Why I Turned Back from D.C.

[cenacle]

(this is my article published this week...thought DU a good place to share it...)

Why I Turned Back from D.C.
by Raymond Soulard, Jr

http://newhavenadvocate.com/gbase/News/content?oid=oid:40720>Published October 30, 2003 by the New Haven (Connecticut, USA) Advocate

I was walking to Union Station in New Haven last Friday to begin my trip to the D.C. demonstrations. I'd made my arrangements to get down there and back, via Amtrak and Greyhound. All was set. So what was feeling so seriously wrong?

By the time I got off the phone ranting to my girlfriend about it, I knew I wasn't going to D.C., and why.

I realized that, while I deeply opposed the Iraq war, I equally damn the anemic and simple-minded turn that the antiwar movement has taken since then.

I didn't go to the D.C. demonstrations, because I don't believe that withdrawal from that decimated country is the best course. Neither, of course, is continued occupation and likely exploitation of that country. Iraq deserves to be rebuilt, but not as a puppet to the interests of the Western Empire whose seat resides in D.C.

The war was wrong; the lies told to achieve it prove that. But what now? Iraq is a crushed place. We have pork barrel ideologues leading the supposed recovery of its basic systems ... and daily, deadly acts of resistance against Americans.

Some of the demonstrators want President Bush impeached. I want him defeated for re-election, kicked to the curb in the cleanest, most constitutional election imaginable--so when he slinks back to Texas or wherever he came from, there are no excuses. I hope for clear and legal repudiation of his empire-building ambitions. In the meantime, he needs to be held accountable for the nightmare that he and his gang of proto-fascist ideologues have wrought in Iraq.

When the progressive movement resurrected in the '90s, its best motto was "Another World is Possible." Then 9-11 created an unimaginable new world, and no progressive response since has fit. Sept. 11's message was clear: there are those who are indifferent to human suffering as a means to their end. There are those for whom nobody is innocent.

The Bush regime responded in kind--and nothing that happened in D.C. this past weekend will make any dramatic difference. Those holding the power on both sides--Western and Islamic--intend to play out their fanaticisms to endgame.

When fanatics are in power, they can be removed by assassination, invasion, coup d'état , or by the very power that installed them and upholds their reign--that of ordinary people. If there is to be any ridding the U.S. or the Middle East of its extremists, it will be by the mechanisms through which they finessed themselves into control.

Withdrawing from Iraq is not the right thing to do; we all share responsibility for the presence there of our occupying military forces. The Cold War ended and someone stupidly declared the U.S. the victor--what the mainstream press called the "last remaining superpower." With American policy based upon this belief, a new opponent would inevitably rise to the challenge. A long history of cozy American relations with despots like Saddam Hussein made the Middle East a very likely source of this new opponent. Sept. 11 was the message: everything that has happened since, and is happening now, has proven that last century's bloodbath of ideologies continues.

Against the world's wishes, the U.S. invaded Iraq--building its case for war on lies --and bombed this sanctions-crushed country into rubble. The U.S. has since pointed to Iraq's burned-out buildings and ruined houses of worship and said: "THERE. THERE IS YOUR ENEMY. HE IS CRUSHED. WE ARE SAFE."

Safe as a country that no longer respects our own laws or citizens, much less the laws or citizens of any other country. Safe as a populace that has grown used to the idea of trying on leaders and returning them if they don't fit right.

Meanwhile, we have a progressive movement both timid and shrill, like the scolding old lady at the end of the block rumored to have 50 cats and a shotgun--the cats because she is lonely and unloved; the shotgun because perhaps she is still dangerous.

This whole situation is shameful. Withdrawal is too simplistic, and solves nothing. Yet occupation for the benefits of oil whores is immoral. So what is to be done? The tens of thousands of demonstrators in D.C. want the U.S. to leave Iraq now.

I want the U.S. to cede to the U.N. the brunt of building a new society in Iraq made from Iraqi wishes--and the effort financed largely by U.S. dollars, since it was U.S. dollars that built the military might that destroyed Iraq. I think of this as an answer, not the answer.

While tens of thousands lit through the Capitol's streets last Saturday, media coverage--in both mainstream TV/newspapers and on progressive Web sites--was scant. Bombings in Baghdad continue. The Bush regime hypes the re-opening of a bridge in Iraq while those opposed to the U.S. occupation plan their next attack.

It will come today, and tomorrow, and a hundred tomorrows after that until something fundamentally different occurs there that involves both the will of the Iraqi people and the will of the world forged into what those in control in Washington do not wish for, and many in the progressive movement no longer ardently hope for: something translatable from slogans in a crowd to reality.

