THE REPUBLICAN FANTASIES JUST KEEP ON SPINNING
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistOnce again, Bush has proven to America just how out of touch he is with the rest of Main Street.
Not just him, but John McCain as well. Both share in the ideology that things will be
okay, we just have to go along with whatever they think will happen.
From the economy, the recession, Iraq, and so on.The make-believe optimism never stops with these two.
And it is costing this nation so dearly--in terms of credibility and international standing.Let's look at a fresh example, okay?
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
For years this tit-for-tat fight has centered on land disputes and official state recognition between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The Israelis think that they are entitled to the land and have been trying to drive the Palestinians out--with the blind support of the US--for decades.
But the Palestinians didn’t go away quietly. For years, they kept the Israeli Defense Force at bay. And the Israelis have been committing murder and genocide against the Palestinians and no one has been able to (or even
wanted to) put a stop to these actions.
They managed to drive some of the Palestinians out of the occupied West Bank a few years ago, but they haven’t been successful in driving the Palestinians out from the area at all.
Then Hamas won democratically in 2005–stunning both the US and Israel. As a result of those elections (which Bush condemned), aid to the West Bank was cut off.
Just as recently, the UN suspended aid to the Palestinians.
Whereas force has failed in the past, the Israelis have tried on numerous occasions to
starve the Palestinians out of their land by instituting a border embargo–preventing food, medicine, and basic essentials from reaching the people.
But the Palestinians had an answer for that–when Hamas blew a large in the barrier separating the Palestinian people from Egypt.
And a flood of refugees surged forth and started snapping up much needed goods and essentials–
not weapons as the US and Israel claimed they would initially buy.
Things that Israel had been stringently denying the Palestinians.
As a result of this and so many other problems, the split Palestinian government (Fatah and Hamas) hasn’t been able to come to a single peace agreement yet–one of which Bush and his hopeful successor, John McCain–will be able to conclude with a landmark peace agreement before the end of Bush's term of office.
Unfortunately, neither man truly understand the
gravity of the situation embroiling the Middle East. Simply to
wish that peace will happen by this so and so date (or at the end of Bush’s term) will not
happen.
No matter what Bush may think or imply.
But actions speak louder than words in all cases.
And the actions by this administration illustrates that they aren’t as committed to peace in the Middle East as they are to war with Iraq, Afghanistan, and possibly Iran.
Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.comLabels: Bush, false optimism, McCain, Middle East, Palestinians, peace, war
PRESIDENT JOHN MCCAIN--A DISASTER IN THE MAKING
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistAsk me
again as to
why some people want to repeat another disastrous mistake in the coming election–by voting in more of the same bellicose policies which have train wrecked our nation’s economy and worn out our military past the breaking point?
Despite recent attacks on the Green Zone and the increase in violence (plus the apparent unraveling of the cease-fire by the Mahdi army), McCain has clearly signaled that he won’t change course either–echoing Bush’s recent comments on how history will perceive his failed Iraq policy: "One day, people will look back at this moment in history and say, 'Thank God there were courageous people willing to serve, because they laid the foundations for peace for generations to come.' "
McCain
himself believes that the US troop surge is ‘succeeding’–despite the ratcheting violence and the fact that we have hit another grim milestone (or two): 4,000 dead American troops and almost 30,000 wounded.
Does he care? From his recent statements: “Sen. John McCain declared Monday that "we are succeeding" and said he wouldn't change course -even as the U.S. death toll rose to 4,000 and the war entered its sixth year.”
Apparently not.
Imagine for the moment that McCain is President for the next 8 years–having won the 2008 primary by a slim margin (2016):
Iraq has descended into complete chaos by 2012; 8,200 troops are now dead–with as many as 62,000 US troops wounded; with many more raw recruits having to come and fill the gaps left behind, through an unregulated draft put into place 2 years into McCain’s presidency.
On top of that, $1.5 trillion dollars have been spent on the conflict so far (not counting the money needed to take care of our wounded troops), Malaki’s government no longer exists in the form that the previous administration had installed–forcing the current administration to take steps to ensure that some semblance of democracy still
exists in that war-torn region.
Between 160,000 to 1.2 million Iraqis have died so far and as many as three million more displaced by the war. Iran’s influence in the region is simply overpowering, but there is little that McCain can do to affect any real change with that country; after it succeeded with its uranium-enrichment program the year before.
At this stage, McCain is consistently accusing Iran of wanting to destroy the world with its phantom nuclear arsenal–while Afghanistan has collapsed into complete anarchy. (NATO left in 2011-2012–having been unable to turn the tide against a now entrenched Al-Qaeda; with the country in complete control of the warlords which now operate without fear.)
Pakistan is now no longer our ally in the war against terror; having given up its pursuit of democracy. That in turn has left Al-Qaeda a new place to call home--even as its operations have started to expand on a
global scale; instead of just isolated to one or two countries. (As many analysts were quick to point out that the Iraq war conflict has deeply inflamed anti-American sentiment abroad and given groups like Al-Qaeda the money, resources, and manpower to carry out their deadly terrorists attacks against European and American interests; and a few recent attacks here in the states.)
Public opinion has so soured over the war (with a scant 15% still supporting the administration), that they see themselves unable to connect with their representatives over the war–let alone the government that’s
supposed to represent them.
However, things at home are much worse than they were when Bush took office. The economy is still mired in a deep recession brought on by the collapse of the housing market, the credit crunch, a near worthless dollar, and $170 oil. (Not to mention nearly $7 gas.)
High energy costs have left the majority of Americans dependent on their federal government to make ends meet–rather than the now scuttled wage earners which had helped prop up many of the former middle-class Americans in years past.
Chronic homelessness and rampant poverty now grips the nation, with no end in sight.
McCain’s tax cuts for the rich and the continued war has pushed the US deficit to nearly $14 trillion dollars–as federal revenue has fallen to its lowest level in recent memory; coupled with the strain of the insurgent population of baby boomers on Social Security and Medicare (whom retired in 2008), healthcare costs which have transcended levels not seen in a generation, and the
surge of illegal immigrants into our country has put a severe strain on our country’s medical and social services. (Thanks in part to McCain’s successful ‘amnesty’ bill; pardoning many immigrants from breaking federal law and not paying their share in back taxes–while working here illegally.)
But McCain is up for re-election and he’s once again claiming that despite the high costs of lives and money, the US is “winning the war in Iraq”. (The same ploy which Bush used in his last year in Iraq.)
And this time, the
majority of the country doesn’t support or share his views. Even a larger majority of Republicans whom blindly supported Bush’s push for war during the early 2000s, don’t rush to his defense of the conflict as they did before many years prior.
But will a change in the American public’s perceptions finally end what McCain said would be a “100 year occupation” of Iraq by 2012–almost 10 years after Bush invaded that country?
It all depends on how the people in there and
now vote.
The above scenario is little less of a fantasy and more on the
reality we all face if we let someone like John McCain in the White House–based on current trends and an equally dismal future for
all Americans.
Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.comLabels: elections, healthcare, Iraq, Iraq war, Iraqi civilians, McCain, milestones, national deficit, President Bush, recession, troop surge
