December 2005,
Volume 13 Nr. 24, Issue 192
"Closed
Captioned for Those Whose Hearing (and Thinking) Has Been Impaired
by the Drumbeats for War"
Jason
Miller
President
Discusses Iraq in Address to the Nation
The Oval Office
9:01 P.M. EST
Good evening.
Three days ago, in large numbers,
Iraqis went to the polls to choose their own leaders - a landmark
day in the history of liberty. In coming weeks, the ballots will be
counted, a new government formed, and a people who suffered in
tyranny for so long will become full members of the free world.
Three days ago, in large numbers,
Iraqis went to the polls to choose their own leaders from a
carefully vetted group of candidates who will adhere closely to
neoliberal economic policies and allow the United States to dominate
their nation. In coming weeks, the ballots will be counted, a new
government formed, and a people who suffered in tyranny for so long
will fall into the hands of a new and worse tyrant, the United
States government, currently in the hands of my regime.
This election will not mean the end
of violence. But it is the beginning of something new:
constitutional democracy at the heart of the Middle East. And this
vote - 6,000 miles away, in a vital region of the world - means that
America has an ally of growing strength in the fight against terror.
This election will not mean the
end of violence. The US military industrial complex needs perpetual
war to grease its wheels, increase shareholder value and line the
pockets of executives and investors. But it is the beginning of
something new: the illusion of constitutional democracy (like we
have here in the US) at the heart of the Middle East. And this vote,
6,000 miles away (I do not really know what the distance has to do
with the issues at hand, but I thought I would throw that in), in a
region vital to our friend we affectionately call "Big
Oil", means that America has a manufactured ally of
growing strength in the fight against those who dare defy our thrust
for global domination.
All who had a part in this
achievement - Iraqis, Americans, and Coalition partners - can be
proud. Yet our work is not done. There is more testing and sacrifice
before us. I know many Americans have questions about the cost and
direction of this war. So tonight I want to talk to you about how
far we have come in Iraq, and the path that lies ahead.
All who had a part in this
achievement, even the torturers at Abu Gharib, can be proud. Yet our
work is not done. There are still many Iraqis resisting our imperial
conquest of their nation, and they must be killed. There is
more testing and sacrifice before you (as my wealthy cronies and
corporate partners reap the benefits). I know many Americans have
had the audacity to question the cost and direction of this war.
Since I have not swept away enough civil liberties or checks and
balances to become an outright dictator, I will play this silly game
of explaining myself and pretending to be accountable to the voters
who did not really elect me anyway (thanks to my brother, dearest
Katherine Harris, and my friends at Diebold).
From this office, nearly three years
ago, I announced the start of military operations in Iraq. Our
Coalition confronted a regime that defied United Nations Security
Council Resolutions, violated a cease-fire agreement, sponsored
terrorism, and possessed, we believed, weapons of mass destruction.
After the swift fall of Baghdad, we found mass graves filled by a
dictator, we found some capacity to restart programs to produce
weapons of mass destruction, but we did not find those weapons.
From this office, nearly three
years ago, I announced the start of the invasion and illegal
occupation of Iraq. Our coalition confronted a regime that defied
the United Nations, much like mine often does. I willfully lied
to you when I told you that Saddam Hussein was affiliated with Osama
bin Laden and possessed weapons of mass destruction. We Evangelicals
like to call those "little white lies". Psychologically,
you needed a target from which you could extract revenge for
9/11 and we of the ruling patrician class needed a launching point
in our quest for global hegemony. For more on that, visit the
Website for the Project for the New American Century. Many of my
cohorts signed the Project's Statement of Principles found at http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm.
After the fall of Baghdad, we
found mass graves filled by a dictator who the United States
government supported throughout the 1980's (with full knowledge that
he was engaging in genocide). We also found some capacity
to restart programs to produce weapons of mass production, but we
did not find those weapons. We did not actually waste our resources
looking too hard because we already knew they did not exist.
