(no subject)
I'm having an identity crisis.
I've always considered myself liberal. Super liberal. Just right of Green, if not Green. But now I'm not so sure. The anti-war movement, which I devoted the better part of my last year in Seattle to, now insists all American troops be withdrawn from Iraq. The U.S. has destroyed what infrastructure Iraq had, dismantled its social services, collapsed its job market, and disbanded, imprisoned, or killed its army and police, and now these alleged humanitarians want to pull out and abandon this skeleton of a country and its impoverished people? Even the UN cannot bring in substantial humanitarian aid until the country is stabilized.
But I can't find common ground with your generic Dems either. The U.S. can't be simply an occupying force either; it must do more humanitarian and reconstruction work than security work, or it will continue to meet violent opposition as it appears less and less benevolent and more and more belligerent. The military cannot end the violence by systematically destroying every Iraqi that opposes the occupation, it must treat the source of this violence. According to the NYTimes, the military believes that many of the attacks are being done by paid individuals, meaning it is one of the few jobs available to the average Iraqi. The U.S. needs to fight unemployment, illness, and illiteracy, and create a stable lifestyle for Iraqis. What the U.S. Military is doing now is treating the headaches, and ignoring the brain tumor.
That said, why the fuck are the Democrats opposing the $20 billion that are actually going to be used for rebuilding this country we've torn apart? This is the only part of the bill that's the least bit useful; the other $67 billion to be used for security will only perpetuate the problem.
So there I stand. Have I inadvertently shifted to the right? Or was I shoved even farther left? Or have I completely transcended the right/left spectrum, and now exist on some bizarre uncharted political plateau?
Where am I?
I've always considered myself liberal. Super liberal. Just right of Green, if not Green. But now I'm not so sure. The anti-war movement, which I devoted the better part of my last year in Seattle to, now insists all American troops be withdrawn from Iraq. The U.S. has destroyed what infrastructure Iraq had, dismantled its social services, collapsed its job market, and disbanded, imprisoned, or killed its army and police, and now these alleged humanitarians want to pull out and abandon this skeleton of a country and its impoverished people? Even the UN cannot bring in substantial humanitarian aid until the country is stabilized.
But I can't find common ground with your generic Dems either. The U.S. can't be simply an occupying force either; it must do more humanitarian and reconstruction work than security work, or it will continue to meet violent opposition as it appears less and less benevolent and more and more belligerent. The military cannot end the violence by systematically destroying every Iraqi that opposes the occupation, it must treat the source of this violence. According to the NYTimes, the military believes that many of the attacks are being done by paid individuals, meaning it is one of the few jobs available to the average Iraqi. The U.S. needs to fight unemployment, illness, and illiteracy, and create a stable lifestyle for Iraqis. What the U.S. Military is doing now is treating the headaches, and ignoring the brain tumor.
That said, why the fuck are the Democrats opposing the $20 billion that are actually going to be used for rebuilding this country we've torn apart? This is the only part of the bill that's the least bit useful; the other $67 billion to be used for security will only perpetuate the problem.
So there I stand. Have I inadvertently shifted to the right? Or was I shoved even farther left? Or have I completely transcended the right/left spectrum, and now exist on some bizarre uncharted political plateau?
Where am I?