How Pelosi Ended 'The War With Iraq'

Perhaps you haven't noticed, but The War With Iraq is over.

Like everything with the Bush administration's relationship to it's gullible public, the point is never what they're doing, but what they say they're doing; it's the words, not the deeds.

So No Child Left Behind of course has nothing to do with helping challenged children in bad schools to keep up, it's about defunding and dismantling the public school system. And 'saving Social Security' has nothing to do with saving social security, its about handing over what's left of the public trough to the investment industry, etc, etc, etc---is there a single American under a rock anywhere that doesn't know this drill by heart by now?

And now the war with Iraq is no longer 'The War With Iraq'; its been successfully rebranded as 'The War with Iran'.

Try and sit through a single newscast or reading of the international page without finding a reference to how Iran is the real 'enemy' over there; whether it's the nuclear bomb there's no evidence of them developing, the IEDs there's no evidence of their government smuggling across the border to harm the agents of our benign humanitarian effort in Iraq, or how Ahmadinejad's denial of the facts of the Holocaust means he's ready to wipe out the free world---or at least America, which can't really be called the free world anymore. But I digress.

Mel Gibson denies the facts of the Holocaust, too, but unless he's planning on wiping out the free world by boring them to death with shitty movies, I don't really see him as much of a global threat. And our own leader, the intellectual from Yale who can't pronounce 'nuclear'--he routinely denies the facts of not only evolution, but global warming, contraception, carcinogens in drinking water, etc, etc, etc and you never hear a peep about him bringing on Armageddon. (Well, only in fundamentalist churches, but they're happy about it.)

But if you scan any of the news for idiots---The NY Daily News say, or CNN--- you'd think Ahmadinejad had actually flown the planes into the World Trade Center and that he literally walks around Tehran with American blood dripping off his bib. When he spoke at Columbia the other week, the conservatives who run American mainstream media spun it like Hitler had spoken at ACLU headquarters in the middle of the Blitz.

The rebranding of War With Iraq into War With Iran is only Phase I of a multi-phased rebranding strategy that will go on for years, a strategy that is in fact prepping us for the big hand-off to a Democratic White House that needs its own public spin for staying in Iraq until we've met the one and only (private) benchmark we've had all along; a permanent force in the world's largest military base securing the theft of the world's second largest deposit of oil. But don't take it from me--ask Alan Greenspan, that liberal.

If you doubt the existence of this strategy, than you must've missed the emergence of Phase II last week, when all three of the leading presidential candidates from the 'opposition party'--- the party that supposedly has a mandate from the American people to end the war---furrowed their collective brow and professed dismay that it just seemed too darn unrealistic---and no doubt unpresidential--- to get troops out of Iraq any earlier than--are you ready?--2013.

Why not just let Bush stay president? It's what he wanted all along.

Of course the troops the Dems plan to keep there won't be 'combat' troops, because the 'war' will be over---at least rhetorically. They'll be a 'stabilization force'--that's Phase III of the rebranding.

Phase III will last 50 years, and you'll never hear the word 'combat,' only 'stabilization', but on the ground, the facts will be the same they've always been; unwelcome Americans kids getting killed and maimed by a debilitated local populace who hate them. Desperate Iraqis--armed and otherwise--with no water, sanitation, electricity, protection or hope will still be slaughtered in the streets or made into internal or external refugees. And of course there'll be the big cherry on top we've wanted all along; control of the oil.

And voila--we'll basically have our new Israel; a permanently volatile and unstable place that we'll diplomatically dither with for eternity, all the while pumping tax dollars into a 'stabilizing' military infrastructure to ensure the local population will never have peace and are so distracted by survival that we'll get away with grabbing what we've decided is ours to steal.

Any questions?

The opposition party 'came back into power' and passed non-binding resolutions to chide a president who doesn't give a shit who chides him and then voted to support an ill-advised surge and increase funding for the very war they had a 'mandate' to end. These are facts, not rhetoric.

The Democrats bought Bush the time he wanted by pitching their rhetoric to their constituents, while the White House bought time pitching their rhetoric to their few remaining constituents, and now the moment to get out of the whole abhorrent mess has passed. Bush will be gone but the troops will stay and we'll have gotten the oil.