It is true that Saddam Hussein had a
history of pursuing and using weapons of mass destruction. It is
true that he systematically concealed those programs, and blocked
the work of UN weapons inspectors. It is true that many nations
believed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. But much of
the intelligence turned out to be wrong. And as your President, I am
responsible for the decision to go into Iraq.
It is true that Saddam Hussein
had a history of pursuing and using weapons of mass destruction. The
US government knows this history well because it aided him in the
80's. It is true that few, if any, nations actually believed that
Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, although the United States,
the UK and Israel did a phenomenal job of pretending to believe it.
But for the most part, it would not be wrong to say that there was,
and still is, a serious lack of intelligence. And as your President,
I am responsible for the decision to go into Iraq, which ultimately
makes me a perpetrator of the murders of over 30,000 Iraqi
civilians (that is the number to which I will admit, although reliable
sources place the number closer to 100,000).
Yet it was right to remove Saddam
Hussein from power. He was given an ultimatum - and he made his
choice for war. And the result of that war was to rid the world of a
murderous dictator who menaced his people, invaded his neighbors,
and declared America to be his enemy. Saddam Hussein, captured and
jailed, is still the same raging tyrant - only now without a throne.
His power to harm a single man, woman, or child is gone forever. And
the world is better for it.
Yet it was right to remove Saddam
Hussein from power. He was given an ultimatum, which we heavily
anticipated he would defy, and he gave us our coveted war. And the
result of that war was to fill the pockets of my corporate cronies. It
also resulted in the eradication of a murderous dictator who menaced
his people and invaded sovereign nations. Now don't get confused; I
was talking about Saddam, not myself. Saddam Hussein, captured,
jailed and dethroned is still the same raging tyrant. His power to
harm a single man, woman, or child is gone forever. Fortunately for
those rooting for the forces of malevolence, I wield far more power
than Saddam could have imagined, and am a far bigger threat to
humanity than Saddam was in his wildest fantasies.
Since the removal of Saddam, this war
- like other wars in our history - has been difficult. The mission
of American troops in urban raids and desert patrols - fighting
Saddam loyalists and foreign terrorists - has brought danger and
suffering and loss. This loss has caused sorrow for our whole Nation
- and it has led some to ask if we are creating more problems than
we are solving.
Since the removal of Saddam, this
war, like other wars in our history, has been difficult. The mission
of American troops in urban raids and desert patrols--fighting the
Iraqi Resistance to our imperial conquest--has brought danger,
suffering, and loss to the civilian population of Iraq and to
American troops. This loss has caused sorrow for our whole Nation,
and it has led some to seditiously ask if we are creating more
problems than we are solving.
That is an important question, and
the answer depends on your view of the war on terror. If you think
the terrorists would become peaceful if only America would stop
provoking them, then it might make sense to leave them alone.
That is an important question,
and the answer depends on your view of the "War on
Terror". If you think the terrorists would become peaceful if
only America would stop provoking them, then it might make
sense to leave them alone. However, if you really think hard,
it makes more sense to believe they will become more peaceful if we
keep provoking them.
This is not the threat I see. I see a
global terrorist movement that exploits Islam in the service of
radical political aims - a vision in which books are burned, and
women are oppressed, and all dissent is crushed. Terrorist
operatives conduct their campaign of murder with a set of declared
and specific goals - to de-moralize free nations, to drive us out of
the Middle East, to spread an empire of fear across that region, and
to wage a perpetual war against America and our friends. These
terrorists view the world as a giant battlefield - and they seek to
attack us wherever they can. This has attracted al Qaida to Iraq,
where they are attempting to frighten and intimidate America into a
policy of retreat.
This is not the threat I see. I
see a global terrorist movement that exploits Islam in the service
of radical political aims, a vision not unlike that of the KKK,
radical Christian Fundamentalists, abortion clinic bombers, and
domestic terrorists who blow up federal buildings.
