Organizing Notes

Bruce Gagnon is coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He offers his own reflections on organizing and the state of America's declining empire....

My Photo
Name:
Location: Brunswick, ME, United States

The collapsing US military & economic empire is making Washington & NATO even more dangerous. US could not beat the Taliban but thinks it can take on China-Russia-Iran...a sign of psychopathology for sure. We must all do more to help stop this western corporate arrogance that puts the future generations lives in despair. @BruceKGagnon

Monday, March 06, 2006

WHY DO WE STAY IN IRAQ?


National polls are showing today that 80% of the American people believe there is now civil war in Iraq. The majority now believes we must leave Iraq.

The poll found that 56 percent also say the United States is not making significant progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq -- a 17-point drop in optimism since December and the most pessimistic reading on this question since it was first asked in June, 2004.

Our Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) is in Iraq and held a "town hall meeting" with Maine National Guard soldiers stationed there. Sounds like the peace movement will have to dress up in Army uniforms before we are able to get our senator to meet with us.

Our friend Dexter Kamilewicz, who has announced his candidacy to run for Congress as an Independent, has a son in Iraq with the Vermont National Guard. Dexter's son Ben came home last week on leave after seven horrid months in Iraq. He returns this week for another five months. In a letter Dexter sent out to supporters Dexter said, "Ben flew home on an airplane crowded with wounded soldiers with lost limbs, disfigured faces, debilitating concussions, and horrific wounds that won’t heal in a lifetime, but nobody sees them, nobody is allowed to see them. There are tens of thousands of them."

Dexter concluded his letter by saying, "Our Maine Congressional Delegation is responsible for the War in Iraq as they vote to fund it. It is impossible to say that you are against the war when you fund it – such is the problem with politicians speaking out of both sides of their mouths. Those who vote to fund an illegal, immoral, cruel war have blood on their hands. Our politicians’ votes to fund the war results in more death and destruction on an ever widening basis, more American deaths and returning soldiers with baggage that we are unprepared to deal with, no health care plan, no retirement benefits, degradation of the planet, higher taxes – just endless, mindless war, and no future. Why?"

Why? Permanent bases to control oil....profits for the weapons corporations....kick-backs (called campaign donations from the weapons industry) to politicians.....belief in empire.....

Are we in Iraq, like my local Congressman Tom Allen (D-ME) says, to prevent a civil war? What will be the next excuse the politicians use to justify permanent occupation? Who will be fooled into voting again for these policians who deceive us so?

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home