Commentary
Immediate, Unconditional Withdrawal of U.S. Troops from Iraq and Afghanistan!
Okay, let us go by the numbers on the Iraq War budget question again for about the 37th time. On Thursday May 15, 2008, once again the Democratically led (that is with a capital D) House of Representatives put on its periodic display of what has become an embarrassingly familiar scenario. With a little twist this time though to provide gist for the political humorists. The bulk of Democrats, looking to the fall elections, wanted to be put on record as opposing the current Iraq war appropriations. Fair enough. The Republicans, in a fit of pique, decided that they did not like the set-up for various reasons and many of them abstained on the vote. The long and short of the maneuver is that the bill was defeated. Hooray, right? No, no no.
This is just grandstanding for the folks at home. The bill goes to the much more serious Senate next week where the appropriations will pass. Moreover, hovering over all of this, at least until January 20, 2009, and believe me beyond, well beyond that as well, is the presidential veto for any action that limits in any way the executive branch’s authority to wage war anyway it wants to. Thus, we are back to that proverbial square one from five years ago- Immediate, Unconditional Withdrawal of all American and Allied Troops and Mercenaries. But, I will be damned if these cretins get it yet.
The summer doldrums continue on their merry way. The war budgets are assured for next year. Obama has safely cast his votes for them. He has further sufficiently backtracked on his commitment to reduction of troop levels in Iraq, the timing of their withdrawal and his increased commitment to troops for Afghanistan that only the willfully blind can deny that, if elected, he will be a worthy imperialist-in-chief. Wall Street is not worried. Meanwhile his brother McCain has staked his shot at the presidency on outdoing Bush on his commitment to staying in Iraq.
ReplyDeleteOf course, seeing that this is a presidential election year the various ‘anti-war’ coalitions have not called for any major demonstrations in Washington (or New York) for the fall. Wouldn’t want to upset the applecart after all, right? And so it goes.