A few years ago, during the height of the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky �scandal,� US Senator Robert Byrd made a statement on the US Senate floor that caused me to laugh out loud. Referring to the Republicans� oft-repeated claims that the issue was about Clinton�s lies in depositions, and was NOT about sex, Byrd remarked that the Republicans� protestations reminded him of an old saying:
�Whenever they say it�s not about the money, but rather the principle of the thing..... it�s about the money.�
Now, I am no blind acolyte of ANY foreign politician, particularly a Democrat like Clinton who squandered an incredible opportunity to make a tremendous difference in the world. When I look back at the disastrous policies he signed off on, such as the �Don�t Ask, Don�t Tell� policy governing LGBT folks in the military, my blood boils all over again. BUT....
Yeah, but... Clinton was a shining paragon of virtue, compared to the vile and loathsome ignoramus who occupies the Oval Office today. As of this writing (Jan. 12/04) there is more and more evidence piling up that the attack on Iraq (I refuse to dignify this slaughter by calling it a �war�) was wholly unnecessary and was engineered pretty much entirely because of greed and a desire by GW Bush to avenge his daddy�s �honour.� To doubt that at this date is to be willfully blind to the truth, despite the fact that the obsequious commercial media has fallen all over themselves fawning on the Bush administration, rather than doing their jobs.
With only the barest amount of research, it soon becomes obvious that the Bush team were plotting the overthrow of Saddam Hussein�s government within days of taking over the reigns of power� MONTHS BEFORE the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. And this information comes from within Bush�s own immediate circle....
*****
Saddam's Ouster Planned In 2001?
By CBS News
Saturday 10 January 2004
The Bush Administration began making plans for an invasion of Iraq,
including the use of American troops, within days of President Bush's
inauguration in January of 2001 -- not eight months later after the 9/11
attacks, as has been previously reported.
That's what former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill says in his first
interview about his time as a White House insider. O'Neill talks to CBS
News Correspondent Lesley Stahl in the interview, to be broadcast on 60
Minutes, Sunday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
"From the very beginning, there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein
was a bad person and that he needed to go," he tells Stahl. "For me, the
notion of pre-emption, that the U.S. has the unilateral right to do whatever
we decide to do is a really huge leap."
O'Neill, fired by the White House for his disagreement on tax cuts, is the
main source for an upcoming book, "The Price of Loyalty," authored by
Ron Suskind.
Suskind says O'Neill and other White House insiders he interviewed gave
him documents that show that in the first three months of 2001, the
administration was looking at military options for removing Saddam
Hussein from power and planning for the aftermath of Saddam's downfall
-- including post-war contingencies such as peacekeeping troops, war
crimes tribunals and the future of Iraq's oil.
"There are memos," Suskind tells Stahl, "One of them marked 'secret'
says 'Plan for Post-Saddam Iraq.'"
A Pentagon document, says Suskind, titled "Foreign Suitors For Iraqi
Oilfield Contracts," outlines areas of oil exploration. "It talks about
contractors around the world from...30, 40 countries, and which ones have
what intentions on oil in Iraq," Suskind says.......
*****
There are also numerous sources within the CIA and Pentagon who corroborate this assertion. But if the planning started well before September 11, 2001, then this whole attack on Iraq cannot be about terrorism at all. Well, d-uhhhh!
I won�t even dignify the claims that it was really about WMD� weapons of mass destruction� with a response, beyond simply stating the obvious. �Then where the hell are they?� That particular lie has also been exposed as utter (pardon the phrase) bullshit.
As for any revisionist claims that it�s because Hussein was a vicious thug and an evil tyrant.... yeah, right. I just fell off the last turnip truck passing through town. If this is true, why haven�t the marines been sent in to �take out� any other �evil tyrants� like Robert Mugabe, whose murderous reign of terror is well-documented? When can we expect to see �regime change� in China, or even in Egypt or Saudi Arabia, all of whom have dismal human rights records, and who jail and execute prisoners for such �crimes� as homosexuality? Oh, right... homosexuals are �abominations� according to that noted theological scholar, US Attorney General John Ashcroft. I guess we deserve it, then.....
