Song remains the same after Iraqi handover

[MadHound]

So yesterday, 6/28/04, the US handed over "limited sovereignty" to an interim Iraqi government. This means that Iraqis can now make some governmental decisions on their own. However, they cannot make any decisions that affect Iraq's long term future, and the US is going to provide continued and ongoing "security" functions, ie the US is going to continue military operartions for an indefinite period of time.

Meanwhile, for US troops on the ground, the song remains the same. They are still involved in the ongoing guerilla conflict, and are still suffering injury and death. Three Marines were killed today by another in an endless line of roadside bombs. The Green Zone in Baghdad came under fire, military personell are being taken hostage and killed.

The Iraqi people are still suffering under an oppressive occupation. Innocents are still caught in the crossfire, killed and wounded by both US troops and Iraqi insurgents. They also are overwhelmingly calling for the US to leave, completely and totally now. Humanitarian disaster looms as the infrastucture of Iraq languishs in ruin. Health and human services are primitive at best, and go missing entirely in many areas.

The US corporations are still making obscene amounts of money, robbing the Iraqi and US population under the guise of nation building. Iraq is being drained of it's resources, while the US taxpayer is being drained of their money, for generations to come. Meanwhile, the wealthy and powerful elite are making ever more money, while throwing the children of those they consider beneath them into the meatgrinder. More reservists are being called up, and draft talk is in the air.

And yet, we the people are asked to believe that progress is being made, that we are winning the war on terrorism and are successfully rebuilding Iraq, all because some US power brokers signed some papers yesterday and held an elaborate ceromony in secret.

The sad thing is that with the help of our good puppy press, most people in this country will believe this dog and pony show. Any information to the contrary will be ignored or dismissed as the ravings of someone who "hates 'Murika". I dispair of this country ever waking up. Between the constant press of simply surviving in our country, and the willful embrace of ignorance, most Americans are clueless about what is really going on in both the world at large and their own country. And sad to say, many many are proud of this fact. Even when presented with irrefutable evidence, it is dismissed as lies or spin.

So yesterday, Iraq supposedly rejoined the free countries of the world. Papers were signed, speeches were made, and yet just a few hundred yards away, people continued to suffer and die. Just another day in the ongoing Iraqi occupation, where the song is still the same.

It is time, now, to bring the troops home. Fancy speeches and vague promises are pointless unless they are backed up with real, concrete actions. As long as there are troops in Iraq, people on both sides will continue to suffer and perish. Despite all the words in the world, any government set up under US auspices will be destroyed once the US leaves Iraq. The best, the only action the US can take to fully restore Iraqi sovereignty is to leave, now. The excuse of many good liberals and Democrats, "we broke it, we have to fix it" was shown to be a lie back in the dark days of Vietnam. Let us prove that we can learn from history, from our mistakes, and leave Iraq NOW, before any more damage is done.

[MadHound]

1. Kick, n/t

[tigereye]

2. in our local paper is a big picture

of Bremer handing off "sovreignty" and also a note from Condi to the Pres. tellng him when the event occurred. * penned on the note, "Let Freedom reign." These people are living in a fantasy world! They are the kings and queens of propaganda, not Michael Moore!