[Vision2020] War Debate Has Become Inane (Molly Ivins)

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (June 14, 2006) Spokesman Review -

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War debate has become inane 
Molly Ivins 

June 14, 2006

Iraq and the media, the media and Iraq - over and over. Last week was
supposed to be a good media week for Iraq - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was dead.
Taken out, we said, by a combination of American and Iraqi troops with
Jordanian intelligence. 

The churlish might note this was the second time the American military had
announced Zarqawi's death - but, hey, we've announced the capture of Osama's
No. 2 guy at least seven or eight times. Others claimed Zarqawi was never
that important to begin with, indeed had been built up by our side. Still,
that's a goal for our side, as they say in World Cup play. 
 
Then reality got a bit bumpy. Zarqawi wasn't exactly dead when we found him.
We put him on a stretcher and cleaned him up - the fog of war intervened. 

I distinctly remember people predicting the first time we killed Zarqawi
that it wouldn't make much difference, so I presume they did it again. Thus,
we get to revisit the old cackle over whether we are fighting international
terrorists who have flocked to Iraq or a native uprising against our
occupation of the country. Can't even agree on what's going on. 

I'm so used to one side saying this and the other side saying the opposite
that I didn't even blink over the differences. 

I did, however, come to a screeching halt over the right's reaction to news
of a triple suicide at Guantanamo. A great chorus of "How dare they?" seemed
to follow this dismal news. My local paper said, "Detainees hid their plans
to die ... Guantanamo officials were fooled ... Inquiry looks at how to
prevent other deaths." 

Now it seems to me one might have any number of reactions to news of
suicides at Guantanamo, but righteous indignation is not one of them. Most
of these prisoners have been held for four years now without possibility of
charge, trial or parole. I should think they would be suicidal. I'm sorry we
failed to prevent it, but I'm not sure that's possible. "They hid their
plans to die?" Gee, the sneaks. 

You know what? This is getting silly. The debate over this war is
unrealistic and even ludicrous. A) It is not going well. B) It keeps getting
worse. C) Yes, it is possible that if we stay there long enough, it will get
better eventually. D) There is no evidence suggesting that beyond hope. 

A particularly acrid growth from this fruitless debate is the contempt for
and dismissal of public opinion in other countries. "So what if we have
alienated public opinion in nations throughout the Middle East?" seems to be
the attitude. "Who cares what they think?" If I wanted to win a global war
on terror, I'd sure be concerned about what they think. 

I would hope the right would at least be concerned over the damage being
done to the American military by this war. Morale, my eye. Excuse me, but
our government doesn't even seem to be able to pay these people on time. Not
to mention stretching them past the breaking point in Iraq, leaving them
without adequate mental care when they come home, endlessly extending their
tours, bribing them to re-up, and so forth and so on. Then, of course,
something like Haditha happens, and they all get a black eye out of it. 

I think it's time the anti-war side in this country started using a few
threats of its own - specifically, about who's going to take the blame for
this when it's over. Forget the liberal tradition of forgiveness. I say,
hold this grudge.

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

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"In America, anybody can become president.  
That's one of the risks you take . . ."

- Adlai Stevenson

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