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... to go in and get bin Laden. He and the rest of the neocon "brain trust" had a much better idea: Hold our people back just as they were ready to pounce, and instead pay -- yes, with big sacks o' cash -- Afghani warlords to "smoke 'im out, heh heh."
Brilliant! These same warlords, all of the same religious/ideological mindset basically, had no problem putting their squabble over acreage on hold for a while, just long enough to take advantage of their common enemy, America. Grab the cash, give ol' bin-bin a wink, a handshake and a safe way out of Tora Bora -- all the while having a good laugh for having played Team Dubya for fools once again.
But that was only the beginning of the neocons' grand scheme.
Next, it was time to pull American forces away from the much-needed nation-building -- Gasp! That word! That, that... Clintonian word! Eeek! -- in Afghanistan, and turn our sights on Saddam Hussein.
Because when you're dealing with an enemy who is utterly contained, who has nothing but a little leftover trash-talk in his arsenal, who was already crumbling in the face of get-tough inspections... Well, in a situation like that, nothing but a full invasion utilizing America's unrivaled military might would do.
Oh, and also not having a plan for what came next, after our men and women did that barreling-right-to-the-capital's-doorstep thing they do so well. I mean, no one even bothered with that "Iraq is the fourth most powerful military blah blah" blather that we heard back in Gulf 1.
Our forces were going to kick ass, and no one ever doubted that. That's why sane people talked in terms of an "invasion," not a "war." It was never a war... until our men and women were left hanging by the brilliant Cheneys and Rummies of the "Bush" administration. Then it started to feel like a war in a big hurry.
And there they sit today, holding the bag for the failed fantasies of the White House Treason Club. For the failure of the press to report real truths and honest points of view, for the failure of voters to hold the civilian military leadership accountable. For the failure of the "opposition" party leadership to do its duty and make such a huge fuckin' ruckus that their views -- on the war, on the graft, on the vote-tampering -- could be no longer ignored, nor the views of their constituents.
So now we hear that handing Afghanistan back to the Taliban is the best way to go. Heck, maybe the only way at this point. Iraq? Is there even an agreed-upon definition of what "winning" there means?
Or does America merely hang her head in shame -- thanks, Dubya... thanks, Cheney and Rummy and all the rest -- and just bring the troops home now? And when they do come home, will we recognize that most of them, by far, are decent and honorable people who were failed by their civilian leaders as well as by their fellow citizens?
We, at least, will be able to say we tried to hold up our end of the bargain, we really did. And when we Democrats finally took the most strategically important hill on the battlefield, will we be able to say we made damned sure our stunning win finally turned the tide of this whole miserable conflict?
To our troops, to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, to the whole world watching, I hope we can find enough unity amongst ourselves to demonstrate the true value of Democratic leadership. We've got a ton of work to do, at home and abroad. We can get so much done, beginning in January: real, practical, common-sense and -- when necessary -- hard-nosed bills brought to the floor and put to a vote, then slapped down on Dubya's desk.
Decide, "decider." Whimper and whine and veto legislation that every American knows is in his or her best interest. Or sign it, then shut up and stay out of the way while we roll up our sleeves and start building the country of our ideals once again, not of our fears. Where liberal, progressive, Democratic values are once again shown to be the heart and soul of this nation, its potential and its promise. The way its always been. The way it can be, once again now, if we stand up and do the job that needs to be done. :dem:
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