Oh sure, there's all the side 'benefits'--the American taxpayers funding the creation of a massive invasion/occupation industry--companies like KBR, Bechtel, Blackwater, you know the names--that take taxpayer dollars to at first rip a region down and then take taxpayer's money to build the region up again, albeit in accordance with their own privatized corporate needs and with inferior materials and slave labor.

(or perhaps you thought all those buildings in the Green Zone were built by well-paid union construction workers outfitted in state of the art protective gear with round-the-clock-workplace safety standards in place--you know, like in Katrina)

In short, a massive, publicly funded destruction/reconstruction industry for private profit. Call it 'socialized terror.'

They'll call it 'job creation.'

What could've stopped it all, the great rebranding, the escalation, the extra deaths and crippling debt, not to mention yet another gutting of the power of the American voter? The impeachment process. This is of course the one thing Nancy Pelosi declared was 'off the table' before she'd done a single thing as Speaker.

Say it again, to yourself: 'The one thing that truly could have derailed the longest war in US history, in the one moment where it was still possible, was declared 'off the table' by the leader of the opposition party, placed in power by a mandate from the people.'

The 'Ending The War Phase' is over and the 'How Can We Sensibly Approach A Solution Phase?' has begun. Feel any different?

It's like Karl Rove is still writing the script. Maybe he is.

Our new Democratic president will tell us the 'war is over' and it will be as hollow as 'mission accomplished'--especially to the Iraqis. But Americans will hear our 'combat troops' are coming home and sigh with relief as they nod with a feeling of democratic triumph at 'the wave of change in Washington'---and go back to American Idol and Dancing With The Stars.

Maybe we should stop parsing the spin and arguing over which lie seems closer to the truth we want to believe.

Maybe we should forget about reality TV for a sec and start thinking about reality reality.

Comments

[ApolloSpeaks]

GILROY'S RIGHT

You are so right, Gilroy: Ahmad has become Global Villian Number One. And he has no one to blame but himself. Soon he'll be helplessly swimming with his missing old Mahdi at the bottom of the well, and the world will be rid of his twisted little face.

[GenericBlogger]

Tom Gilroy's article summarizes quite well weaknesses in our political leaders and the public's apathy.

Gilroy wrote "Phase III will last 50 years, and you'll never hear the word 'combat,' only 'stabilization', but on the ground..."

Peace keeping in Iraq won't be like peace keeping in North Korea or Bosnia. Those who think a peace keeping military force will be safe in Iraq should remind themselves of that tragic day in Beirut on October 23, 1983 when we lost 241 of our troops. The enemy in Iraq will include insurgents, Iraqis seeking to settle blood scores, Al Qaeda, Iranian backed terrorists, and anyone else seeking martyrdom.

Gilroy wrote "And voila--we'll basically have our new Israel; a permanently volatile and unstable place..."

Israel and Palestine were destined to permanent destabilization through age old wars and feuds over the small territory they both want. Who are we, a few centuries old country to think we can end a few millenniums old struggle on the scrimmage line of a civilization clash?

Gilroy wrote "This is of course the one thing Nancy Pelosi declared was 'off the table' before she'd done a single thing as Speaker."

I don't care for Dubya but I care for the presidency. Impeaching Dubya will get us into the habit of impeaching future presidents when they are deemed unfavorable. Furthermore, 77% of the Senate and 68% of the HoR voted for the Iraq War. Will the Congress members still in office also be impeached? It will be chaos. I favor investigations and trials after 2008 for Dubya, Tenet, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Bremer, Pearl, Rove, Gonzales, etc. who deceived others who misrepresented reasons for the Iraq War.

Gilroy wrote "'The one thing that truly could have derailed the longest war in US history..."

The longest war in our history was the Vietnam War. Technically speaking, we are still at war with North Korea but that's a moot point.

Gilroy wrote "Maybe we should forget about reality TV for a sec and start thinking about reality reality"

The blogosphere must remind America of the realities of reality.

[zull2]

I thought the war with Iraq ended when we actually realized it wasn't a war, it was an occupation. The military occupation of Iraq is what it really is. The full title would be "The Military Occupation of Iraq for the Glorious Purpose of Free Oil in the Name of Corporate Supremacy".

Oh, wait, we didn't start calling it an occupation? Hmm. Someone should do something about that.

But yes, if they can't block a war with Iran, then it's time someone should do something! I'm going to run out and vote Republithug! Yeah! Why waste your vote on someone who will only try and stop the war but not get enough votes needed to prevent it, when you can just jump right onboard the Eternal War Express!!!

