What to do about Fallujah?
I have strong feelings about the US being in Iraq, and stong feelings about WHY we're there, and even stronger feelings about the pundits who spout their drek that passes for "news" these days.

I think we went in for a good reason, and I think that even w/out finding "WMDs", we had and have good reasons for cleaning up... the brutalization of the populace by Saddam. How can you spell that? Rape rooms, torture rooms, execution rooms, mass graves, poverty while the leaders bilked billions from the economy, embezzlement of national resources w/ the complicity of the UN... I could go on, but I'm tired of recounting the facts over and over only to be met with whining from "The other side".

The latest SNAFU is the treatment of the prisoners by US guards. It is disgusting, shameful, and tragic. The guards/soldiers that took part deserve hard time, in my not-so-humble opinion. The idiot/useless "Amnesty International" has piped up... where were they when Saddam was crushing the ankles of his erstwhile Olympic team members? Where were they during the rape rooms, plastic shredder torture, acid vats rooms, genital electrocution? They were conspicuously absent... evidently WE are the only real "bad guys". OK, so we had a group of really idiotic "soldiers" to really shameful things to a bunch of Iraqi prisoners... That doesn't change the fact that we cleaned up a horrible mess and nobody else in the world will admit it or give us credit for it. America is the favorite target... we're a cash-cow, whipping boy, sacrificial goat, and the rest of the world wants to stick us as much as possible.

Well, I'm tired of it. I am tired of our good soldiers being painted as fools, as oppressors, as aggressors, as occupiers. The men and women that are over there trying to help are there because of honor and duty... two words that the majority of the media pundits are completely unfamiliar with. I may not like Bush's policies -- most of them -- be we are there, the US is there, for a good reason, and we've done a good job.

But the headlines tote the last fatalities with sadistic glee -- TEN MORE SOLDIERS DIE! IRAQI PEOPLE RESENT US! AMERICAN OCCUPIERS!!! ...vapid news anchors, who couldn't punch their way out of a newstory if they ever got near one, cackle with gleaming eyes while they report that latest attacks against the "occupiers", hinting that we deserved the attacks and that it proves something (something) about the current administration... and this from the AMERICAN media. The REST of the world isn't so charitable. They are orgasmic over American workers being murdered, mutilated ("decimated"), burned, and photographed. Where was Amnesty International? Where was the UN? Where was CAIR? Where was the "muslim community's" outrage? -- Oh, that last WAS there, but it was AGAINST US.

I have argued with people that, no matter WHY we're there, we can't JUST LEAVE. WE'RE THERE! As long as we're doing good, keeping peace, or helping rebuild, we shouldn't -- and CAN'T leave. But I think I may have hit my limit (luckily, it's not up to me). I am tired of an ungrateful world, including ungrateful Iraqiis. At this point, I think we should have just left 'em alone in the first place and let Saddam continue to grind them into paste. Not very charitable of me, is it? I guess lack of gratitude does that to me. At least if Saddam were still in power, the American people would have 486 Billions of dollars less in tax burden and wouldn't have to listen to EVERY country rip into the US because of the liberation of Iraq -- they'd just have to use their OTHER old reasons.

I am tired of the US being used as a patsy, always being lined up as the bad guy and set up as the fall guy. I am ready to pull our good troops out -- at least out of Fallujah, and I have an EXIT strategy that I think would work.

It's time we re-name Fallujah -- give the city a new name to help people forget what it was... something poetic, something prophetic. How about "The City of Glass". We got over Nagasaki (Remembering Nagasaki: The Decision), and I think we would get over Fallujah. Pull our "guys" out, and as a parting gift, right after the America-haters were dancing and chanting in the streets, drop the biggest nuke we have in our inventory -- and turn Fallujah into a river of molten (and radioactive) glass. And, if the Muslims threaten us, remind them what "we know where Mecca is". A Black Brick could glow radioactively just as easily.

Our exit would have to be accompanied by the US announcing to the rest of the world that they can "shove off". Follow Geo Washington's recommendation to "avoid entangling alliances".

I, personally, would go a step further... for a while at least. I would have us, the US, become isolationists... let the world stand on its own two feet. We would pull our bases back, kick all of the aliens out -- nicely --, and tell folks that we're going to keep our nose out of their business from now on. Grow our own food, employ our own people... inform any corporations that a) they were no longer considered PEOPLE, and b) they could be located IN the US, or OUTSIDE of the US, but not both. The only intercourse we would have with other countries would be for the world's oldest profession -- commerce.

"Would we like to trade w/ your country? Certainly. But we kindly decline the offer to pour billions of dollars of aid into your country while you sneer, make snide remarks, and wipe your feet on us. And we'll adjust what we're willing to pay based on your past performance and your credit rating... Oh, and by the way, your country still owes the US umpteen-bazillion dollars... would you like to pay us back in free goods or in gold?"

I would insist that we get the US out of the UN and get the UN out of the US. Let them go soak some other country(s) for rent and "maintenance" a while and see how the REST of the world likes it.

Our ONLY interest would be in fair trade. People starving in East Gibip? So sorry, we wouldn't want to interfere. Ethnic Cleansing? Um, sorry, outside of our realm of influence. Economy tanking because Uncle Sam isn't bleeding money (and bleeding his citizens for money to pay for it)? Sigh, it's really, really very sad. Now, do you want to BUY something or SELL something? Next please!

Would I REALLY do all this? In a heartbeat... which is why I'll never become president.
Or at least one of the reasons.

Am I still a (small-"L") libertarian? I guess not -- they wouldn't have me. I share some beliefs, but I guess I have too much national pride, and realize that, before we could become a "free" country, we'd have to get past where our country is currently at -- and they have no policy to get from point "A" to point "B", save blame the government. Until they come up with that nice "fairy wand" that will fix everything instantly, I can't see their policies working, at least not in my lifetime.



- posted by Marc V. @ 6:41 PM