"What He Said..."

From the right-wing spinmeisters to the ga-ga pseudo-journalists who've taken over cable news, we hear how grateful the Iraqi people should be to us for occupying them. Yet, as William Rivers Pitt argues, in his essay entitled, "Don't Let it Bring You Down," these 1/10th full folks are dreamers. 70% of Iraqis are unemployed. Most have electricity only intermittently. In that oil-rich country, long gas lines are common. There's little potable water. Bombs go off regularly. Much of the infrastructure remains destroyed or crumbling. As Pitt asks ironically, "where is the love?" Sen. John Kerry argued on Face the Nation that 80% of Iraqis want us to leave. I doubt the numbers are that low.

Every single day we remain imperils our own men and women in uniform, postpones peace, and protracts Iraqi dependence, makes us less safe, and wrecks our economy. I opposed the war before it began. Once it started, I thought we needed to see it through. I thought at that point we had a responsibility to make it right. I no longer think that's possible. The bullies can pull out their verbal brick-bats. They can say what they wish about those who take this perspective. But given the moral and operational failure of the Bush administration, the grave corruption in Iraq, and the inability of the administration to tell Americans the truth about any aspect of this operation, there is no way any good can come of prolonging the agony. Support the troops by never using them for another ill-fated misadventure or neo-con dream. Give them the care and support they need. Help them reenter family life when they arrive home. And never, ever again deploy them based on false evidence. Support our troops: Bring them home.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/120505Z.shtml