[Brucey]

1. A really good statement.

But I disagree with a couple of things, of course (how could we all possibly agree about everything; especially those of us at DU who are opinionated?). First, I don't feel responsible at all for the invasion or occupation. I did not ever support this administration or congress, I did not vote for anyone who supported the invasion, I did not contribute money, time, or effort to anyone who supported it, I was against it from the beginning, I wrote letters, marched in the street, and made it very clear I was against it, and I don't consider Bush* to be the legitimate president of the US. I do not feel responsible for what has occurred or what is being done. It has nothing to do with me, I was and am against it. Second, it is a moral and physical catastrophe to stay there. The US should leave immediately. It could not be worse than it is. Over 15,000 dead, institutions ruined, world opinion strongly against us, terrorism being fed immensely, more enemies being created by the day, etc. Staying is the absolute worse thing we could do. We should immediately state that we are leaving and let other countries take over, including Arab countries. The Iraqis are perfectly capable of forming their own society. They did it long before there even was a USA. We should give the UN or other international group our full cooperation and lots of help and money. But, get the hell out.

[newyawker99]

9. Hi cenacle!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[E_Zapata]

2. This is the thing:

If the US says, "okay, we are withdrawing; we are bringing our soldiers home," the rest of the world will step in and do exactly what needs to be done in Iraq.

that's the big catch 22. ain't nuthin' good gonna happen while US forces occupy and control. Nuthin' Zilch.

Yes, we need to fight to bring the soldiers home -- to get them safe, to make the Iraqis safe, and to get the ball rolling for REAL reconstruction. See?

------welcome to DU, btw! You are coming in with a bang - a good one. Welcome.

[maha]

3. Rather a huge leap of faith, don't you think?

"If the US says, "okay, we are withdrawing; we are bringing our soldiers home," the rest of the world will step in and do exactly what needs to be done in Iraq."

This is the kind of "magic bullet" thinking that Paul Wolfowitz is so good at. Yesterday I came across an old pre-invasion article in which Wolfowitz predicted the rest of the world would be joining the "coalition" after the U.S. invaded.

You can't count on what the rest of the world will or will not do.

It's entirely possible that the rest of the world will just let Iraq turn into a hell hole and will not make a move until it threatens to set the rest of the planet on fire, in which case they'll send in NATO. But right now conditions are so bad that the humanitarian agencies are pulling out, and nations which had promised to send some troops are backpedaling and changing their minds.

[hippywife]

4. The humanitarian efforts

are pulling out because the can see that while the U.S. remains on its course of unilateralism and occupation there will be no safety in which to conduct humanitarian efforts.

By pulling out the occupation force and handing over the security component as well as the revitalization components, while still supporting the effort to revitalize and rebuild Iraq for the Iraqis, the U.S. will cleanse the doubts of the rest of the world. Then and only then can a real coalition of the willing be built.

[maha]

7. Tin foil hat stuff

So you think that if the U.S. pulls its troops out, Iraq will suddenly be SAFE?

[Ardee]

10. circular logic

As long as the US unilaterally controls everything in Iraq the rest of the world will remain on the sidelines, by and large, and I dont blame them one damn bit. Bush and company have villified the UN and now demand that they do a share in Iraq, what brilliant statesmanship, what coalition building skills, what a crock!

Iraqis are not going to suddenly stop attacking those they see as invaders, put yourself in their place, visualise Iraqi troops in every major US city, putting up roadblocks, hassling civilians, running everything. Do you honestly think that we would not be shooting at them in short order?

The path out of Iraq lies through the UN, but Bush will never find the brains or the skills to effect such an obvious solution.

[maha]

15. Partly right.

"As long as the US unilaterally controls everything in Iraq the rest of the world will remain on the sidelines, by and large, and I dont blame them one damn bit."

Yes, but "controlling" and "remaining" are two different things. The US must relinquish control of civil authority to the UN or other multinational authority. And, the US must relinquish control of Iraq's economic assets, especially the oil, and rip up the war-profiteering contracts.

However, we were talking about pulling out TROOPS. That's an entirely different subject. Although we need to be taking steps toward relinquishing military control as well, as a practical matter that can't happen overnight. As bad as security is now, if our troops were to disappear tomorrow it could get a lot worse.

[RainDog]

5. Iraq is part of a larger issue

Americans are woefully informed about the tactics our govt has used to undermine other democracies (as in Chile and Venezuela), and our alliances with despots (such as our new best friend torturer in Uzbekistan...our next Saddam, probably.)

Our nation MUST get out of the business of overturning democratically elected leaders to please corporate dictators like Exxon and Unocal.

Our nation MUST look at alternative/renewable energy sources for the good of this nation's security and the good of the entire world's future. That is one of the most important ways we can lead.

In order for these changes to occur and to actually make a dent in the consciousness of Americans, I think that Bush and all his fellow crooks and creeps should be tried as war criminals.

Elections are great if they actually occur...with this crew and Diebold, I have serious concerns for free and fair elections anymore.

The actions and philosophy of this current misadministration must be throughly rebuked in order for us to chart a new course and to signal to the world that we are willing to take our place as a leader of the world in truth for those ideals we spout but do not live.

Yes, we need to work with the UN. We need to stop nuclear war on the world and our soldiers via depleted uranium warheads. We need to abide by global warming treaties and ABM treaties. We need to stop the race to make space the next battleground.

