Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] [MLUG][Politics] State of the Union

[Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Stephen--

I read your entire email about the war in Iraq.  I just think that Bush is 
not there for humanitarian reasons.  I don't see the evidence.  There is 
plenty of evidence of deception and manipulative tactics like trying to 
tie Saddam to 9/11.  They have an argument that we are drawing terrorists 
into Iraq, where we are killing them, and thereby protecting the rest of 
the world.  They'll say whatever works to deflect criticism, but I think 
they lie so much that they don't know what is true and they hardly care.

Another thing that you have to consider is that the war in Iraq is very 
helpful to the terrorist opposition.  It gives them another rallying point 
in addition to the usual Palestine/Israel argument.  This may be 
increasing anti-USA sentiment, increasing the number of terrorists and 
helping their fund raising efforts.  In addition, the war in Iraq has 
killed many innocent Iraqis and sullied our reputation due to Abu Graib. 
The majority of Iraqi people now want us to leave.  It is definitely quite 
a mess because we can't simply withdraw without being blamed for the 
horrors that will quickly follow.

Meanwhile, our $177 million per *day* pouring into Iraq to "help" them 
cannot be spent on other things.  Things like Katrina cleanup, the 
earthquake victims in Pakistan, the tsunami victims in Indonesia, or any 
of a thousand other worthwhile projects that would unambiguously help 
others while strengthening our international reputation as decent 
humanitarians.

If you want to know why we are in Iraq, I think you should track the 
money.  Where does it really go?  This will be hard to do, of course, 
because of "national security" (another word for "government corruption.")

Mike

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