So what IS it all about, then? Remember what Senator Byrd said? Despite all the angry denials from the Bush administration and their right-wing media lackeys such as George Will, and the entire Fox �News� organization in the States (and such �deep thinkers� as Marcus Gee, Paul Knox and Norman Spector in Canada) it is becoming more apparent by the day that the millions of protesters around the world were right� it IS all about oil, defence and rebuilding contracts, and greed. Never mind that thousands of Iraqis and hundreds of Yanquis, British and Australians have shed their blood to pay for that greed.
I am not a militaristic person, but in researching this subject, I rapidly became more and more incensed with the Bush administration�s cavalier and immoral treatment of its own (and other nations�) armed forces. As I said, I am not a militaristic person; I have a number of war veterans in my family background, but they were not �soldiers.� They were farmers, who took up arms during the world wars to combat a truly evil threat to the peace and security of all nations. When the war was over, they went back to being farmers, and rarely spoke of their wartime experiences, despite the fact that several of them had performed conspicuous acts of bravery. It�s just not in the normal Canadian psyche to brag about that sort of thing. The other (limited) connection I have to the military is my experience as an air cadet as a teenager. Because of this, and my family background, I have always respected and admired those who are willing to put their lives on the line for their country. (See also the section on Commander Douglas Bader, in the �White Hats� section of this site� linked to the Index page.)
As a result, I was, as I have stated, angered and repulsed to discover the depths of the hypocrisy of GW Bush, who likes to pass himself off as a fighter pilot with experience in the Texas Air National Guard. In fact, GW Bush was a deserter (or went AWOL, whichever you prefer), who was protected from the consequences of his actions by the fact that Daddy Bush was a big shot in the US government. Space and time prevent me from providing ALL the details, but for those who are interested, I am providing some links, below.Because I have a limited number of �link� buttons, though, I am forced to simply list them� you will have to �copy and paste� them into the address section of your browser, or write them down and visit the sites later....
http://www.awolbush.com/
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030411.html
http://www.takebackthemedia.com/triwimp.html
But it goes beyond simply lying about his military service record. As president, GW Bush has displayed a shocking lack of concern for the safety and well-being of his own troops. One �flash video� in particular on this topic that stood head and shoulders above the rest was the following one, which I think should be mandatory viewing for every Yanqui, particularly the flag-waving jingoists who so fervently support this military adventurism in Iraq:
http://www.takebackthemedia.com/onearmy.html
And the wretched tale goes even beyond Bush, to encompass most of his inner circle. All are �eager beavers� when it comes to sending �men� (many of whom are little better than boys) into harm�s way, yet who ducked for cover when their own turns came to play GI Joe:
http://toostupidtobepresident.com/shockwave/chickenhawks.htm
How do the troops feel? Check out the section �Letters from the troops� at the following site:
http://michaelmoore.com/
No, they are NOT happy.
It is my fervent hope that all of this comes back to bite Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, Rice, Powell and the rest in the ass, in a big way. This gang of bald-faced liars are worse than mere hypocrites. They are guilty of flouting international conventions and laws (the Geneva Accords are merely the tip of the iceberg), as well as several domestic laws (such as lying to Congress, exposing a deep cover CIA operative, and more.) All of which pales in comparison to the stacks and stacks of bodies they have piled up� both their own forces, as well as allies and Iraqis� and the hundreds of young men and women who have been permanently maimed. If an international war crimes tribunal ever IS convened to deal with Saddam Hussein, they should begin their investigation in Washington, DC. The starting point would be that big ol� pile of white marble on Pennsylvania Avenue.
To my Canadian friends who wonder why I am even getting involved with this issue, I can only respond that I truly believe Bush the Lesser and his henchmen (and henchwomen) are evil people who must be brought down, even if my wish that they be made to pay for their actions remains nothing more than a pipe dream. I write this piece not only as a Canadian, but as a deeply concerned citizen of the world, and a strong supporter of multi-lateral measures conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. I not only revile Bush and company for their horrific stance on environmental, labour and other issues such as gay rights (see the previous section, �All Hat and No Cattle,� once I get it finished and posted), but I fear their Middle East adventuring could have terrible long-term consequences for my Yanqui friends, and possibly even globally.
I quote myself here from a recent posting I made in response to a friend�s point on the 365gay.com discussion boards. (No, I�m not being vain, I am trying to explain my motivations)....
