Tuesday, February 01, 2005

No time for euphoria

We will never know what actually happened during the recent Iraqi election. In spite of the false euphoria being touted by the major media and the White House, it may well be the case that things will not eventually turn out for the best. There is some reason to believe that at least some Iraqis believed that if they did not vote they would not get their food rations. There is even more reason to believe that many voted because they erroneously thought they were voting for a new president. And apparently many voted because they thought the only way they could get rid of the U.S. occupation was to vote. Also, as predicted, while the Kurds and Shiites turned out in large numbers the Sunnis did not. Whether the Sunnis will come on board or not is not at all clear. When you understand that all the Arab countries around Iraq are controlled by Sunnis, and the Shiites have not been in control anywhere for some 14 hundred years, it does make you wonder (I believe this is correct. If not, please advise). The Kurds were voting for independence, the Shiites for control they have never had. It is not unlikely there will be a civil war with the U.S. backing the Shiites against the Arab states backing the Sunnis. The Kurds will continue their quest for independence, violently opposed by the Turks. Obviously I do not know what will happen and perhaps things will actually go well. But don’t hold your breath, and don’t swallow the usual crap from the major media and the White House.

It appears that at least 30 democrats will vote against the confirmation of Gonzales. Why not all democrats? How can anyone in good conscience vote for a man who favors not only torture but a dictatorship? Why should the democrats not send a message, loud and clear, that they are not in favor of torture or dictatorship, and if the Republicans vote for confirmation in spite of this opposition, they, and they alone will be responsible for the message they will be sending the rest of the world, as well as the non-Republicans in the United States. This would be nothing less than a declaration of war, Republicans against the world. Any democrat who votes for Gonzales should certainly be voted out of office in the next election. As there is yet to be any sign of an honest or ethical Republican, and as they will predictably follow the Bush/Cheney line, we can automatically write them off as quasi-loonies.

And speaking of loonies, the American Family Association just heard a speech from Dr. D. James Kennedy (whoever he is) who asserted the evolution is the most destructive idea ever, responsible for 135 million deaths (although how this happened is not clear). Evolution is worse than terrorism, worse than war, apparently worse than anything in the world. No doubt there are people who will actually believe this, just as they believe the earth is a mere 6000 years old, the Grand Canyon was caused by the flood, and the Rapture will be upon us soon. Sigh.

1 comment:

Watch 'n Wait said...

I swear, some of these events and opinion are more than enough to cause one to lose one's composure entirely. How any decent person could vote to confirm either Rice or Gonzales is beyond me. I'm about to believe Bill Moyer's belief that everything this admin is doing and has done is half to take over the world (and all its cash) and half to bring on the "rapture". Perhaps people have inhaled so many pesticides their brains resemble sieves. Whatever, their mental conditions are not doing the world nor the nation any good.