Ads Don't Kill People, Wars Do
Everywhere I go on this campaign -- from Iowa to New Mexico -- I hear people asking when is this war going to end and when will we get all of our troops out of Iraq? Everyone, myself included, is tired of waiting for this war to end and tired of feeling let down by the people we elected.
The message I hear on the road seems pretty clear to me, but apparently the people in Congress aren't getting it. I know legislating is hard work -- I spent 15 years in Congress -- but I believe that when the people have given you a mandate, and soldiers are dying, it is your solemn duty to get the job done no matter what it takes.
Two days ago the Senate had a chance to help get more of our soldiers home for longer periods of time -- but the measure failed. Yesterday they had a chance to set a timeline to start withdrawing troops -- but that failed too. And today, another measure that would've required a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq failed. Three chances to make a difference, lost. But instead of continuing to push on the most important issue facing our country right now, yesterday Congress spent their time debating and condemning a newspaper ad by an anti-war group.
Let's get some perspective here -- ads don't kill people -- wars kill people. And it is long past time to end this war.
From my many years of diplomatic negotiations I have learned that persistence is key to wearing down the most recalcitrant opponents. So I will be persistent -- and I hope you all will too. If we don't get this done now, we may not have a chance again until a Democrat is in the White House in 2009. That is too long to wait.
And while I firmly believe a Democrat will win in November 2008, I also know that some of the other candidates don't share my clear vision for ending the war.
I have been asking them -- how many troops will you leave behind?
My answer is zero.
Their answers are starting to remind me of the same rhetoric we hearing from DC, a little too much hemming, a little too many "we'll see's."
Every day Congress fails to end this war is another day Congress fails to do what we elected them to do. Americans have lost patience with Congress and with the leaders they elected to end the war. But you know what? We have the power. We can end the war.
Let's do that together.
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This is not a war. The real war was over a long time ago. This is more like a demolition derby. The real question is whether we'll be the last car running and how banged up we'll be limping to the finish line. We'll then declare victory and have a nice parade all the way to the scrap heap.
Chaos if we leave; chaos if we stay. What to do?
Surely Iraqis know the risks if we are gone, but the majority wants us gone. Yes, a minority is fearful of our leaving -- I hesitate to say 'quislings' but they backed the wrong horse.
One thing is certain: the longer U.S. military and mercenaries are in Iraq, the more Iraqis will be killed or wounded by Americans.
After an illegal invasion, a misguided reconstruction, a rising insurgency, turning so many corners we've created a roundabout, and yeah, "we're seeing progress", who would possibly trust an American plan to fix what we broke? There wasn't even a plan for 'winning' (whatever that might look like) and no concept for stalemate or (shudder) 'losing' ...
But more Iraqis deaths and injured caused actively by Americans, just creates more insurgents and terrorists. Cause and effect, each day a living definition of insanity.
America did not create the religious factions, nor did sectarian violence exist before we arrived.
Oh, but you can say, that's because Saddam ruled with an iron hand and the people weren't free to dissent and actively pursue their religious differences. Well, by golly, they're free to do so now.
Who can put the djinn back in the bottle? Have a djinn and tonic while you think on the answer.
There is no good answer. There will be a bloodbath. It is unavoidable. We are responsible, as are the Iraqis themselves. We need to set a deadline now for bringing all troops and American-financed mercenaries home. All parties on notice that the deadline is firm, and that America will support the efforts of regional leaders to bring stability to Iraq. Offer legitimate aid to the Iraqi people and fair economic compensation. But get the hell out.
Buy Iraqi oil. Support Iraqi reconstruction. Prosecute Bush/Chene
Hard days are coming. Oil wars were our knee-jerk response to the first resource scarcity to affect us, the priviledged and dominant USA. And we lost. What will it be like when resource wars are for drinking water? USA must lead now and respond creatively to a changing world. Nations cannot afford to remain insular, selfish, and ignorant. We must look for sustainable win/win solutions, or we will all perish. The last rich man will die of thirst.