*****
Yes, we gays in Canada do not face anything LIKE the hostility that
Yanqui gays do. But that rainbow flag (at least for me) doesn't stand for
"I'm alright Jack, so screw you." I get outraged when I hear of Egypt
locking up gay men for over 20 years for the "crime" of having gay sex in
private (and finally that's legal in all 50 states now, too!). My blood boils
when I hear of gays being mistreated, abused, beaten and killed in
Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia (our bosom buddies!), etc. etc. etc.
until it makes me physically ill. I give a damn about them, Connor. I care.
Call me a stupid left-wing socialist, if you want, but I genuinely believe
that our community MUST work to bring about improvements for all gays
everywhere, much as Israeli Jews will speak up on behalf of Jews half a
world away. And that means, yes, I WILL speak up on matters of Yanqui
domestic policy if I think they are oppressive toward our community. If I
didn't, I couldn't live with myself.
But I also meant what I said earlier, that this issue is about 'way bigger
things even than just gay/anti-gay. It's about the respect of law
(international, as well as domestic) global stability vs war, and justice and
fairness for ALL (including such opposing ends of the earth as Baghdad
and a Florida voting booth.)
It often enrages me when I see Yanquis look blank and say (with wide
eyes and a shocked look), "but why do they HATE us so much?" I'll give
you a short, but by no means comprehensive list:
Samoaza (Nicaragua), Pinochet (Chile), the Shah (Iran), Hussein (Iraq),
Marcos (Philippines), Suharto (Indonesia)... you get the point. This
"bastion of freedom" called the United States has comforted, aided and
abetted some of the most vile and despicable tyrants and murderers of the
past century, and then Yanquis wonder why they are reviled by
downtrodden people the world over. To say, "But we didn't KNOW
about all that!" is, pardon the vulgarity, BULLSHIT.
The evidence was there, and the facts were well-known, but most
Americans didn't (and don't) care, as long as it doesn't change the price of
gas or the prices in the local Wal-Mart. I do not (will NEVER) say that
this excuses terrorism or acts of violence against the States, but I
understand where it comes from. If the Yanqui public continues to
willfully ignore the damage inflicted by their short-sighted and destructive
foreign policy though, there will no doubt be more atrocities like Sept. 11,
2001. I will be saddened and horrified, yes. But shocked and surprised?
No, not really.....
*****
In conclusion, no, I am not a starry-eyed pacifist. I recognize that sometimes nations must use armed force in pursuit of a greater good. My own family has paid that price in the past, in defence of the weak against an evil aggressor. And although I have neither the physical ability nor the temperament to follow their lead, I believe that there are many other ways of fighting evil.
If you can afford to, donate some money, time or expertise to organizations and people who are trying their best to combat this evil. One fine example can be found at:
http://www.bushflash.com/
The person behind that site writes:
*****
I want to start a new site, bushwarcrimes.org, dedicated towards the
indictment of George Bush, Colin Powell, Dick Cheney, and Donald
Rumsfeld on counts of perjury, war crimes, misleading the congress and
American public- the whole nine yards. This site will give no quarter
towards these criminals, and will carry the clout to bring these crimes to
the attention of the American public.
There have been a few other sites along these lines- but the best they have
been able to offer is petitions- petitions are no longer enough...
I want to create something that matches my anger, and the anger of
countless others across this nation, and the globe, at this group of
unelected, murderous, election-stealing, war-mongering, lying, deceitful,
arrogant rabble.
The domain has been registered- but to make this site a reality, we need
more. I need web developers, to design the site. I need graphic designers,
to shape it. I need lawyers, from all nations, to draft indictments against
this gang of thieves. I need hosting services, to give the site a home. I need
columnists, to give site visitors something to think about. I need video
artists, to create visual content, and possible TV spots. e-mail me if you
can lend your talents towards this effort.
*****
Another worthy cause can be found at:
http://www.takebackthemedia.com/index.shtml
These are the folks behind the powerful �Army of One� flash video that I mentioned above. They are collecting funds to try to get it, and others like it, broadcast on Yanqui network television.
If you cannot afford to donate money, spend a bit of time� copy this message, or even just these links, and forward them to all your friends and family members. Write letters to the editor of every paper you can think of. Write letters to the national broadcasters, demanding that they do their jobs properly. In short, RAISE HELL!
And if you are not a Yanqui, don�t think this doesn�t effect you. It does. Stand up for what�s right. Make your voice heard. The �Take Back the Media� site has a wonderful quote from a truly great man as its motto, and I will close with those words....
�No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices.�
� Edward R. Murrow
