Saturday, April 7, 2007

Good War Business (G.W.B) What Else Shares Those Initials?

After reading Time Magazine today, I found out that "the Army is once again getting the smallest share of Pentagon funds", recruits include high school dropouts and convicted felons, mid-level officer positions and military intelligence officers are in high demand with little supply and suicides among soldiers is increasing. With facts like this reaching me, little is left to the imagination as to why I feel that this war is a total bust. And with 13,000 National Guard troops scheduled for deployment to Iraq by next year, Americans are getting tired of the death tolls. And as this administration provokes even further conflict in the Middle East with Iran from sending in carrier groups to run "drills" in the Persian Gulf, making threats against Iran's policies and pointing blame at Tehran for the roadside bombs in Iraq, it seems as though war is the only word on President Bush's lips these days. How did the insurgents get their automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and other weapons? Why doesn't the government look into that? Why are they so interested in Iran? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Iran produces the world's largest supply of oil. Hey, if war with Iran comes about prices will skyrocket and Bush's pals, the Saudis, will make a fortune. And I'm sure none of that "luck" will rub off on George W.
Hell, even John McCain who has taken a beating from his stance on the war in Iraq, jeopardizing his rise to presidency, has been seeing benefits to playing the right hand of the devil. "And McCain's top finance officials say the senator's position on the war has, if anything, helped him with many of his wealthy donors," reported Michael D. Shear of the Washington Post. No one can argue that there is money to be made in war. I only wish that our very own presidential administration didn't have their hands stuck in the cookie jar. The Saudi-Bush connections have been made and oil is the binding factor here between the Middle East and why we give a damn about Iraq.
And with polls showing numbers scattered all over the place, it is difficult to see where many Americans stand these days unless you can cut through all of that political grime. In the Washington Post-ABC News' most recent poll, 64% of those polled said "it [war in Iraq] was not worth fighting." But then in the same poll, "70% of republicans said the Iraq war has been worth fighting." The only thing to figure out is how many Americans consider themselves republican. What this poll tells me is that republicans need to pull their heads out of their chair warmers and let go of their violent blood lust. If they want to fight our "enemies" so badly, then why don't they join the Army and fight? I'm sure they'll be accepted. With the Army taking even convicted felons I can't imagine that war hawk republicans would be denied. Maybe they would shoot better, though, if they could see straight!
Also in the news was John McCain's speech trying to convince Americans to give General David H. Patraeus more time. "This gives him an opportunity to put a marker down on what his foreign policy vision will be and how important it is to win the war in Iraq..." said McCain.
Of course his foreign policy vision will be coming from the standpoint of a military general and so I doubt it will involve the Army leaving any time soon. Job security is on the line, you know. And as far as I'm concerned the war is over and won. Saddam is out and now all that is left is a civil war we have no business being in militarily.
And to finish up probably one of my longest articles; if I hear a sharp-nosed republican saying "if we leave Iraq now the terrorists will follow us home" one more time I am going to vomit. Does anyone honestly think they need a bread crumb trail left behind the U.S. Army to tell where America is? They can look on a f**king map! Having our troops home will ensure a better defense instead of having them thinned out halfway around the world making more enemies.
I hope people try to see the signs everywhere that change needs to be made soon and it needs to be dramatic. The world is becoming impatient with this administration's stubbornness and the only progress being made right now is that the hole we're digging ourselves into is becoming deep enough to fit George W.'s ego.