This Weekend – Anti-War Demonstrations

09/23/2005

Paul Munnis

We suspect that Bush does not know how to read the anti-war demonstration that is coming to Washington this weekend. We are going to try to help him out a bit.

First, demonstrators want the killing of people (be they Iraqi or American, British, or Iranians) to stop. Enough blood has been shed in the name of the U.S. people.

The demonstrators will give Bush a solution to the problem: “Withdraw from Iraq.”

There are other alternatives that obtain the same results.

For example: what if, like a possibility, the Iraqi’s were all pulling together to form a peaceful nation, one where all could see an era of peace and prosperity ahead? Then the killing would ramp way down to a normal level of social misbehavior and not be any worse than killing is in the streets of America. Would America, acting as a supplemental police force be a problem? Not likely. We are still doing that sort of duty in the former Yugoslavia and there are no protests about that deployment.

Second, the Bushies have a lot of trouble communicating to the American people. For example try this sentence out: “Withdrawing from Iraq will cause us to lose the war to the terrorists.” What the heck does that mean? Iraqi’s are not the terrorists that hit the Twin Towers. That is the only hunting license that Bush has, one to rebut the attack on the USA by terrorists.

So, I think it means that giving the Iraqi’s back their nation is a bad thing.

Why is that? Saddam is gone. There are no WMD. A Constitution exists that the Iraqi’s built and while it isn’t what WE want it is what THEY want.  Lots of internal politics took place to get to that point and the Iraqi’s showed they could manage to get what they want for the majority of the nation. In their wake they left a minority people. There will always be a minority and it’s up to Iraq to find a way to keep the minority in check. The only way is by offering them redress for their grievance. By the way, Bush has the same probem in the USA The minority des not feel they have an adequate redress for their grievances. That is why people demonstrate.

That is the problem the Bushies should be working upon politically right now. Instead they are marking time until a vote on the Iraqi constitution. Bush is marking time until he can kill Saddam—the next big propaganda window of opportunity for his Administration. That is one very hollow victory

Only the Iraqi’s can restore Iraq to peace and tranquility. The USA occupation is a visible proof to them that they do not own their own country and that they do not have an opportunity for determination of their future. Thus, we slide towards more war, more killing, more mayhem, more commitment of U.S. forces, just the opposite of what the demonstrators are telling the Bushies that they want. No wonder they are demonstrating. Bush has a banana in his ear and he isn’t listening.

Then there are the unspoken facts of life and the many unanswered questions. American wants and needs Iraq’s oil. We have it and we are pumping it at a level of 85% of production capabilities. The destination of this oil is something that the American public does not know much about.

Who is getting this oil? Is it Halliburton, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, or Britain? Are they just stuffing the profits in the bank? Who is benefiting? Americans do not know.

Who is refining the oil? Is it being laundered through BP, Shell, and Mobil refineries? How much is there and how does it play out against the demand and supply equations?  American’s do not know.

Who is getting these oil profits? Is it being siphoned off for personal wealth?  Is it going to a pump near you? American’s do not know.

We are told that the oil companies are making $2,400 in profits per second. Is this being taxed? Who is benefiting? Is this one of the capitalist failures that we know exists – monopoly power that rapes the world of wealth? If this is being taxed then it’s a huge government windfall so then why are we paying taxes? Americans do not know.

As a people we are facing oil and gas shortages and likely a damned cold winter with energy rationing and yet the media and the government have invested zero in educating the American people about what is going on. The only valid reason that I can find is that they have something to hide.

So if the demonstrators give just one single option – clear out of Iraq, pronto; then who is to blame? I don’t think it’s the American people or the Iraqi people, I think it is the Bush Administration who has failed to do their political job of winning the hearts and minds of both Iraqi and American citizens.

That is the real failure and if the war in Iraq is lost it will be the real reason as to why. Coming clean is the only fix compatible now with staying with U.S. boots on the ground in Iraq.

So unless the Bushies can do a better job at communicating and governing both nations then the only solution that we can see is for them to get out (of both nations) – pronto. Yes, withdraw from Iraq and resign in America.

Politics is the tool for implanting ethical solutions to moral problems. If Bush doesn’t like the ethical solution being brought by the demonstrators to Washington then he had better craft and start selling solutions which people can back and support. After nearly four years of War Bush has failed at this job and any problems that are around are the results of his poor governing. He cannot pin the tail on the donkey.