Democracy for Vancouver

There was a comment to the letters to the editor section of The Columbian today that included the statement, “Now is the time to avoid selling us out like you sold us out in Vietnam.” The commenter was speaking to the “guys that now run Congress”.

I find it immensely ironic that it appears that no matter what direction our government takes in Iraq now, the “guys that now run Congress” are probably going to be blamed for the mess that the Bush crime family has created. If we pull out and Iraqis continue to fight and die among themselves (which they very likely will), the “guys that now run Congress” will be blamed. If Congress does nothing to stop the Bush crime family’s insanity, the “guys that now run Congress” will be blamed for doing nothing to stop the Bush crime family. If, by some miracle, Bush’s surge actually brings stability to the region and the Iraqis decide it is OK for us to stay, build our bases and steal their oil, then the “guys that now run Congress” will be blamed for trying to needlessly change direction. It seems that the “guys that now run Congress” are between a rock and a hard place.

But the conundrum really boils down to this. The “guys that now run Congress” must make a moral choice. And if they make the wrong one (which they seem to be doing), the price they (and all of us citizens of the USA) will pay will be a big one.

As Robert Shetterly says in a Common Dreams article that was posted today:

It is horrible to think that our soldiers have died and been injured in vain. However, if we demand accountability, demand impeachment, something honest will have been redeemed. All that blood and those blasted bodies of beloved people may form the bulwark against future abuse. In a sense freedom will have been won, democracy will be affirmed, justice will be established — here.

No one can tell you what will happen when the US withdraws the troops. Although, many did predict the chaos of insurgency and sectarianism that resulted from the attack. But whatever happens after our withdrawal, it will be made easier if we involve international peacekeepers, remove our bases, forego any claim to the oil, and pay reparations. The war is a moral and legal catastrophe and will continue to be. But since we precipitated it, we can’t pretend also to want to protect the Iraqis from it. We can’t. We’re the cause of it.

And he also provides this sage advice for the “guys that now run Congress”

It is my deepest belief that the only good that may come from this disgraceful time in our history, will be the honest acknowledgement of how and why the country was mislead, followed by punishment for those responsible. Without that justice, we will learn nothing and be easy prey for the next abuse of power.

My advice for the “guys that now run Congress” is to do what they know deep in their hearts is the right thing and save America by ending this illegal and immoral occupation along with impeachment and prosecution of all those responsible.