From The American Left History Blog Archives (2007)-On American Political Discourse- As We Approach The 10^th Anniversary Of The Start Of The Iraq War

Markin comment:

In 2007-2008 I, in vain, attempted to put some energy into analyzing the blossoming American presidential campaign since it was to be, as advertised at least, a watershed election, for women, blacks, old white anglos, latinos, youth, etc. In the event I had to abandon the efforts in about May of 2008 when it became obvious, in my face obvious, that the election would be a watershed only for those who really believed that it would be a watershed election. The four years of the Obama presidency, the 2012 American presidential election campaign, and world politics have only confirmed in my eyes that that abandonment was essentially the right decision at the right time. In short, let the well- paid bourgeois commentators go on and on with their twitter. I, we, had (have) better things to do like fighting against the permanent wars, the permanent war economies, the struggle for more and better jobs, and for a workers party that fights for a workers government . More than enough to do, right? Still a look back at some of the stuff I wrote then does not a bad feel to it. Read on.
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AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR BROTHER AND SISTER SOLDIERS IN IRAQ.

Your Commander-In-Chief and Chain of Command have stabbed you in the back.

The politicians, Democratic and Republican have stabbed you in the back.

The anti-war movement has failed you.

Damn, the ball is in your court now.

Brother and Sister Soldiers in Iraq, you and I need to talk. However, before we do so I want to come to the table with clean hands. Below this appeal is a blog written by me and placed on several Internet sites recently. As you cansee it calls in unambiguous terms for all anti-war activists who have not done so already to renounce the Support The Troops slogan which has motivated many activists and declare forthrightly for Immediate Withdrawal Now, ‘cut and run’ if you will. This writer has opposed the Iraqi debacle from before its start under that premise. I made no apologies for it then and I make none now. But, hear me out.

It has become a truism but it bears repeating- Your Commander-In-Chief, President George W. Bush abetted by your Chain of Command from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on down has lied to you, the troops who have had to carry out their policy. Were there that seemingly ancient question-weapons of mass destruction? No. Were you liberators? No. Are you making the world ‘safe for democracy’? Hell, no. The Iraqi government, such as it is, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the United States government. The Iraqi government’s writ extends no further than the Green Zone, if there.

And how about the generals? This misadventure started out as a Generals’ war. Shock and Destroy. Done. But, it sure in hell is not a generals’ war now. Look at the lists of those killed. I do. There are plenty of sergeants, corporals and PFC’s there but mighty, mighty thin at the officer level. Surprise, surprise. A look at the wounded lists would undoubtedly show the same thing. Are your officers trying to keep your butts out of harms way and get you out of that inferno? Hell, no. They are at least smart enough to know not to leave the Green Zone-it is dangerous out there. In short, your civilian and military leaders are stabbing you in the back-and they like it that way. As long as you don’t complain.

The following has also become a truism-Your Congressional leaders, Democratic and Republican, the people who fund the war have stabbed you in the back.

Well the votes are in from various proposals for withdrawing from Iraq put forth by some Democrats. The results speak for themselves. On the parliamentary level anti-war militants are alone. Forget the ‘softball’non-binding Levin-Reed proposal. Jesus, they all vote for those things as a cheap way to bolster their tarnished images. They can vote for that kind of proposition all day. No, I am talking about the Kerry proposal. That went down 86-13.

In this series the writer has been trying to hammer home the one real question that counts on the parliamentary level. Yes or No on the war budget. We had our answer on that one last week- 98-1 for the war budget. Enough said.

Translation- these people do not want you out of Iraq anytime soon. While you are getting shot at, blown away and desert-addled they can wait until next year, or the year after or (my favorite) when the situation in Iraq becomes stabilized. Christ, your grandchildren will be fighting over there by then. Enough said, indeed!

And what about the anti-war movement

I do not know whether this is still a part of basic training but when I was in boot camp during the Vietnam War the Drill Sergeant used to beat into our closely-shaven heads that the American army does not retreat. Bull! That pearl of wisdom is ok for green troops but any half-ass officer knows you damn well better have a retreat plan. Where do you think the word ‘skedaddle’came from? Call it ‘skedaddle’, ‘cut and run’, declare a victory in Iraq, however, you want to say it- but it is time to go.

I have said enough. Some talking head from cyberspace cannot do your thinking for you. Do this though- talk it over with your girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands , wives, parents children, anyone you care about and cares about you. Then talk to your buddies in the barracks, on guard duty, at the PX, wherever. You know what the right thing to do is Just, do it. When the troops in Iraq say Support the Troops-Hell, No! Then you know the end is near.