All About Us
It's not all about you.
--The Purpose-Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren
________
Those like David Brooks of the New York Times who advocate staying the course in Iraq do so under the presumption that insurgents can defeat the U.S., and that we just can't let that happen.--The Purpose-Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren
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However, insurgents can not defeat the U.S. because they are not insurging against us. Or are they? If we say that we can't allow them to whip us, then we are admitting that the war is about us.
But if the war is about the marvelous democracy of Iraq, then it is an issue that should be decided by Iraqis and not by the U.S. The majority of the insurgents are a home-grown phenomenon, and we'd just as well leave their property and let them duke it out amongst themselves.
What are the lessons that should be derived from Bush's most excellent adventure?
The primary one is, elections ≠ democracy, and democracy ≠ freedom.
Freedom to vote is meaningless if the candidates are U.S. stooges. That statement strikes dangerously close to home, as well. It is little wonder neither the Iraqis nor the rest of the world trust U.S. intentions.
Our actions seem to say, we love democracy so much that we will kill you if you don't want to vote. Seems four-square to the Ranger.
Labels: Iraq elections do not equal democracy; iraqi democracy does not equal freedom
posted by rangeragainstwar at 1:19 PM
6 Comments:
RangerAgainstWar post: "Those like David Brooks of the New York Times ..."
Killer Whale: " ... David Brooks? ... uh oh ... (severe vomiting, extreme vomiting, dry heaves ... ohhhh ... ) ... "
Okay ... I just want you to know that I read the whole post, even though David Brooks was mentioned in the first sentence and I got sick. 'Cause I love you guys.
And I'm glad I did. Another excellent post.
(But maybe you can work on a "David Brooks advisory label" for future posts.)
:-)
anon,
Taken under advisement!
We love you, too.
Lisa
Whaaaat? Elections don't equal democracy? Oh, oh....say it ain't so cause man, it worked all the other times we tried to force-feed it, right?
What color font should one use for sarcasm, anyhow? And how do we get the ninnies to notice this inconvenient bit of historical fact?
labrys,
Right on, labrys--just what was it about the force-feed tube that failed this time?
No need for new color font, as sarcasm is the only appropriate response to this insanity. Sarcasm and outrage, which may just lead enough people to say ''enough''.
Then sarcasm and outrage can introduce something new.
This time? The idea that showing pictures of veiled women with purple thumbs meant something real epitomized it for me. Iraq is not the sort of place where votes make a difference; only power and prestige and connections count in that oil floated sand box. And of course, the USA providing a slate of hand picked electees after we were laughed at by the world for our own screwed up elections.....lets just say if they have a bullshit brown font, that just might be the right shade of outrage.
labrys,
Like Big Daddy said in Streetcar Named Desire, the smell of mendacity is in the air.
Lisa
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