"Terrorist" operatives conduct their campaign of murder
with a set of declared and specific goals: to demoralize sovereign
nations, to spread fear, and to wage perpetual war. Their campaign
of murder parallels that of the US government perpetrated over the
last 65 years in places like Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki,
Vietnam, and Nicaragua. Like my regime, the violent Islamic
Fundamentalists view the world as a giant battlefield and seek to
attack wherever they can, but they are motivated by a perverse
ideology while we are motivated mostly by greed. I desperately want
you to believe that all of the Resistance fighters in Iraq are
members of al Qaida, and that all of those in the Middle East who
oppose the United States devote most of their existence to hating
and killing Americans. Unfortunately, this is a lie we have
perpetrated to justify our own state terrorism.
The terrorists do not merely object
to American actions in Iraq and elsewhere - they object to our
deepest values and our way of life. And if we were not fighting them
in Iraq ... in Afghanistan, in Southeast Asia, and in other places,
the terrorists would not be peaceful citizens - they would be on the
offense, and headed our way.
Those I label as
"Terrorists" (with the implosion of the Soviet Union and
the decreasing fear of "Communists", we
"Terrorists" are the new bogeyman to frighten
Americans) do not merely object to neocolonial and state terrorism
practiced by America in Iraq and elsewhere--they object to the
American values of gross overconsumption, torture, rendition,
corporate plunder of resources, exploitation of the working class,
support of ruthless dictators (like Saddam and the Shah), and
utter disdain for their language, culture, religion, and traditions.
And if we were not fighting them in Iraq...in Afghanistan, in
Southeast Asia, and in other places, the "Terrorists"
would not be peaceful citizens--they would be on the offense, and
headed our way. Yet one might ask the logical question, "Who in
their right mind wouldn't be mad as hell at the United States and
ready to attack us?" Perhaps if we ended our push to dominate
the globe, the "Terrorists" would leave us alone since we
are giving them numerous valid reasons to lash out at us. Then
again, if we did that, how would those of us in the American
aristocracy continue to increase our vast wealth? Such a dilemma. I
am so glad I have you "commoners" to sacrifice your
lives, children and resources.
September 11th, 2001 required us to
take every emerging threat to our country seriously, and it
shattered the illusion that terrorists attack us only after we
provoke them. On that day, we were not in Iraq, we were not in
Afghanistan, but the terrorists attacked us anyway - and killed
nearly 3,000 men, women, and children in our own country. My
conviction comes down to this: We do not create terrorism by
fighting the terrorists. We invite terrorism by ignoring them. And
we will defeat the terrorists by capturing and killing them abroad,
removing their safe havens, and strengthening new allies like Iraq
and Afghanistan in the fight we share.
September 11th, 2001 enabled us
to convince you that you live under constant threat of attack and
that you need to surrender your civil liberties to Big Brother in
exchange for your security. We deceived you into believing that
the "Terrorists" attacked us unprovoked, despite the fact
that the US government has murdered millions of civilians over the
years while calling them "collateral damage". We have also
supported genocidal regimes like Israel. On 9/11, we were not in
Iraq, we were not in Afghanistan, but the "Terrorists"
attacked us anyway, and killed nearly 3,000 men, women and children
in our own country. While that is a tragedy, it pales in comparison
to the 3-5 million civilians we killed in Vietnam. Furthermore, most
of those alleged to have perpetrated the 9/11 attack were from Saudi
Arabia, where America strongly supports the ruthlessly oppressive
House of Saud while giving lip service to spreading "freedom
and liberty" in the Middle East. Yet we attacked Afghanistan
and Iraq because we needed what we thought would be relatively easy
targets to launch our own perpetual war. Now that we have invaded
Afghanistan and Iraq, we have new allies in our "War on
Terror", which could also be characterized as the "War on
those Who Oppose US Global Domination". We will defeat
the "Terrorists" by engaging in torture, rendition,
imprisonment with no charges or trial, and creating puppet allies
like Iraq and Afghanistan.
This work has been especially
difficult in Iraq - more difficult than we expected. Reconstruction
efforts and the training of Iraqi Security Forces started more
slowly than we hoped. We continue to see violence and suffering,
caused by an enemy that is determined and brutal - unconstrained by
conscience or the rules of war.
