of unrest burning, while not seeking to break the balance of power so the country dissolves.  This turns Iraq into a proxy war in much the same way Africa and Asia was between the United States and the Soviet Union during the cold war.

Shia-  the European way of doing things was to put the minority population in charge of the majority through the giving of advanced weaponry money and placing certain rules on who can and cannot do something.  Apartheid was an extreme form of this legacy and was why the Sunni population was in control in Iraq.  The problem becomes that when you have no job, responsibility, money- the only thing to do is have babies, and then that majority becomes a lot bigger, and a lot more bitter.

Fast forward through the brutal nature that Saddam held onto power with, and you have a population itching to get some level of payback for all the past humiliation and the like.  It would be like giving Reverend Jeremiah Wright and a bunch of his friends truck loads of guns and saying, “work out your aggression now”.  They now want a piece of the pie and want to make up for the years of being ostracized and give the Sunni a taste of their own medicine.

Sunni -  Having just read that, the Sunni want to keep from being subjected to the same level of degradation they heaped on the Shia counterparts.  They don’t have the numbers to outright win a civil war, but do have the level of sophistication to make it very bloody and drawn out, almost to make the Shia believe they could win.  Power is a wonderful thing, and the Sunni have been at the front of the line gulping it down for a while, so they of course want to hold on to at least enough to make sure they still get a large oil money check.

Kurds - The Kurds want what it seems every ethnic group wants these days, to be an independent country.  The problem they face however is that such a country is not always viable, they were conquered at some point for a reason after all, and will need the assurances of the United States protection to even have a chance.  Having a longstanding terrorist group dedicated to unifying land that currently belongs to Turkey, doesn’t aid their cause.  So they seek to be the good soldiers waiting patiently and helping when they can to show they had intentions of making it work, and thus deserve a legitimate shot of independence.

Turkey - Once known as the Ottoman Empire that controlled all of the Middle East and was a rival to the great Empires of Europe, Turkey has drawn a line in the sand that no more territory will be stripped from their control.  This makes the statement Iraqi Kurds have said they are a part of “Southern Kurdistan” raised the question of where they think northern Kurdistan would be since that territory is Turkish.  Thus they are adamant that the Kurds remain a part of Iraq, as well as attempting to quell their own Kurdish independence problem.

There you go, the motivations and characters involved in Iraq.  I tried to use small words that even our President could use, so I will now…Fade to Black

Were I to be President…

My fellow Americans, I would ask that you permit me to speak plainly this evening, for the troubled times we find ourselves leaves no room for heavy handed rhetoric that is all too often used to divide us, rather than unite us.

I would speak to you about the America that I see, not through the clouded vision of a lover, who sees no imperfections in the object of his affection, but rather through the eyes of a true Patriot, who sees the imperfections and the shortcomings, but knows they can do better.

I would speak of an America where one is still judged by the color of their skin, only instead of being able to slur with words, and to discriminate openly, we do so with shotty educational systems, unfair banking practices, and through mixed messages in popular culture.

I would speak to you of an America, where the independent spirit, and the idea of absolute justice have been corrupted to be glorified violence for minds who have been warped due to social isolation, and constant belittlement.  Instead of focusing on the root cause that is making young Americans turn to mass gun violence, we blame unrelated issues in pop culture, to make it easier to ignore our own accountability.

I would speak to you of an America that is held in such low esteem around the world, that our credibility is so degraded, that even long time allies balk when we speak in terms of absolutes.  This causes our enemies to become emboldened, for we may not be everywhere at once, and need the help of others, to ensure our safety as well as others.

I would tell you those are the things I see when I look at America.  And yet, at the same time I see what, if given the opportunity and honor of the Oval Office, the very great potential to make things better.

For I see the desire to be fair, the adherence to the spirit of justice, and the never empty reservoir of hope that exists in every American.  For it is embedded within us, to not accept things as they are to to always push forward toward the next goal.  The unquenchable thirst for knowledge and peace, that binds each of us no-matter our race, creed, or political party.

It was that drive that compelled our forefathers to fight for an idea that to this day, is so fleeting, that we must ever be vigilant in its defense.   That freedom is a human right, granted not by the government to the people, but by the people and protected by their government.

