the sawpit

The Real Grave Threat to Peace

On October 7, 2002, President Bush gave a speech in Cincinnati, Ohio, in which he called Iraq a grave threat to peace, and that "knowing the designs and deceptions of the Iraqi regime, we have every reason to assume the worst." Today, five years after the U.S invasion of Iraq, as U.S. and Iraqi body counts continue to climb, the conclusion of this bloody occupation is nowhere in sight. A few weeks ago, President Bush claimed the Iraq war was "noble, necessary and just" even though the initial rationales for war -- stock piles of chemical and biological weapons, an active nuclear weapons program, and direct links to al Qaeda -- have turned out to be false. Bush remains steadfast in defending his decision to invade Iraq despite all the horrible consequences. If the U.S. had kept the inspectors in Iraq instead of invading, it's hard to imagine Saddam Hussein killing between 82,591 -- 90,115 Iraqi civilians, or 4011 U.S. troops. It is unlikely that 1 in 5 Iraqis would have been forced to flee their homes for neighboring countries like Syria. And, of course, who can forget the billions of dollars already spent on this never-ending war. But none of that really matters to President Bush. He lives in his own version of reality -- one where future historians will revere him as another Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill.

And then there's John McCain. The Arizona Senator has made his support for the initial invasion and continued occupation, a cornerstone of his campaign for the Presidency. He has also hinted that Iran could be the next target of U.S. military action (see "bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran"). The question is, has John McCain learned anything from the tragic destruction of Iraqi civil society under the guise of "protecting" the United States from some perceived threat? Unfortunately, no. Senator McCain is banking on the same currency that has served the Bush administration so well in the past: fear. Playing the fear card means never having to tell the complete truth. McCain has been claiming repeatedly that al Qaeda is being trained by Iran and then unleashed to attack coalition forces in Iraq. Although McCain did correct himself, one must understand that his deceptions are intentional. He is employing the same propaganda tactics used by the Bush administration to connect al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein as partners in crime. We must keep John McCain out of the White House. After all, he has already told us that there will be more wars. We must insist on peaceful negotiations instead of war. We must keep the option of war as a very last resort. This is why it's so imperative that we support the Democratic nominee for President come November, whoever it may be.

Millennium Celebration: America's Rapid Decline

Notes from Blighty – by Chris Cobb

Along with the Bechtels and Exxons and the private security firms of this world, one other group stands to profit from the successive administrations of Il Bush: future generations of schoolkids will thank him for making their lives a little easier. After trying to memorize all the important dates in American history that seem to be based on prime numbers – 1775, 1917, 1941, 1969 – they will come upon one more, the watershed year when the power of the U.S. began to decline. What could be easier to remember than 2000?

Along with the Bechtels, Exxons, private security firms and the students yet to come, I too celebrate the millenium year of 2000. I have made my peace with the decline of the U.S. as the wealthy superpower. At all odds it had to come; no state, no empire stays on top for ever. But the descent should have been gradual, like the beginner's slope, not freefall like the downside of the rollercoaster. History tells us it could take hundreds of years; after all, Rome wasn't burnt in a day. Fortunately the we will all be spared that. The decline will be precipitous and I couldn't be more pleased. The faster the firepower is removed from American hands the better off we'll all be.

If the latter half of the twentieth century proved one thing, it proved the U.S. cannot be trusted to act responsibly on the world stage. Behind the shibboleth of democracy we left a trail of right-wing dictators, cock-of-the-walk generals and a lot of dead peasants. The only honest government the U.S. ever put in power was the Taliban.

When future historians try to account for this sudden devaluation of American power they will focus on that one year. 2000 will be marked as the year that George Bush came along to give it a good healthy push. We should all celebrate.