Nasty Riffraff

Lies, Lies and Damn Lies

The pretend-president of the U.S. has repeatedly told us that attacking Iraq is necessary for the safety and security of the “Homeland.” He’s beaten the drum calling forth horrors of Saddam unleashing nuclear weapons and/or biological or chemical weapons on the world.

He has presented no creditable evidence of this, and has largely ignored options other than a unilatral attack.

And he has lied. Deliberately and repeatedly.

The truth is that long before 9/11 conservatives have been planning for war that goes far beyond the “axis of evil:” Iraq, North Korea and Iran. In fact, a strategy for American intervention in many areas of the world was suggested in a report issued in September, 2000 by a group of conservatives from Project for the New American Century. Key points in that report:

• Identifies the challenge for the 21st century: to “preserve and enhance” American peace and security. [Emphasis mine]


• Repudiates the anti-ballistic missile system


• Identifies Iraq, Iran and North Korea as primary, immediate targets, long before Bush identified those countries as the “axis of evil” after 9/11.


• Urges that the U.S. perform “constabulary duties” throughout the world. Note that the report identified no limits on police actions by U.S. forces. (My, doesn’t that sound familiar? Anyone remember Vietnam?)


• Strongly recommends a much larger U.S. military presence throughout the world, specifically in the Middle East, Latin America Southeast Asia and Southeast Europe.

In addition to this report, another conservative group at the American Enterprise Institute has argued for “democratization” through pre-emptive attacks. This is supposed to create a “domino effect” where other surrounding nations will collapse before U.S. pressure and embrace democracy. (Again. Remember Vietnam?)

Will the Republicans never learn from history? Do they even read history? In fact, we’ve learned the hard way that “democratization” simply doesn’t work. Reform comes from within, not without.

Want examples? How about Israel, Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union, India, South Africa, The Phillipines. Going further back: France, and yes, the United States.

How about the well-known failures from the last century: Korea and Vietnam. Does any sane person claim successful democratization in those two areas?

But Bush wants war, and God help us, he’s likely to get it. He has on his cowboy hat and his gun in the back of his pickup truck, ready to hunt. And he’ll tell any lie to achieve it.