Which would also coincidentally be the typical kneejerk response of the typical disgruntled pseudo-liberal, most likely, Republithug in liberal clothing's response. The only way the Eternal War Express is going to be derailed is if we all realize that we need to return to our roots as Americans. And stop meddling in affairs of other nations and focus on our own affairs. The only prayer of doing that right now is voting Democratic and working towards getting Democrats in office that have the guts to stand up to the Eternal War Express and stop it. Well, unless the Republican party crumbles completely into dust and splinters into several new parties.

[leftLibertarian]

Pelosi's remark that 'impeachment is off the table' gave Bush and Cheney the go ahead to do anything and they won't be held accountable.

What kind of fool does that?

[Ivotedoyou]

Kendo, the answer is Pelosi.

all... political process is important but it's not all we have. There is amazing work being done by nonprofits and people need to support the great and important work being done -- it is our best hope for restoring our democracy and our reputation. so for those of you who are asking what you can do? Write a check or volunteer with an organization that is working to restore our fundamental freedoms.

[BARRISTER]

None of those three " front runners " will get my vote.
Time we the PEOPLE take back our Government.
let us collectively remove those turds from Congress and find a non Democrat runner and a non Republican runner and WE put them in the White House. At the same time we ignore Parties andput ordinary non politician real people in Congress ( both House and Senate), then we investigate ALL that are there now and before and INDICT those that messed with the laws.
PERIOD!!

[deminmo]

I asked a local talk radio station news person
why the local listeners didn't seem to care what
was happening in the nation. He told me that people don't know who or what to believe, so they just tune out. They are living life sheltered from what is going on.

Maybe that is true of Congress. What is not believed to be true is not.

So, maybe all this Iraq stuff was some type of
"reality show"?

Hey, there is a military helicopter flying overhead as I type this. Maybe the reality show
has ended its season?

[bella6]

stop all this sh.........and get down to business , we need a REVOLUTION TO STOP THIS NONSENSE, then we could start allover,maybe someone will come out of the woods and take the dam country over, i have lost my love to vote, these candidates are all alike a bunch of assh...........they are all phoney, money money , money is their god, with that in mind i will say to all the candidate go to h...........

[bella6]

it' time to get rid of h reid, he has no b.....
he has no energy, we must get someone in that has some fire, i do not see the democrats doing anygood for our country , it is not about (we the people) that has gone out of the window , THANKS TO MR BUSH..............
we are going to be a 3rd world country, can't anyone see that ,? does anyone care? no,,IT IS ALL OUT MONEY, REMEMBER GREED IS THE ROOT OF ALLLL EVIL

[Wyndespelle]

Now, now boys and girls, let us not forget that the entire planetary globe is comprised of fossil fools, er, uh, fuels! And it be the divine right of the PTB to control it. Ya got that??? That is the way it will be regardless of who is in power in the USA at any given moment. All we peeons can do is survive it all as best we can and be happy with our lot.The WAR is Bush's until January 20, 2007, when it became Pelosi's War.
That is, unless we want a Revolution to restore our Constitutional Rights or Elect the one Repugnican who can, maybe, do it peaceably enough: Ron Paul. I have long admired Mr. Paul though his Party Affiliation has always reeked of corruption and anti-humane treatment of its fellow man. The dichotomy was and is there for all to see as the Candidates knash and knarl each other and Ron stands idly by as they do so, awaiting his chance to state his piece on the Real Issues before us ~~~ and that usually is the beginning of a furor of furious morons who have no concept of a real issue or cogent thoughts upon one ...

[Rancholady]

About Pelosi's mind-numbing dicta that impeachment is off the table. How did we let her get away with that, and why? We are all a bunch of spineless followers, with no leaders. Our only hope would be to follow the excellent recipe for impeachment laid out almost two years ago in The Nation by Elizabeth Holtzman. The case has been building way beyond her list of malfeasance. We are all too lily-livered to take a stand. This president is so out of control it would be laughable if not so deplorable. Surely, we can get the courage even if it takes until Jan. 20, 2009, to bring impeachment bills to the floor of the House. Listen to Kucinich!

