Done but Not Yet Over With

04/26/2007

Paul Munnis


Votes against further funding of the War in Iraq have been cast, a presidential veto is imminent and it is expected that Congress will have its way and soon bring this war to an end in Iraq.

General Petraeus has spoken to Congress. He has testified that there is some progress, some failure, and that it will take years to win the war in Iraq. Years that we cannot afford to keep funding and sacrificing our children for.

Congress has decided to cut our losses and to bring our troops home.

We say that the war was an awful tragedy because 3,335 American soldiers have been killed, and 24,764 American soldiers have been injured and maimed in this war.

The War in Iraq has also killed many more Iraqi’s than Saddam Hussein did (62,000 – 68,000 estimated), plus there are 4 million refugees in Iraq, and millions more have fled Iraq. Mr. Bush continues to try to justify his actions as positive because Saddam Hussein is now dead and gone. So are many others who were innocents.

Mr. Bush has left Iraq without a viable government, has left millions without safety and security, and he has left America as a divided nation while alienating the rest of the world from America. As a result Mr. Bush's resignation may soon follow.

Also tragic is what this war has prevented the U.S. from doing. We were not able to intervene to help the many who have died in Darfur. We have not been able to stop the slaughter in Somalia. We were not a presence in other hot spots where people have died because nobody was there to help. Like it or not the U.S. was a factor for world peace until Mr. Bush invaded Iraq.

In due time we will get our troops home and they will be once again outfitted. We will rebuild the ranks of our decimated military. We will oust Bush and the neo-cons from Washington. We will pursue and harness alternative energy solutions thus ending our dependence upon the mid-east. The scars of this campaign will linger for a very long time to come. It will be a long time again before our nation permits the occupation of a foreign nation by our military.

As we try to put ourselves right once again we need to commit ourselves to Africa. It is a forlorn continent lacking in food, water, shelter, safety, employment, and cogent government. If we can bring any of those things to Africa they will be the better off for it.

As for us, we have to rebuild our economy, take care of our wounded veterans, and rethink our government systems. This has been a painful period for America.

What a mess Bush has made and left for others to fix.