I just want to clarify something someone tried to grief me on during the weekend:
Somehow, my disapproval with the way the Iraqi war has and is being handled makes me “anti-military.” I approved of removing Saddam, his insane sons and the Baath party from power in Iraq. I support the troops over there (I write to a few soldiers, I have kept in touch with most of my military friends). What I don’t agree with/approve of is everything since Month 2 of the war. How badly it’s been handled since “Mission Accomplished” forward.
I’m not entirely convinced that Bush is the “Devil” some people make him out to be – granted, he’s being led around by the collar by some horrible policy and his constituents, and he’s a shitty diplomat/public speaker (his rebuking Congress for not approving his budget to give more money to his contracting buddies – he says troops, but it’s outlined in black and white this money is for contractors – because it hurts the war effort was a very poor performance and you could tell he was lying). However, I believe that Bush isn’t exactly smart enough to be the Evil One. I think he’s getting bad advice and being misled at every turn. However, he brought it on himself, and doesn’t listen to reason, so I have no sympathy for him.
Iraq is falling apart. You have the Iraqi government who is constantly changing their own laws outside of democratic procedure. You have the Kurds secretly working themselves up to secede into Kurdistan. You have Iran waiting patiently to step in and absorb part of the country for themselves. Despite what the Adminstration thinks they see, soldiers, scholars and historians are constantly coming back to say, “This isn’t working – they don’t want to live together peacefully, they don’t want us here, they don’t want to do things our way. Heck, the government can’t even get their military to operate without help.” And now our own soldiers are slowly beginning to object to fighting this war. Eventually, this will end in a way that Bush neither wants or wished for.
And I’m not buying the whole “executive privilage” whine. The reality is if you are working as a public official, it should be public who said what and did what in the Administration. I’m tired of the politicians and their lackeys not taking responsibility for bad policies and advice. If you suggested that being blindly loyal gives your boss the ability to fuck the rest of the company over, your boss took your suggestion, and then the company calls bullshit and wants to know WTF happened and WHO was responsible, you better own up to it or get fired.
And the best case of hypocricy yet!
I did try to make it clear that I am also in favor of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy in the military, although not because being gay is immoral. Mostly because it is disruptive to US military operations – mainly due to the fact that half of society isn’t comfortable around homosexual people yet. That will probably change with time. Canada adapted fine, and they allow gay marriages on base. It’s embarassing that Canada is more emotionally and intellectually advanced than the US in these matters.
More about those crazy Creationists! You so craaaazzzyyy!