It's Election Day 2009. The purse: Pulling our troops out of Iraq. Three liberal Supreme Court seats. Roe v Wade as law.
HORSE #3
specks - a "right wing conspiracy" brood mare with a freighter-sized load of historical political and personal baggage on her back. Proven healthcare failure. Doesn't change course around the Iraq turn.
HORSE #2
Specks - a now known horse that bucks when casting a simple vote MOVEON.orgg)
HORSE #1
Specks - runs like the wind without being whipped because he isn't a lightening rod in any red or blue state.
Isn't a no-brainer on which horse are you going to place your bets on -- to win (1), space (3), and no-show(3).
Don't gamble here - go for the sure Richardson win.
Make like e-Paul/e-Paula Revere. Spread the e-word. This race is TOO DAMN IMPORTANT to lose!
the democratic congress have swallowed the idea that we have to stay in iraq because the genocide that will follow. for starters they were wrong about Vietnam, remember about the dominoes of southeast Asia? The bu shies have sold us a dead horse, they are nationalist like the Vietnamese, they are not going to let the Iranians or anyone else tell them what to do, sooner or later we have to leave, so we can not stay there for ever, why kill more people. let our soldiers come home sooner than later.
Convenient thinking by the surrender monkeys who don't want to take responsibiliy for the aid and comfort they give the terrorists.
Don't insult the intelligence of chimpanzees by pretending to be one.
there is no profits for ending this war. Capitalism demands profits.
too much oil to leave behind.
the eventual winner of this war: bin laden and Iran.
yes evangels lets put another war mongering repub into office.
the battle cry of the repubs: peace with honor as long as it is not my kid getting blown up.
But don’t worry soldiers if you lose both legs bush jr will buy you a new set and a beer. You will walk on artificial limbs for the rest of your life so the elitists can enhance their wealth. Not one presidential candidate has the guts to tell you that.
Put all of congress, bush jr and cheney, and repub candidates in humvees and they must ride around Baghdad until all troops are home. All troops home within a week. Shock and awe getting out.
We have become an imperialist nation and not one presidential candidate will admit to that with the exception of gravel who will not get more than 2% of votes.
Ike warned us what might happen if industrial military complex was not reined in. well it is and has been happening.
Americans don’t want truths they want something for nothing. They want to be told America is the greatest at everything. Arrogance.
Dollar is falling faster than the demo congress’s approval ratings and Americans will be told that is a good thing. And what is worst most Americans will believe it.
Excellent comment. Right on target on all points.
If ads don't kill people, why do we regulate cigarette ads?
MoveOn has consistently engendered enormous negative responses that consistently derail anti-war momentum at critical points. Even Cindy Sheehan dumped them in disgust and despair. MoveOn's unsophisticated ad bumpkins and self-impressed CEO could hardly come up with a better PRO-war campaign on purpose. It would be better for them to be quiet and let people imagine that they are fools, rather than to keep opening their mouths, proving it, and getting Americans killed.
Policy change demands more than bumper sticker thinking and celebrity spokespersons. It demands accountability for results. All people are equal, but their accomplishments are not. Anti-war opposition is ineffective in spite of wide public support because it doesn't sideline those who damage its progress. In truth, the entire liberal agenda has been hijacked by aristocrats who admire poses more than results. Except, of course, the results that preserve their aristocracy.
I applaud Gov. Richardson's plan to withdraw all troops. He is clearly prepared to debate its being a cut-and-run victory for terrorists. He is clearly differentiated from all his opponents, who just plagiarize the current war policy in their own type fonts.
But I do not agree with Mr. Richardson's bumper sticker blog, "ads don't kill people." MoveOn's ill-considered ad WILL kill people. MoveOn needs to be held accountable for poor performance, not excused because they are financial heavyweights.
1observer
1 oberver, Although yours is a well thought out position, I respectfully, and strongly, disagree. I remember the same arguments being made when we started demonstrating against the Vietnam War. We were attacked for creating disunity among those who opposed the War. Similarly, there was a wing of the civil rights movement who believed the young, brash Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, by employing the tactics of non-violent civil disobedience, was playing into the hands of anit-civil rights and racist forces.