This work has been especially
difficult in Iraq--more difficult than we expected. Reconstruction
efforts and the training of Iraqi Security Forces started more
slowly than we hoped because of misuse of funds and
incompetence by the US government and its corporate partners. We
continue to see violence and suffering, caused by a US
government which is determined and brutal--unconstrained by
conscience or the rules of war.
Some look at the challenges in Iraq,
and conclude that the war is lost, and not worth another dime or
another day. I don't believe that. Our military commanders do not
believe that. Our troops in the field, who bear the burden and make
the sacrifice, do not believe that America has lost. And not even
the terrorists believe it. We know from their own communications
that they feel a tightening noose - and fear the rise of a
democratic Iraq.
Some look at the challenges in
Iraq, and conclude that the war is lost, and not worth another dime
or another day. I don't believe that. It is well worth many more
dimes and days to keep slopping my hog-like friends at the corporate
troughs. Our military commanders do not believe that the war is
lost, or at least if they do, they do not dare voice their opinion
for fear of an "early retirement". Our troops in the
field, who bear the burden and make the sacrifice, do not believe
that America has lost, and even if they did, they could not come
home without sharing a cell with Kevin Bendermen. And not even the
"Terrorists" believe it. We know it from their own
communications that they feel a tightening noose, which is why the
Resistance is begging our people to come to the negotiating table.
Thus far we have rebuffed their pleas, secure in the knowledge that
we are days away from crushing them like ants.
The terrorists will continue to have
the coward's power to plant roadside bombs and recruit suicide
bombers. And you will continue to see the grim results on the
evening news. This proves that the war is difficult - it does not
mean that we are losing. Behind the images of chaos that terrorists
create for the cameras, we are making steady gains with a clear
objective in view.
This terrorist in the Oval Office
will continue to have the coward's power to keep the United States
embroiled in an ongoing invasion and occupation of Iraq. And you
will continue to see few of the grim results on the evening news
since the US "does not do body counts" and corporate
interests dominate the mainstream media. As long as I have the
power, and the media continues to propagate pleasant fictions to
flourish in the fallow minds of many Americans, the United
States will not lose. Behind the reality of the carnage and chaos
our military is creating, America is making steady gains toward
securing Iraqi oil and a foothold in the Middle East to continue its
imperial expansion.
America, our Coalition, and Iraqi
leaders are working toward the same goal - a democratic Iraq that
can defend itself, that will never again be a safe haven for
terrorists and that will serve as a model of freedom for the Middle
East.
America, our Coalition (which
sadly has lost the services of the twelve troops from Moldava and
forty from the Kingdom of Tonga), and Iraqi leaders are working
toward the same goal--a US dominated Iraq which will enable America
to gain considerable power in a region rich in the commodity we
crave most. We want to crush opposition to US imperialism and create
an Iraq that will serve as a model as to how the US will
conquer the rest of the Middle East.
We have put in place a strategy to
achieve this goal - a strategy I have been discussing in detail over
the last few weeks. This plan has three critical elements.
First, our Coalition will remain on
the offense - finding and clearing out the enemy ... transferring
control of more territory to Iraqi units ... and building up the
Iraqi Security Forces so they can increasingly lead the fight. At
this time last year, there were only a handful of Iraqi army and
police battalions ready for combat. Now, there are more than 125
Iraqi combat battalions fighting the enemy ... more than 50 are
taking the lead ... and we have transferred more than a dozen
military bases to Iraqi control.
First, our Coalition will remain
on the offense--finding and clearing out the enemy--.transferring
control of more territory to Iraqi units-- and building up the Iraqi
Security Forces so they can increasingly lead the fight. At this
time last year, there were only a handful of Iraqi army and police
battalions ready for combat. Now, despite the fact that less than a
month ago at the US Naval Academy I told you that only one Iraqi
Battalion was capable of operating independently of Coalition
forces, I am going to make the astounding claim that more than 125
Iraqi battalions are fighting the enemy, with more than 50 taking
the lead.
