Stars and Stripes letter (Senator Kerry, please read)

I have a question for the writer of the letter “Bush a principled leader” (April 27). What was the reason President Bush gave for going to war? It definitely wasn’t to liberate the Iraqi people. We kept Saddam Hussein in power because he did our bidding by attacking Iran in the 1980s and gave us access to cheap oil. The Iraqi people were an afterthought, just as were South Africa’s blacks and the people of various other nations as long as our national interests were met. Saddam was free to gas and mutilate anyone who disagreed with him and we didn’t care one bit. Cheap oil was our number one priority, period. And it still is as far as the Middle East is concerned.

Granted, the United States was founded on some lofty principles. But let’s be honest. We don’t live up to them ourselves. If we did, we wouldn’t continue to support dictators like Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. The last time I checked, a military coup didn’t constitute an election. And there’s the Saudis, Kuwaitis, etc. Making a buck is our guiding principle.

Human rights? Well, it sounds nice. But if we really cared, we wouldn’t support men like Saddam in the first place. I find it really disingenuous to hear Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and others say we had to stop the threat of Saddam’s WMDs (Weapons of Mass Delusion) when we sold him a lot of the components in the first place. We also provided him with satellite coverage of Iranian positions in the Iraq/Iran war so he could gas the Iranians. And readers wonder why America is seen as the “Great Satan” in the Middle East.

A lot of people believe Bush is a strong leader because he’s a “moral” man with strong Christian beliefs. They should get real. President Clinton also proclaimed his faith in God, but that didn’t stop him from having sex outside of his marriage. But Clinton’s lie only hurt his family and friends. Bush’s lies are getting people killed for no reason other than greed.

As far as Bush being a man of principles, what principles? Greed is a vice, not a virtue. I find it funny that some Americans, particularly those of the Christian right, were offended by Clinton’s actions with Monica Lewinsky and his lies to cover it up, but have no problem with Bush’s lies. Lying is wrong, but in the Bible God doesn’t make any distinctions between a little lie or a big lie. A lie is a lie. And please don’t use the tired excuse that we’re in Iraq to liberate the Iraqi people. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has already said the U.S. won’t let Iraq become an Islamic republic. Why not? Isn’t it their country?

I’m no fan of John Kerry either. I consider Bush and Kerry to both be two sides of the same bad coin. Kerry is being just as dishonest as Bush about this war. But at least Kerry had the guts to put his butt on the line in Vietnam when it counted. Bush? Cheney? Nowhere to be found. I’m sorry, but joining the National Guard when Bush did was a way to get out of going to Vietnam. Bush is just as much of a draft dodger as Clinton was. There’s no shame about being scared of going to war. But why should I sacrifice my life for a fight when someone else isn’t willing to sacrifice his? It’s easy for a person to be brave when he doesn’t have to do the dying.

With the coming election, some folks believe we have a choice. But we don’t. It’s an illusion. Whoever is elected this time will keep us in Iraq for years to come. He’ll probably reinstitute the draft after the election — neither candidate has the guts to bring it up before the election – and working people will continue to suffer as always. “The rich man starts wars and the poor man fights them.” A lot of folks say when we vote, we should “choose the lesser of two evils.” I reject that. I choose neither. Better to vote for real puppets. I’ll give Sesame Street a call. I hear Bert and Ernie are available.

David McGhee Jr.
Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany


http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=21961

The ltte in Stars and Stripes are consistently against *, his handling of the Iraq war, etc.

Rather than be double counted this time, I'll bet they go missing. Or there will be such intense fighting that they will not be able to take a break long enough to vote.

to middle November, so Bush will be able to use these soldiers to his own benefit, once again, this time as a "shining" example of high troop morale and the soldiers' "love" of their Commander in Thief based on enlistment numbers, all artifice, but of course.

The ballot box will prove otherwise, if it isn't "lost at sea" on the return voyage.

Many Democratic soldiers reported on Florida tricks.

They were in same unit with Republican soldiers from Florida.

The Democrats received no absentee ballots.

The Republicans received two.

Someone should be persecuted for this. Jeb or Katherine.

You may remember them better as Arthur Andersen.
They are counting the military vote, so
Bush* can count on the military vote.

and I remember receiving two (overseas military) ballots as well, plus a letter from Laura Bush pleading for a vote for her husband.

:shrug:

One of the reasons many people don't vote is because they see both parties as being part-and-parcel to a corrupted system that doesn't really represent them either way.

In many ways, they're right -- although that doesn't excuse their disengagement.

;)

"One of the reasons many people don't vote is because they see both parties as being part-and-parcel to a corrupted system that doesn't really represent them either way."

I agree with you here.

It's the job of those in Government to educate citizens as to how they affect average americans with policy decisions.

Molly Ivins "Bushwacked" is a good first step.