NONE OF THIS will happen with Bush and his gang of thugs in power. NONE OF THIS will happen with people like DeLay in our Congress.

In order to remove these people from power, again, the harshest forms of repudiation must be used. Otherwise the American people will remain either uninformed or misinformed or willfully ignorant and therefore these abuses will continue.

I think that this nation has reached a crossroads.

If we continue with the Bush way, we will surely continue a horrific slide into fascism and will fail as both a world power and a democracy when we are finally stopped by other nations of the world.

To ignore this creeping reality in this country is, ultimately, to be complicit in its horrors.

[hippywife]

6. Excellent, Raindog!!

And I agree whole-heartedly. How many people in this country are actually aware of our government's activities via the SOA/WHISC. This country under the watch of both Republican and Democratic leaders have perpetrated crimes of horrendous proportion under the guise of promoting democracy around the world.

http://www.soaw.org/new/

[kclown]

8. Let's be practical

No American wants to see a 10-day cease-fire with an American
evacuation.  That would be declaring defeat.  Every American
would prefer some orderly solution.

The problem is, who doesn't believe that the ultimate outcome
will in fact be cease-fire/evacuation?  Do you really believe
that the opposition will peter out?

Neither of us has a crystal ball, but IMHO the first case is
more likely than the second.  The question then becomes, how
many must die?

The Iraq connection to 9/11 is as follows: Al-Quaeda bet that
Bush could be drawn into a major conflict in the Middle East
and humiliated.  As has been said elsewhere, "an
administration that believes the way to deter suicide bombers
is to threaten them with the death penalty" literally
does not know what it is doing.

[KG]

11. that's okay mr soulard, you weren't missed.

[cenacle]

12. huh?

huh? not missed? you mean from this debate? well, to be honest, i set it in motion to see what people would say...and i haven't been online all day...

i wanted to reply but didn't want to be redundant...or did you mean it some other way?

[KG]

13. i mean you weren't missed at the march

in that crowd of 75,000+ there was a wide range of opinion about what should be done in iraq. there some at the march i spoke to that felt like you a unilateral, immediate withdrawal was impractical, but they still felt it was important to show up and raise their voices against the corrupt and irresponsible pack of thieves in the WH.

but the reality is a immediate unilateral withdrawal is they only to stop soldiers from being killed, end the suffering of the iraqis, and prevent the waste of billions of dollar this country can't afford. also because bushco doesn't really intend to ever leave iraq - if this administration is re-elected they intend to turn iraq into a base camp to further expand military power in the middle east and invade iran and syria.

[cenacle]

14. elaboration

one makes a decision as much for one's self as for others...obviously in a crowd that big there would be a variety of ideas, but the overall banner title was about pulling out from iraq, and that i chose not to be part of for reasons i delineated above...

it seems to me that leaving a nation that the US's forces decimated, leaving it to the hope that the world will step in and do the "right" thing, leaving it when while the stated purpose was to topple the government the full end result was untold suffering to the population...it feels wrong...i dont like that bush* and his dark cabal are involved, that haliburton and other multi corporate iniquities are standing to make millions...but the US made this mess, it has to be involved in making it right again in some way...

this isn't vietnam, there's no real governmental apparatus waiting to step in when the last american soldier leaves...

i have to emphasize this here: bush* finessed the congress and the UN just enough to be in many people's mind just on this side of having conducted this war legally...the congress did cede him the power to do what he had determined to do...the UN did pass at least one resolution promising consequences for lack of cooperation in turning over WMDs...PNAC empire-building ambitions aside, the bush* regime did their work...and they worked popular support into a post-911 frenzy of blood revenge...none of this can be denied as fact even as the real story can be fleshed out and what ends up happening is that a foreign population is now again under rule not their own...

if the point here is to do the right thing, to promote values that are consistent with our own constitution in carrying out actions elsewhere in the world, as well as on our own soil, two things have to happen: bush* has to be compelled to deal with this mess, not impeached or hanged or strung up...and then for the mess he caused in this situation and so many others he has to be defeated next year by the will of the people as expressed through the electoral college...

do we want a better world? do we want what all those thousands in DC were calling for in each a unique way? then we have to speak to the better world in our words and our actions...sometimes this is going to taste bad...personally i dont give a damn to be praised in my view, or in my actions of going to a rally or not, but i simply cannot see leaving iraq in the mess they are in, hoping that others step in...those others-- member UN nations, and the american people--need to send the message to bush*: you fucked up, we all know it, americans and world relations have and will suffer in the cleaning up of your fucking pathetic mess...but you will do it...then when comes time for debates and election you will see the ramifications of PNAC schemes set into motion...

a friend of mine once looked at me and said "we all share the same soul"...i think that's what i'm trying to say...i want the iraqis to get back some dignity from the rotten times under saddam, being slaughtered by the US, and the current chaos...they don't deserve to be abandoned...