Second, we are helping the Iraqi
government establish the institutions of a unified and lasting
democracy, in which all of Iraq's peoples are included and
represented. Here also, the news is encouraging. Three days ago,
more than 10 million Iraqis went to the polls - including many Sunni
Iraqis who had boycotted national elections last January. Iraqis of
every background are recognizing that democracy is the future of the
country they love - and they want their voices heard. One Iraqi,
after dipping his finger in the purple ink as he cast his ballot,
stuck his finger in the air and said: "This is a thorn in the
eyes of the terrorists." Another voter was asked, "Are you
Sunni or Shia?" He responded, "I am Iraqi."
Second, we are helping the Iraqi
government establish the institutions of a unified and lasting
democracy, like ours. We are helping them establish a system in
which the poor and middle class citizens have virtually no
realistic chance at public office. We are training Iraqi businesses,
corporations and special interests to lobby and donate large sums of
money to advance their agendas while ignoring the well-being of the
people and the environment. We are teaching politicians and members
of the government to lie, cheat and accept bribes. We are
emphasizing the need to have excessive regressive taxes and minimal
progressive taxes. There is so much for them to learn and so little
time, especially with that traitorous anti-war crowd here
in the US pressuring me to "bring home the troops". I am
so sick of those bleeding hearts. Why don't they get lives and let
my regime conduct its war for profit in peace?
Third, after a number of setbacks,
our Coalition is moving forward with a reconstruction plan to revive
Iraq's economy and infrastructure - and to give Iraqis confidence
that a free life will be a better life. Today in Iraq, seven in 10
Iraqis say their lives are going well - and nearly two-thirds expect
things to improve even more in the year ahead. Despite the violence,
Iraqis are optimistic - and that optimism is justified.
Third, after a number of
setbacks, our Coalition is moving forward with a reconstruction plan
to revive the economy and infrastructure our invasion destroyed.
Today in Iraq, seven in 10 Iraqis say their lives are going well.
Yet that same ABC News Poll indicates that 52% of Iraqis say that
the country is "doing badly", 66% oppose our presence
there, only 46% think the country is better off now than before the
illegal occupation, and 26% of Iraqis want us out now. We need to
step up the propaganda to convince those stubborn Iraqis what a good
thing it is to have America invade your country.
In all three aspects of our strategy
- security, democracy, and reconstruction - we have learned from our
experiences, and fixed what has not worked. We will continue to
listen to honest criticism, and make every change that will help us
complete the mission. Yet there is a difference between honest
critics who recognize what is wrong, and defeatists who refuse to
see that anything is right.
In all three aspects of our
strategy--security, democracy, and reconstruction--we have learned
from our experiences what it is that we need to do to manipulate the
situation in Iraq to America's advantage, regardless of the cost to
Iraqis or US service people. We will continue to listen to honest
criticism, while continuing to equate dissent with a lack of
patriotism, and now defeatism.
Defeatism may have its partisan uses,
but it is not justified by the facts. For every scene of destruction
in Iraq, there are more scenes of rebuilding and hope. For every
life lost, there are countless more lives reclaimed. And for every
terrorist working to stop freedom in Iraq, there are many more
Iraqis and Americans working to defeat them. My fellow citizens: Not
only can we win the war in Iraq - we are winning the war in Iraq.
Defeatism is the new label I am
hanging on those who dissent against the illegal occupation and my
regime. I want the new American Groupthink to be that dissenters are
losers. In their eagerness to give up in the face of adversity, the
anti-war protesters are ignoring the obvious scenes of
rebuilding and hope in Iraq. Forget the fact that over 2,000
Americans have been sacrificed on the altar of Mammon.
Disregard those "30,000" Iraqis who have died. Never
mind the $228 billion my regime has wasted on this debacle we
started based on lies. We are winning the war because America has
made another imperial conquest of a nation rich in a vital resource
upon which our corporate cronies can capitalize, and has secured a
foothold from which it can dominate the rest of the Middle East.
It is also important for every
American to understand the consequences of pulling out of Iraq
before our work is done. We would abandon our Iraqi friends - and
signal to the world that America cannot be trusted to keep its word.