It was this notion of equality and human dignity, that the civil rights process was begun by President Lincoln, articulated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and the responsibility of all of us here today to keep striving for the ideal.  For how are we to be the beacon of hope to the world, if we ourselves do not hold ourselves to a higher standard.

For that is what it truly means to be an American.  Unwilling to settle for second best, to always push and strive to be the best, not out of a sense of arrogance, but because the value of future achievement is greater than the value of past achievement.  Staying on the cutting edge of technology has been ever present in our history, from expansion to the pacific to landing on the moon.

Not accepting that because it “hasn’t been done before, then it cannot happen now” is what drives ingenuity.  It is for that reason that we must come together and truly be united against the threat we face, which is not limited to a small percentage of men who have corrupted religious tenants in order to obtain their own selfish goals.

The threat we face come from those who would argue that freedom, free thought without the fear of repercussions, is not an inalienable right, but something that must be negotiated for.  That political freedom and safety are incongruent with one another, and one must choose between them.

This is an argument put forth not only within the bounds of our own borders, but the global community as well.   With our world being smaller and more interconnected the spread of such false ideologies is a certain possibility.  Unless that we fulfill that potential that is the United States of America, that we assume the role we were destined to have as the New World, and the Land of Opportunity.

To change the old thought that might makes right and to truly develop the new world order, that it is indeed right that makes might.  That would be the America I would wish to see, Were I To Be President…

Don’t Cry for Me America

Well the Presidential race is now over, and I have to say too bad for Mrs. Clinton. You had a very good run, and a lot of people were pulling for you. But we just can’t elect you. Not because of your policies that seem to be well thought out, which is refreshing considering the last 7 years, and seem to be the most plausible to provide success for our country.

The problem isn’t that she is a woman, though I am sure that this topic will either be debated or joked about. Certainly not by someone as intellectually compassionate such as myself mind you, but by those of a lesser understanding of people’s sensitivities, like Kansas. They don’t believe in fancy edumacated words like evolution, technology, or book learn’n, so I can mock them.

Hillary’s Problem isn’t that she is up against a universally beloved figure. Quite the opposite in fact. The best the Republican Party can muster is a candidate whose slogan is “I was Mayor During 9-11 vote for me”. It is also disheartening that the Grand Old Party is so starved for a Reaganesque candidate that they are poaching other B-grade actors who have a “homegrown” accent which is why they are entertaining the idea of Thompson as a legitimate candidate.

The problem isn’t even that she is married to a former President. Though I do feel sorry for what ever guy accepts the Vice Presidential position. Cause man is he ever not going to have his opinion count for anything, oh that’s the way it has always been? Cheney is an aberration? So a VP is supposed to be behind the scenes and unimportant, not the one running the show? Well, moving right along then.

The problem isn’t even that Hillary has the appearance of a lack of personality. With the constant media attention and people like me throwing pot shots whenever we can, of course their is going to be a side affect of people not opening themselves up to criticism by making a joke or two. Politics is what we make of it, and Hillary has sacrificed the freedom to make a mistake every now and then in order to try and make our country a better place. Most people in the public forum have decided to accept that trade-off, except those who are so uncompromising no matter the circumstances they find themselves in, *Cough* Pelosi and the Armenian Genocide Vote *Cough*

The problem lady and gentleman reading this column, is that all the issues listed above could have been overcome, if it were not the fact that Argentina just elected Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner as their President. Why is this a problem you ask? Because President-Elect Kirchner is the husband of now former President Nestor Kirchner. If there is one thing that I know, is that Kentucky is a horrible place. While the second thing that I know is that the United States does not look to Argentina as a guiding light for sound election decisions.

So I say again to Senator Clinton, I apologize for the lousy timing of your campaign.  I apologize for all the debates that have been so brutally uninformative.  I apologize for you having to deal with Kucinich for as long as you had to.  But look at the bright side, FOX NEWS won’t have the ability to slander, I mean make liable statement, I mean report on you as often.  So get the band warmed up, spruce up a balcony scene with some nice lighting, and to cue Hilary to sing, “Don’t Cry For Me America”.