November 19, 2003
Bush / Blair
I was going to blog about the protests in London and Edinburgh but Funtime Franky has already done it and said pretty much what I was going to.
I also noted that today the protesters were being called "anti-American" by some media outlets... While I certainly agree that some may have anti-American feeling from what I can see the protests are about one man, not the entire country. Most Americans I know are peace-loving people who don't want Bush in the Whitehouse (never forget he was appointed POTUS, not elected). The majority of popular votes went Gore's way (Gore 50,996,116 / Bush 50,456,169). That's a popular majority of 539,947 to Gore.
Unfortunately some other Americans I know think he's doing a good job. Sigh.
I'd also like to take the opportunity to remind people of the 25 year relationship the Bush's have had with the bin Laden's...
I'm NOT a Saddam apologist nor am I Anti-American, I just genuinely believe that Bush is doing a horrible job and the fact that both he and the British Prime Minister lied about going to war is unforgiveable. And the fact that they've turned the argument around to "Saddam was horrid and the world is a better place without him" (a fact I don't deny) shows they lied about WMD's and they think we're stupid enough not to notice that they've changed their tune about the reasons for war.
At CostOfWar you will find a running total of the cost of this unecessary war which so far could have paid for over one MILLION school teachers for a whole year!
You can also find a daily review of the distortion that the Bush administration uses at the Misleader.
And as my parting shot, a song. Sung in the style of "If you're happy and you know it"
If you cannot find Osama,
bomb Iraq.
If the markets are a drama,
bomb Iraq.
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq.
If we have no allies with us,
bomb Iraq.
If we think someone has dissed us,
bomb Iraq.
So to hell with the inspections,
Let's look tough for the elections,
Close your mind and take directions,
Bomb Iraq.
It's "pre-emptive non-aggression",
bomb Iraq.
Let's prevent this mass destruction,
bomb Iraq.
They've got weapons we can't see,
And it's good enough for me,
'Cos it's all the proof I need
Bomb Iraq.
If you never were elected, bomb Iraq.
If your mood is quite dejected,
bomb Iraq.
If you think Saddam's gone mad,
With the weapons that he had,
(And he tried to kill your dad),
Bomb Iraq.
If your corporate fraud is growin',
bomb Iraq.
If your ties to it are showin',
bomb Iraq.
If your politics are sleazy,
And hiding ain't that easy,
And your manhood's getting queasy,
Bomb Iraq.
Fall in line and follow orders,
bomb Iraq.
For our might knows not our borders,
bomb Iraq.
Disagree? We'll call it treason,
Let's make war not love this season,
Even if we have no reason,
Bomb Iraq.
I do find it interesting that it is very difficult for most American citizens to distance themselves from the decisions of their government. Here in Canada (and I think it works the same in Britain), if we don't like a decision of our elected government we will criticize and speak out against it. And we have no problem placing blame at the feet of those elected people. Americans tend to take everything very personally when it comes to politcal criticism.
I would have more respect for Bush/Blair if they simply came forward and stated, "We didn't find any WMD's so our premise for war in Iraq was misguided. Saddam is/was a very bad man but we should have, in retrospect, let the UN handle the WMD search."
At least that would take some stones.