Two Bushes, two wars, two countries

[Loge23]

I won’t upset the board editors by reprinting today’s excellent NYT essay from Maureen Dowd – you all know where to find it. Ms. Dowd relates an incident from the Bush I regime that effectively illustrates the ‘ol apple / tree metaphor. War can be such a nasty distraction from the type of lifestyle that allows month-long vacations playing golf, sailing, or dress-up cowboy fun.

Dowd’s column is easy to find – usually on the op-ed pages. I had to dig a little to page 4 or so to find the bit about yesterday’s calamity in Iraq – over 40 killed by a roadside. If this happened in Great Britain or the U.S. it would have dominated the news and provoked massive “patriotic” displays of unity and resolve – not to mention the obligatory “moment of silence” one week hence. Colonies need not apply.

Prominent in the news and on this board is coverage of the burgeoning anti-war movement here in the states. I read one posting where a passing fascist was heard to shout “Support the War”! Some folks just don’t get it and never will. Who supports war of any kind regardless of your political stance? This is similar to the Rowe v Wade debate: Surely, no one likes the idea of abortion, but some wisely believe the decision is best left to the individual rather than government.

So here we are again. Two countries really. Us & Them. How this situation will play out may very well determine the future of democracy – not in Iraq, but here in the U.S. We have been effectively hijacked by reckless, immoral, possibly illegal would-be rulers. Once again, a war stands as the fence between two countries. Are we strong enough, mature enough as a country, to tear it down and vow never again? I am grateful for the sacrifice of Casey Sheehan and the thousands of other victims of all nationalities. Let their memory live on by our actions. Stand against the senselessness of war and blind allegiance to hypocrites and madmen. Let Bush mend his fences even as we tear ours down.