We would undermine the morale of our troops - by betraying the cause
for which they have sacrificed. We would cause tyrants in the Middle
East to laugh at our failed resolve, and tighten their repressive
grip. We would hand Iraq over to enemies who have pledged to attack
us - and the global terrorist movement would be emboldened and more
dangerous than ever before. To retreat before victory would be an
act of recklessness and dishonor, and I will not allow it.
It is important for every
American to understand the consequences of pulling out of Iraq
before our work is done, even though there are so many dynamics and
variables that it would be impossible to make an accurate prediction
of the full spectrum of consequences. One consequence would be that
we would abandon our Iraqi friends (we have killed
"30,000" of them, but they are still friends), and signal
to the world that America cannot be trusted to keep its word (when
so many people across the globe believe so deeply in the integrity
of the United States). We would cause tyrants in the Middle East
(many of whom we installed or support) to laugh at our failed
resolve and tighten their repressive grip. We would hand Iraq over
to enemies who have pledged to attack us (they have a Pledge to
Attack America which they recite just as we recite the Pledge of
Allegiance....Scout's honor....they really do). To retreat before
victory would be an act of recklessness and dishonor, and despite
the fact that virtually all of my personal endeavors have involved
both recklessness and dishonor, I will not allow it. Iraq is a pearl
of exquisite value and it will not slip from my grasp.
We are approaching a New Year, and
there are certain things all Americans can expect to see. We will
see more sacrifice - from our military, their families, and the
Iraqi people. We will see a concerted effort to improve Iraqi police
forces and fight corruption. We will see the Iraqi military gaining
strength and confidence, and the democratic process moving forward.
As these achievements come, it should require fewer American troops
to accomplish our mission. I will make decisions on troop levels
based on the progress we see on the ground and the advice of our
military leaders - not based on artificial timetables set by
politicians in Washington. Our forces in Iraq are on the road to
victory - and that is the road that will take them home.
We are approaching a New Year,
and there are certain things all Americans can expect to see. We
will see more sacrifice as more American military personnel die and
more Americans suffer fates similar to Katrina victims. My regime
has decided to devote vast resources to the military and to cut
taxes on the rich. America can no longer afford wasteful programs to
aid the poor or to build infrastructure, including the levees in New
Orleans. Let the Katrina victims find new places to live or buy
flood insurance. In Iraq, the Iraqi military is gaining
strength and confidence, and the democratic process is moving toward
providing us with the sycophants we need to have in power. I will
make decisions on troop levels based on the progress we see on the
ground and the advice of our military leaders--not based on
artificial timetables set by Congress. They gave me the authority to
conduct this war based on my regime's lies and now it is too late
for them to take it back. Our forces in Iraq will not come home
until America has conquered Iraq.
In the months ahead, all Americans
will have a part in the success of this war. Members of Congress
will need to provide resources for our military. Our men and women
in uniform, who have done so much already, will continue their brave
and urgent work. And tonight, I ask all of you listening to
carefully consider the stakes of this war, to realize how far we
have come and the good we are doing ... and to have patience in this
difficult, noble, and necessary cause.
In the months ahead, all
Americans will have a part in the success of this illegal
occupation. Members of Congress will need to continue
rubber-stamping budget appropriations to fuel the war machine. Our
men and women in uniform, many of whom have done too much already,
will face multiple and extended deployments. And tonight, I ask all
of you listening to carefully consider the stakes of this war. Dick
Cheney's pension from Haliburton rides on the outcome, dammit! Have
patience. We are engaged in a nobility cause.
I also want to speak to those of you
who did not support my decision to send troops to Iraq: I have heard
your disagreement, and I know how deeply it is felt. Yet now there
are only two options before our country - victory or defeat. And the
need for victory is larger than any president or political party,
because the security of our people is in the balance. I do not
expect you to support everything I do, but tonight I have a request:
Do not give in to despair, and do not give up on this fight for
freedom.
