03 February 2009
Hey, It's Only Been 11 Days
Listening to the news media, one might think that President Obama has been in office for a year. Where are the changes he promised? The Republicans do not show any willingness to cooperate and join in with Democrats in Congress according to the votes in the House and Senate divided. Likewise, the Democrats have not acted with open arms and ears to their colleagues' concerns.
The President was elected in part for his pledge to bring our troops out of the Iraqi occupation. Now, the generals (who are very smart, political beings) will attempt to revise the President's January 29th statement of intent. We, the public, have insufficient information to believe the generals or to dispute them. The public does know, however, that every week that we continue a deployment of 160,000 military personnel in Iraq, millions of unbudgeted dollars sustain troop levels and operations, money needed for a greater crisis--the economy--than a tenuous attempt to establish a stable government in Iraq. As far as recorded history describes the most consistent, predictable governance in Southwest Asia as that of an autocratic monarch who is sustained by the merchant class and tightly controlled military force.
What rational argument can the generals make to try to change President Obama's mind on withdrawal within 16 months? It is a fear among the international corporations that Middle Eastern oil will become a volatile commodity without politial stability. Business hates unpredictability, so I think the pressure is really coming from the economic global economy's leadership, the oligarchs, not from any military need.
The neo-conservatives and the generals might recall that Barack Obama won, their candidate did not. The wasteful ongoing occupation and support of the Iraqi Government under occupation was and remains the major reason for Mr. Obama's victory at the polls. I think it is presumptuous to believe that the United States military could establish a model, secular democracy in a region of the world in which the only democratic process occurs among the tribal leaders sitting in council within an extended familial culture. Now that I think about it, democracy works best within an extended family social unit. Democracy requires mutual respect and trust of the other, not by dint of force.
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The President was elected in part for his pledge to bring our troops out of the Iraqi occupation. Now, the generals (who are very smart, political beings) will attempt to revise the President's January 29th statement of intent. We, the public, have insufficient information to believe the generals or to dispute them. The public does know, however, that every week that we continue a deployment of 160,000 military personnel in Iraq, millions of unbudgeted dollars sustain troop levels and operations, money needed for a greater crisis--the economy--than a tenuous attempt to establish a stable government in Iraq. As far as recorded history describes the most consistent, predictable governance in Southwest Asia as that of an autocratic monarch who is sustained by the merchant class and tightly controlled military force.
What rational argument can the generals make to try to change President Obama's mind on withdrawal within 16 months? It is a fear among the international corporations that Middle Eastern oil will become a volatile commodity without politial stability. Business hates unpredictability, so I think the pressure is really coming from the economic global economy's leadership, the oligarchs, not from any military need.
The neo-conservatives and the generals might recall that Barack Obama won, their candidate did not. The wasteful ongoing occupation and support of the Iraqi Government under occupation was and remains the major reason for Mr. Obama's victory at the polls. I think it is presumptuous to believe that the United States military could establish a model, secular democracy in a region of the world in which the only democratic process occurs among the tribal leaders sitting in council within an extended familial culture. Now that I think about it, democracy works best within an extended family social unit. Democracy requires mutual respect and trust of the other, not by dint of force.
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