Kucinich outlines plan for peace with honor in Iraq

"This administration has tried to run Iraq by remote control," Kucinich stated. "The war won't end until they can be guaranteed a free and fair election. But this particular administration isn't familiar with free and fair elections."

This is basically what Kucinich has been saying all along, and it's a great idea, if the UN will go along with it. If not, what then?

The UN won't help the Shrub. It might help a new administration.

I just wish he wasn't so nerdy looking.

--his security very effectively protects him from mobs of female supporters with baskets of vegan cookies and gallons of sandalwood massage oil, though.

I shook his hand at the Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine, last September.

an old hound
and the charisma of a dish rag

I love this man's heart and depth.

Should I pursue him *LOL*?

:loveya:

He supposedly broke up with his girlfriend of 8 years, but some wonder if that was just a ploy to keep nosyparkers of the press and public out of her face during his presidential run. On the other hand, she may well have said "It's either me or this ridiculous presidential run. Your choice."

I saw him in CO last mouth. Someone asked him how he became a Vegan. He said he met someone 9 years ago whom was and converted..."that's what you do for love".....sounded like it was very current.

Dennis Kucinich is a good man.

has always been right and I am so happy he is still out there speaking.

I love this line.

"This is the only plan being offered anywhere," said Kucinich. "No other candidate has put forth a peace plan and exit strategy. You can bomb the world into pieces, but you can't bomb the world into peace.""

Good man... :loveya:

snip

"Kucinich would ask the United Nations to take over all administrative and security responsibilities in Iraq, in particular to manage the oil assets of Iraq "for the Iraqi people" until they are self-governing. The UN would administer all contracts to rebuild Iraq - handling and awarding them in an entirely accountable, highly visible manner - and the United States would renounce any efforts to privatize Iraq. The UN would also handle the transition to Iraqi self-governance, helping the people develop a constitution, and assist them in holding free and fair elections."

Transparency, in all further dealings with Iraq is crucial, regardless. The damage to our credibility is the lowest it has ever been in our history. Extraordinary world-wide diplomatic efforts are needed to ensure that all significant parties are brought to the table in an intelligent, thoughtful way in order to avert another major crisis.

Transparency, in all further dealings with Iraq is crucial, regardless. The damage to our credibility is the lowest it has ever been in our history. Extraordinary world-wide diplomatic efforts are needed to ensure that all significant parties are brought to the table in an intelligent, thoughtful way in order to avert another major crisis.

I think you've nailed this. Who, in the year 2004, has the mind, heart, and courage to engage in those extraordinary diplomatic efforts needed? I know Dennis Kucinich does. I hope Kerry does. I hope he will make full use of what Dennis brings to the table on this issue.

This is a far cry from "I'll-bring-the-troops-home-near-the-end-of-my-term."

isnt peace with honor a 70s nixonian term for "abandon ship, mates"!

IMHO.
I am so glad he is still running...I heard he did 17% in Oregon & a few more delegates! Thanks, Oregoners :hi:

I sure wish I could go to the Convention in Boston to hear Dennis & see him in action. Quite impressive!

BTW-he is not nerdy, either...in person he has this energy and heart about him...like there is no one lese in the room when he talks to you....unlike politicians who are always looking for someone more important or to see how the camera angle is....DK is a real human being...all the time!

and yeah, I wish America was ready for him too....day-am!

Peace
DR

KICK!

for the kooch!!!

The Kucinich plan is not Peace with Honor. It's War with Idiocy, much like our current policy. His idea rests upon the same tired "Just give it to the UN and everything will be fine" nonsense that's been sprayed like graffiti all over this place, with no real regard for the consequences, or even likelihood of such actions taking place.
Consider, for a moment, that you are the prime minister or president or ruthless dictator of a country. You are asked, by the UN, to provide peacekeeping troops for Iraq. The number hasn't been stated, but the general assumption here has been that it will be upwards of our current strength of 130,000. Let's say, then, that your contribution will be 10,000 troops.
Well now, let's see... what possible tangible benefits do you derive from sending your troops into a war zone where some of them will surely die? This is not East Timor or even the former Yugoslavia. This is an active war zone, and improvised explosive devices are the bane of government officials everywhere.
Would YOU send YOUR people off to die? Wearing the blue helmet does not make you immune from gunfire & explosives & death. After what we have done to the UN, I highly doubt that many of its member states will be jumping with joy at the thought of boby bags/boxes/coffins coming home in pursuit of some vague notion of a "free" Iraq, a notion to which they did not subscribe in the first place. And, quite frankly, the idea that we can just hand this whole thing off to the UN, to let troops from other countries get killed in our place, is mortal stupid cowardice. We have few options left, and Peace with Honor is not one of them. Hell, Peace Without Honor is not one of them. There is only war. War war war. War which we have started, and war which we must conclude in some fashion, lest we undermine the stability of what is, in our current situation, the most strategically vital area of the globe as far as US interests are concerned.
We have failed misreably. Miserable Failure, yes. And we will not leave now, rest assured of that much. That position is political suicide for anyone who attempts it, so really it isn't even worth discussing. We are there and we will stay there, and no amount of wounded screaming will result in our departure. So ponder, if you will, what actions we could take RIGHT NOW to restore some sort of normalcy to that country. Many people have suggested handing over responsibility for the reconstruction work to Iraqis. Perhaps that's a good start, but I've managed to go woefully off-topic with this drunken ramble, and it must be immediately aborted.

Good night! :)

Fallujah has calmed down since US withdrawal--why wouldn't it work that way elsewhere?

Any further military action the US takes will be like pouring water on an electrical fire.

Big load of bullshit if he sincerely believes Iraq must be a democracy and that there must be stability. If those are the standards he seeks to reach, then it's going to take U.S. troops. He's clearly ignoring the obvious with his magical UN peackeepers.

Fallujah was highly unstable when they were there, and has calmed down since they left.

America, you don't know how lucky you are to have him.

That's my leader, will follow him anywhere.

n/t

Coming from behind when the candidates can't see through
the forest!!!!

Go Dennis!!!!