I also want to speak to those of
you who did not support my decision to send troops to Iraq: I have
heard your disagreement and I know how deeply it is felt, but I do
not care. Dissent is no longer welcome in America. It is a luxury we
cannot afford. There are only two options before our country (yes, I
know it is a false dichotomy, but if I admitted there were other
options, I would not gain the support I am looking for as I cast
war supporters as winners and dissenters as losers). The security of
future corporate profits and the continued enrichment of
America's wealthy are in the balance. Do not give in to
despair, and do not give up on this fight for money, oil, and power.
Americans can expect some things of
me as well. My most solemn responsibility is to protect our Nation,
and that requires me to make some tough decisions. I see the
consequences of those decisions when I meet wounded servicemen and
women who cannot leave their hospital beds, but summon the strength
to look me in the eye and say they would do it all over again. I see
the consequences when I talk to parents who miss a child so much -
but tell me he loved being a soldier, he believed in his mission ...
and Mr. President, finish the job.
Americans can expect very little
from me. My most solemn responsibility is to protect our Nation, and
at that I have failed. 9/11 occurred on my watch and over 1,000
people died in the aftermath of Katrina as a result of my regime's
obscene devotion of resources to the war, and its inept and
anemic response to the disaster. I see the consequences of my
decisions when I meet wounded servicemen and women and talk to
parents who miss a child so much, yet I could not muster the courage
to interrupt my vacation to talk to Cindy Sheehan. As I rally the
nation to war, I take no personal risk with my life or the lives of
my daughters. I am actually pretty pathetic.
I know that some of my decisions have
led to terrible loss - and not one of those decisions has been taken
lightly. I know this war is controversial - yet being your President
requires doing what I believe is right and accepting the
consequences. And I have never been more certain that America's
actions in Iraq are essential to the security of our citizens, and
will lay the foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren.
I know that some of my decisions
have led to terrible loss, but thankfully neither my family nor I
have suffered those losses. I know this war is controversial--yet
being your President entails doing what is right and accepting the
consequences. That is why a man like me, who has the moral fiber of
a child pornographer, is truly unfit to hold this office. I have
never been more certain that America's actions in Iraq are essential
to the perpetuation of US corporate and plutocratic interests.
I will lay the foundation for our continued success on the
corpses of Iraqi civilians and US military personnel.
Next week, Americans will gather to
celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. Many families will be praying for
loved ones spending this season far from home - in Iraq,
Afghanistan, or other dangerous places. Our Nation joins in those
prayers. We pray for the safety and strength of our troops. We
trust, with them, in a love that conquers all fear, and a light that
reaches the darkest corners of the Earth. And we remember the words
of the Christmas carol, written during the Civil War: "God is
not dead, nor [does] He sleep; the Wrong shall fail, the Right
prevail, with peace on Earth, good-will to men."
Next week, Americans will gather
to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah (as long as I cover Christians
and our good friends at AIPAC, to hell with the rest of America).
Many families will be praying for loved ones spending this season
far from home, fighting wars of imperial conquest in Iraq and
Afghanistan, places hostile to the United States due to our
malevolent foreign policy. We pray for the safety and strength of
our troops. Without them, those of us at the top of the food chain
in America would be unable to continue to live the lives to which we
have become accustomed. For those Fundamentalist Christians whose
wrath I inspired with my "Happy Holidays" cards, I will
now quote a Christmas carol written during the Civil War. By
mentioning the Civil War I intend to invoke the image of a
divided nation which came together under the leadership of a great
president (Think Lincoln; think Bush II....a man needs to consider
his legacy, after all). "God (and that is the Christian God,
mind you) is not dead, nor [does] He sleep; the Wrong (the
"Terrorists") shall fail; the Right (Us) prevail, with
peace on Earth (once our mighty war machine has crushed those who
dare to resist), good-will to men (the ones who support US
interests)."
Thank you, and good night.
Jason Miller is a 38 year old
activist writer with a degree in liberal arts. He works as a loan
counselor in the transportation industry, and is a husband with
three sons. His affiliations include Amnesty International and the
ACLU. He welcomes responses at willpowerful@hotmail.com
or comments on his blog, Thomas Paine's Corner, at http://civillibertarian.blogspot.com/.
© 2005
Jason Miller
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