Where is the Love?

Thus Ants, who for a Grain employ their Cares,
Think all the Business of the Earth is theirs.
Thus Honey-combs seem Palaces to Bees,
And Mites imagine all the World a Cheese
--Alexander Pope

These last few weeks of holding on
The days are dull, the nights are long
Guess it's better to say
Goodbye to you
--Goodbye to You, Patty Smyth
______________

It couldn't last forever, and the flames were destined to burn down into a sooty ash. The love affair is over.

The New & Improved security agreement between the People's Republic of Iraq (PRI) and George Bush signals the loss of legal immunity for contractors, as expected (Iraq Pact Forces Contractors to Confront Work Without Immunity.) Their previous "legal immunity" was larceny rammed through on a wing and a prayer.

Since by all definitions of statehood the PRI is a nation, then it logically follows that everyone in that country, including the Department of State, the Department of Defense and all contractors are subject to the laws of PRI. Nations have sovereignty. Period.

Hasn't the American taxpayer spent trillions on this Fantasyland ride already? If our money was buying democracy for Iraq, then let us accept the entire construction. After all, if we don't believe it, who will? Pronouncements by J. P. Bremer and Crew to the contrary, international law remains unchanged.

The U.S., like a huckster hawking snake oil, has no qualms preaching democracy and the Rule of Law abroad in this Phony War on Terror (PWOT ©), while its shore is ever-receding here at home. The new security document reveals the non-democratic impositions of the U.S.-led occupation.

With contractors falling under the jurisdiction of Iraqi courts, it could become harder for them to recruit new workers and could drive up costs as insurance rates and wages rise to offset the risk of landing in a local jail.

This should not even be a point of contention. If the contractors were to comport themselves in a democratic manner they would not run afoul of Iraqi law. Alas: Contractors can no longer play Cowboys and Indians (just when the boys were having so much fun.) The Indians are tired of the arrogance.

Doug Brooks, the head of the International Peace Operations Association, a Washington industry group for security and logistics contractors, said member companies support accountability in Iraq but have concerns about the fairness of the country's legal system.

Hear, Hear! There are concerns about the fairness of the country's legal system. Uhhh. . .and since when has the concept of legality infringed upon the PWOT? The PWOT is packed with illegal U.S. actions, from its justification on down. Contractors are not imbued with a sense of concern for the Iraqi civilians wounded and killed while under their watch.

Does anybody expect fairness from a legal system that has seen its country treated like a big military playground? Before Iraq can be criticized, U.S. actions to this point need to be examined. Ranger wonders why the Iraqis don't just kick us out on our asses. What good can come from further U.S. presence?

Mr. Maliki -- get some balls and go for it! At least this public eviction would show the world that one person in this entire PWOT is acting rationally.