Enough is Enough

I found it very disturbing to listen to the testimony before US Senate Committees by the top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, describing the status in Iraq and the surge that President George Bush ordered last year. As the Senators asked a number of questions, most politely, many supportive, some specific, very few challenging or probing, the thoughts of having lost 4000 plus of our bravest, and counting, the 30,000 plus wounded, and counting, the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead, and counting, 2 million displaced Iraqis, and counting, all for an illegal and unjustified invasion more than 5 years ago, and counting, I found myself grinding my teeth, which, at my age is not something I can afford to do.

And all, as we speak today, without a short time goal, a long time goal, or an exit strategy. But the surge "has worked, is working," a "pause" is needed, and much of what has been gained is "fragile and reversible."

And now the Iranians are coming. No, the Iranians are there, "contributing to the killing of our American military." So maybe a military confrontation with Iran is just around the next alleyway?

And our military, according to most of the experts, is at the breaking point, maybe past the point of no return - military draft anyone? Iran? Forget it. Afghanistan? Has anyone been paying attention to the increased violence there?

And at a cost of nearly a trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000), and counting, the US economy is tanking, the US dollar is falling off the radar screen, our health coverage is an embarrassment, thousands out of work, our education system is another embarrassment, and, oh, you get the idea. Add any of your pet peeves to the growing list. Israel-Palestine road map? What road map?

And what of our dead, wounded, and their families? That is a cost that can never be assessed, and, if you are not one of those families, a cost you can never really feel. After all, our president has never asked us to sacrifice. In fact, he rewards us with tax breaks that mainly go the wealthy, has taken away many of our so-called rights, asked us to "go the malls, go on living your normal lives," and has added so much to the budget deficits and debt that our future generations may never be able to pay it off.

United Sates for sale? Heck, with the growing list of home foreclosures and sales, we might as well add it to the list.

And this is what we have after 5 years, and counting?

I wonder, dear George, if you will ever realize in your lifetime, much less admit, that Osama bin Laden is smarter than you and all of the so-called brains and experts you have, and did have, running our once proud nation into the ground. Let me remind you of two things he said: one, he and his fellow men will never tolerate any US citizen or military on any mid- eastern soil; two, he intends to bankrupt the US. Dear George, you fell right into his trap.

Bankrupt, or bankruptcy, is almost always associated with monetary issues. I would take that a bit further. The morals that we once stood for as a nation is bankrupt. The lives of those who lost their loved ones in a totally unjustifiable fiasco are bankrupt.

And one last reminder, dear George: if you think you can bring democracy to a region that has been fighting among themselves for thousands of years, you're smoking the wrong stuff.

A military victory in Iraq is unattainable. We must remove our military and civilian support personnel in an orderly but rapid manner immediately. Now.

Enough is enough.

Peace.
Larry