MoveOn couldn't have been more correct to put out the BetrayUs ad. That two-bit, lying general, who stabbed his superiors in the back by supporting the surge his superiors had rightly condemned simply to enhance his career, at the expense of his own troops, HAD to be challenged directly, as everyone knew what he was going to say. The despicable Democrats had allowed this General Custer to be lionized when they caved in and voted to fund the surge without restriction, except for the September Petraeus Report. All intelligent progressives KNEW what would be in the report -- a further lie to keep the war that resulted from lies told by the bi-partisan greed of the oil cartel continuing without end. The reason everyone knew this failure as a General -- David Petraeus -- told similar lies six weeks before the 2004 election about how the war was going well.
In order for the American people to know the truth, it was necessary to expose who General Betrayus really was.
MoveOn was right, even though the ad exposed them to serious criticism. Petraeus's lying testimony in support of Bush's despicable war apparently had no effect on the American people, who still want to get out of Iraq rapidly. And although MoveOn may have suffered what Dr. Martin Luther King suffered when he emarked on the path of non-violent civil disobedience, what the anti Vietnam war protestors suffered when they started demonstrating against thw Vietnam war, MoveOn succeeded in forewarning the American people about Petraeus.
And let's not forget, he opened with a claim that he hadn't consulted the White House in advance regarding his testimony. He then admitted that was a lie.
Um, excuse me, but MoveOn.org will kill people? How many fatalities do we have so far? I mean I'm not a MoveOn far, but please explain how this is real.
Well, it is refreshing to see the congress finally take action on something.
Can you imagine the horrors that might result if private organizations were allowed to continue using their own money to purchase newspaper ads to express their Constitutionally protected opinions without being chastised?
It seems to me there are only four anti-war candidates -- Kucinich (the best overall candidate on the issues) -- Gravel (who, despite his age, brings the youngest, most hopeful message to the race) -- Dodd (whose closeness to all that got us where we are is problematic) -- and Richardson, the candidate who is by far the most experienced and successful if measured by the same yardstick used to measure Hillary, Obama, Edwards, McCain, Thompson, Romney, Biden and Rudy.
Because of this, I am baffled that Richardson hasn't gotten more traction. He seems to be a blend of the old and the new and would end the war -- no residual troops, no predictions of calamities of biblical proportions if we leave immediately and completely.
Why are you baffled? You just explained the reason. He hasn't sold us out.
Governor, I note that polls show that Republicans are much more satisfied with Congress now than are Democrats. Doesn't that mean that the Democrats there now are falling down on the job. They certainly aren't effectively blocking any of Bush's big bad projects. Why?
If you have aqny influence with those bums, please tell them to get on the ball --- or else! Most of us are not stuck on party. We want policies.
End the war.
Give us a decent health care system.
Cut out the racist nonsense and stupid fence building. This country has been around a long time without such.
Oh, yes, campaign your head off. There are some opponents of yours that wouldn't be much of an improvement over the Republicans.
This post makes me proud to be a resident of New Mexico. Thanks!
Thank you, Governor, for keeping the pressure on. The worst possible solution would be to continue the current mission with fewer troops. That would just mean continued failure with higher casualties, since our forces would be less able to defend themselves. Sadly, that's exactly what Clinton, Obama, and Edwards are proposing.
We have more mercenaries there now than we have honest soldiers.
I don't know about the numbers games; but if the number were zero, that would mean something.
As far as I know, none of the three "front runner" Democratic candidates has proposed reducing the number of mercenaries in Iraq. In fact, it is widely rumored that they would increase them to make up for some of the troops they would be withdrawing. I believe Governor Richardson is one of the few, along with candidates Kucinich and Gravel, who have made it clear that they would withdraw the mercenaries as well as the uniformed forces.
