Heard a general on the radio talking about Iraq. Some of the things he said:
The fight against terrorism in Iraq is a fight for the survival of the West.
If we lose the fight against terrorism, our way of life is thretened. The rest of the world will suffer.
Iraq is a breeding ground of terrorism and we need to rid it before other states fall.
we need to commit more troops to this guerilla war
And on and on.
As I'm listening to this, I'm thinking "where have I heard this before?" Then it occured to me: replace each instance of Iraq with Vetnam and each instance of terrorism with communism. Place the argument back 40 years and you have history repeating itself. Everyone was freaked out about communist domino theory. We lost Vietnam (or, at least, fared pretty badly) yet somehow, 25 years later, Cuba was the only socialist state left and they limped into the 21st century. Is this what happens when a bunch of cold warriors get control of the government and can't think past their pistolas? Of course, terrorism is different and harder to get a hold of than communism. But, the similarities to the situation are amazing: Vietnam, like Iraq, never attacked the US yet they were both sold to the US public that way: Vietnam with the Gulf of Tonkin fabrication and Iraq with the false connection to 9-11 an Al Queda. It's all pretty interesting.
Meanwhile, This Modern World reminds us that in Iraq it's really time to ask
What the hell is going on?
We’re spending a billion dollars a week, but our troops have to use confiscated Kalashnikovs because we don’t have enough rifles to go around. We’ve reopened Saddam’s main political prison and we’re hiring members of his secret police.
And of course there’s the escalating terrorism, not to mention the fact that ethnic tensions are reaching a boiling point in Northern Iraq.
How much more success can we stand?
Check out thismodernworld.com for more & links
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