[rabun666]

At least 4 of the Democratic candidates are campaigning with a platform of continuing a Bush presidency, with BillHillary being the most vocal but then she's a Republican. The DLC[Democratic Lemmings Council] has morphed the Democratic Party into a branch of the Republican Party.Total support of the Democratic party must be withheld and a boycott on election is the only way to punish them. They do want power and threats to deny them power is the only language they will understand, even if it takes another Republican president for them to get the message. Liberals and Progressives must boycott the Democratic Party.

[bowserbois]

Way ahead of you. I switched my party. I'll never vote for a dem again. And of course that goes the same for the repugs. Indie's, here I come.

[mtburke59]

The party that started among those to the left of Atilla the Hun in November 2006 ended with Pelosi's pledge of no impeachment. Some, perhaps very many, of us realized that we had won NOTHING. That Bush and his handlers and cronies would read this, correctly, as permission to keep doing as they had done and we would see further erosion of the Consitution, more consolidation of usurped power to the Executive Branch and continued pillaging of the treasury of the US. To only start a very long list.

But what disappointed me even more was that, but for a few lone voices crying out in that wilderness that has become the US Congress, even the new people we sent don't seem to be doing anything. The "old" opposition within the Democratic Party (the Kucinich's et.al.) still spoke up but were ignored. Then some of the new boys like Salazar and Webb even voted to censure an ad, for heaven's sake, when they could have focused on the truth behind it. Oh, no, they chose form over substance. Typical.

Well, unless things change, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will not be Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader come January 2009. I think odds are good they will be back in the minority again. So many who voted for change feel they did not get it. How many of them will either not bother to turn out in November 2008 or will protest-vote for a 3rd party? It would not take many to give it back to the people who are effectively still running the show anyway.

Then, I think, we should Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid. Especially if the Dems also do not take the White House, another probable outcome since we don't seem to like the media-annointed front-runners very much either.

[Geoark]

If you want to stop the worldwide oil grab you need to adopt the philosophy of Earthrights Democracy and implement a system of Geonomics.

The Earth belongs to all of us so we should all get an equal share (via an Earth Inheritance dividend). Let us quit taxing human work and enterprise, and start charging a user fee for the extraction of our Earth's resources, the pollution of our land, air, and water, and for the monopoly of ground space.

Imaging how the peace could break out in Israel if all the people there (Jews and Palestinians) received and equal individual share of the ground rent. Now, why not do this around the world?

I know it feels good to curse the darkness (I do it a lot nowadays) but let us find a better way.

[Petesdaddy]

I think we're all just numbed by the humongousness of it all. What the hell can we do? Should we just take to the streets and start breaking windows and setting fire to police cars like what happened in San Francisco when City Supervisor Dan White murdered the mayor and Harvey Milk and got seven years from a sympathetic jury of his peers (straight white Catholics) who thought poor Dan was confused by all the Twinkies he ate? Hey, I'm ready... I'm really ready... we need revolution and revolutionary thinkers to get us back on track.

[Mair1]

THANK YOU MR. GILROY!!!
'Bout time someone put the whole ball of wax in a nutshell.

[pk1919]

First, remove Reid, replace with Joe Biden; then replace Pelosi with Dennis Kucinich. I would be willing to wager there would be big changes. Do completely away with the filibuster; tell the Repugs if they want funding, they impeach Bush and Cheney, stop the war, bring the troops home NOW, and start by ending lobbying, and fixing our economy, by sending ALL illegals home, growing corn or sugar cane for ethanol, producing ethanol engines, growing jobs and the economy, and educating those who can be educated, not babysitting everyone; if we don't our economy is being destroyed along with the WTC towers. A brilliant plan to destroy the country, if we don't do whatever we have to, to stop it.

[BoulderSue]

Actually I'd like to see a genuine filibuster, the kind that people stay up all night for, or as long as it takes. Then we might put some Congresspeople in a position where they have to fully explain themselves The 24 hour news channels would probably love it, just like the O.J. trial. I'm tired of this "we didn't get 60 votes" and that constitutes a filibuster, period, next issue. Calling Jimmy Stewart! I'd watch and be calling and/or E-mailing my Congresspeople with opinions on whatever whichever speaker said. Could be fun, like watching a long sports event. Get out the cheese, crackers and beer-make it a house party, a pajama party, have eggs Benedict in the morning. And keep some champagne on hand just in case some Congresspeople show some spine or conscience. If they don't, you'll at least have it to ease your painful frustration-once more.