That's why the plans put forward by Hillary, Obama and Edwards, two of whom voted to get us into Iraq and all of whom voted to fund the debacle, are simply lies. You've hit the nail on the head. If we can't win with 170,000 troops and an equal number of contractors, how are we going to protect our troops with 30,000 there. We couldn't. So Hillary, Obama and Edwards are simply lying to get the nomination and will then have an epiphany once they got in, continuing the war they all voted to fund going. And progressives, instead of looking at the actual anti-war candidates, are intentionally deluding themselves so they can support the one who claims s/he will keep one less troop in Iraq for one nanosecond less than the others.
Bill Richardson is the clearest thinker and unambiguous speaker we have in the race. He would make a great president, AND I can say with almost certitude that he would clobber any Repuke in the general election.
Residual forces left in Iraq of any size simply guarantees that chaos continues and US soldiers continue to die. If a token force is left behind, they become even bigger targets, like the over 200 that died at the Beirut airport because of Reagan's stupidty and stubborness.
Now, I know that Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel have similar ideas that I would not disparage, but the governor outlines his plan the best.
Too bad he's not bright enough to know that sexual orientation is not a choice.
Governor, you can talk to our democratic leaders, please tell them how discouraging it is to see them cave to the republicans time and time again. They have done it on the war, they have done it on moveon.org and they'll continue to do it as long as the republicans use the war and the military to get whatever they want. This bunch of democrats just DO NOT have what it takes. Too bad, this country cannot take Bush and the republicans any more. Please tell the Congress leaders that the people have had it! We need some guts there!
I think Bill Richardson will make a great president or VP. I would vote for him, even if he is a "Chilango" I won't hold that against him.
Lwayno
Gonzalez, WE need to tell them. And the Republicans too.
Election reform to publicly funded only, free media coverage for all those stepping forward, No corporate money of any kind, no PACS. If we truly want to clean it up we have to remove the MONEY incentive in all of it! I am aware that I am operating here in the minority with these forward looking thoughts. Many share them with me.
Just got a new button yesterday which says it plainly. "Our energy problems can't be solved in the minds of CAPITALISTS. Our energy problems are created by CAPITALISTS. Or some such version of this.
If we the people do not take over our system, we will have nothing to reclaim and soon. I was listening to an Economist on the Tom Hartmann program recently. He believes we are heading for a depression were it not for the manipulations of the FED. Much of these measures are/will make things worse. In addition, we need to rise up to end this war.
With regard to any and all candidates, I reserve my judgment until it will be revealed if any one of them will stand with us and revise some of his/her positions to actually represent the direction that the U.S. needs to take. That is too much to go into here, but I will offer it on this site after I sit down and sequentially craft it for presentation.
As for now, I like Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel, and John Edwards. As I said I will decide later. I differ with Gravel on the going to kill Bin Laden part. I believe that violence begets violence.
Someone with a true spiritual viewpoint could lead America out of the hypocrisy with HONEST dialogue, the required sincere apologies and good faith actions of proof, and the restitution needed to repair our leaders' long-standing damage to this WORLD. Peace, Jane
Jane,
Today, on the floor of the US Senate, Senator Joe Biden introduced the Biden et al. amendment (to the Defense Authorization bill) which calls for the US government to promote a political solution in Iraq, based on principles of federalism as outlined in the Iraqi Constitution.
He offered a passionate and concise prescription for ending the war in Iraq responsibly, without leaving chaos behind and the need for US forces to return at a later date. It was the picture of presidential leadership
I urge you to take a close look at Senator Biden's Iraq strategy and his impeccable foreign policy and national security credentials - all of which are wholly unmatched by any of his presidential rivals.
LizM:
I will look into it. Thanks, Jane
Excellent post Jane. NO TV commercials at all. For president, one vote per person (w/verifiable paper trail). Publicly funded campaigns. One primary day..a national holiday when people have off from work. Free air time for candidates on our, the public's, airwaves for the candidates to state their positions. We are totally owned and operated by the nine white guys who rule the world. We are powerless, as you can easily see. And while we are making these changes to our election system, we might want to switch to a system where a vote of "no confidence" in the administration would be sufficient to rid ourselves of monsters like the ones we have in office now.
What a lovely dream.
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