Sitting on a fence Armchair generals are ranting, flinging spittle and bellowing loudly about what's wrong, what's right, what's righteous about the war in Iraq.
But I know it's heating up and many more will die in coming days and it saddens me deeply. But what can one say. We've got an adminstration that's commited to changing the geopolitical lines - redrawing the map of the world - in essence. Bush's doctrine of attack if suspicion exists is a benchmark in the history of the world's political establishments. No government in recorded history has ever had a policy of attacking another nation because it suspected - I repeat - SUSPECTED that the target nation might pose a threat to the welfare and safety of the attacking nation.
Yea, I know that Japan attacked the U.S. during the WWII without overt provocation, but that's not what I'm talking about here. Many times in history nations have ambushed other nations out of greed, need or just plain warlike ambition. But to put in place a policy of warfare against suspected terrorists is unprecedented in the annals of governments. And thanks to Bush '43 we're in for decades of deficit spending, inflationary prices, joblessness and a world that disdains and mistrusts the United States. Crazy! Just plain crazy! And yet, there are reasonable, intelligent people who support the policy that Paul Wolfowitz (sp?) penned in '92, the policy we're seeing implemented today inside and outside our borders.
And yea, we're the most powerful nation on earth, but even water buffalo can be brought low by hyenas, so to speak. How many lunatics are breeding with this ill-thought out war on Iraq? Should we care? Or should we shrug our shoulders and simply holler "My country, right or wrong?"
I think we've opened a Pandora's box of terror and murder and will soon learn the consequences of arrogant bullying. Why can't we simply put a bullet in Saddam's brainpan and get on with life and the real war on terrorism? This hypocritical policy that states the U.S. will not assassinate foreign leaders is bogus. And it's wasteful in terms of human life and infrastructure.
Look at the number of deaths in Iraq, look at the blasted buildings and production plants and the billions of dollars that are being spent on the effort to waste one man (well, actually three men - his sons have to go too, and perhaps a hundred or so Republican Guard soldiers).
I still am not convinced that our mission in Iraq meets the litmus test of righteous war, to wit: Is it moral? Is it motivated by compassion and concern for others? Is it designed to right a wrong? Does it serve the greater good?
I think all those questions must be answered in the affirmative in order for warfare to be deemed righteous. And I haven't been able to answer yes, sort of, to more than one to date. But we're there and that's the name of that tune. I only pray that the troops don't suffer too many losses and that we get this bastard this time, and soon.
So I'm out of here. I've just come from a very enjoyable meal with D's family - her niece's birthday celebration - at Orlando's Restaurant, mmmmmm. Good! So I bid you a fond adieu.
Collateral damage ...

Down this road ... Well, it had to happen, didn't it? Now we're losing lives in Iraq and the reporters are already asking "Can Americans stomach the sight of dead U.S. soldiers and maintain their commitment to the war?" It really pisses me off when we, as a nation, underwrite violent action against some regime somewhere in the world only to quickly reverse ourselves soon as the situation appears to be getting bloody on our side. It's unfortunate that we're engaged with a people who have as much respect for human life as a gnat on the balls of an elephant - in other words, none at all!
So don't be surprised or act too saddened by video of murdered Americans - disgusting; yes, horrific; yes, but shocking? I think not. What did you think would happen once the missles started flying? Huh?
And while it's nice that some Iraqis are welcoming our troops it's much more likely that those guys up ahead waving white flags and chanting "Bush in '06" are hiding AK-47s underneath their coats and only want one shot at killing ANY AMERICAN before they get their own just reward in the afterlife (or would it be afterlives ... hmmmm).
Kudos to CNN for its usual yeoman's job of providing 24-7 feeds from Iraq, including sound and fury and crawls across the bottom of the screen for the hearing impaired, or just those of us who listen to PBS while eating our Cheerios and reading the morning newspaper with the TV as our companion du jour.
Life, as I know it, is truly a carnival of grotesque creatures rambling through the bleachers of my mind and eating the brains of 2-year-olds as parents laugh at the clowns in the lion cage who're pretending they're not scared witless and wishing they were anywhere but there.
Oh well. What do I know? My heartburn has me frowning and groaning and I'm bored senseless with this dreary Sunday malaise I've been wallowing in for three hours now. So fuggit!
Hope you're having a good life, and I pray that we get this damn war straightened out promptly as possible and with as little butchery as is possible. Cheers!
Rash rants ringing in your ear?