He's Worse Than I Am

The White House now justifies its action in Iraq as necessary to free the people of Iraq rather than due to the threat Iraq posed to the United States. A clear propaganda website, Iraq Liberation Update, shows tales of how bad things were for people under Saddam. But it appears difficult for the White House to update the site with tales of how good Iraq is today. In this way, the White House lies on a daily basis.

The site, under the command of this White House, spreads news of the joyful Iraqi people that the mainstream media refuses to show. The problem is that the vacuum created by the Bush administration plan has led to new and different horrors rather than safety in Iraq. Despite the departure of the dictator Saddam, the situation in Iraq is bleak. Despite proclamations to the contrary, the situation in Iraq is not truly shown in the American media. The daily reports of death and destruction we do see are only a small portion of the actual damage. This is repeatedly displayed by the inability of our forces to move without extreme personal danger. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said as much in his much less focused upon remark to soldiers, "You can have all the armor in the world on a tank and a tank can [still] be blown up." Even the supposedly safe International Zone is more of a bullseye than a safe area.

In addition, this website justifies the military solution in Iraq on the defeat of an evil dictator who harmed his own people, rather than the initially proclaimed reason of imminent danger to the American people. Are we Americans now such internationalists, with the highest of moral and ethical calling, that we can impose our moral opinions and judgments on others by force? Or are we simply being run by despotic rulers who exploit our people's obedience to patriot callings to enrich themselves and their cronies?

Worse still, we have made a grave mistake in that we did not attack the country that has the worst of the world's despotic rulers. If we choose this new justification, why do we not use this noble calling to spread freedom to truly oppressed people? Why are we not going into Zimbabwe? How about Myanmar(Burma), one of the most repressive countries in the world? It is because these countries are not teeming in resources and therefore the well-being of these people is of a lower priority. When are we going into North Korea? It's cruel practices against its people are well documented This country, however, also has little in the way of resources and actually does pose a threat to America, especially if attacked. We therefore stand back, behind China, Japan, Russia and South Korea, remove some of our troops because we are stretched so thin militarily and do little to protect the American people. This is the legacy of the Bush administration. A failure to truly protect the American people.

In the end, it is us who must save our own country. This country is not the government, no matter who is elected, but is us. We must exercise, as stated by Jefferson, our right "to alter or to abolish [the government], and to institute new Government." We must work to eliminate the illegitimate Bush government and install a new government that serves the people. Write your Senator and Representative with this message.