A Modest Proposal

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An Iraqi Vote on Withdrawal

A Modest Proposal - An Iraqi Vote on Troop Withdrawal

By Michael Collins

Over the years, we've seen various "exit strategies" proposed for withdrawal from Iraq. The best proposal was made by a Baghdad man on his way to a demonstration just a few days after that city fell. A U.S. reporter asked what should happen now. The man turned to the reporter and said, "Thank you for getting rid of Saddam. Now please leave our country."

That advice was probably the best input that United States policy makers ever received (if they even noticed). It was freely offered and no one died in the process.

Why not give democracy a chance?

The Iraqis have a right to a direct vote on the options for U.S. troop withdrawal.

The ballot would be simple.

Should U.S. troops leave Iraq? Yes No

If you answered Yes, how soon should they leave?

Immediately __ 6 months __ 12 months__ 18 months__

Link

BuzzFlash.Net - Buzz It!

[pettypace]

1. Whose children are we eating?

nm

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

20. I know. I feel like I've been cheated. nt

[TahitiNut]

26. Yeah ... and I had my fava beans and chianti all ready to go, too.

:silly:

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32. How about these 228,000 children under five dead due to sanctions?

Table 13: Calculations of Excess (Deaths Attributable) Mortality among Under Five-Year-Olds (Due to sanctions) - 228,000

Under five, children.

[seemslikeadream]

2. "Thank you for getting rid of Saddam. Now please leave our country."

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34. Thank you BuzzFlash.Com!!!

BuzzFlash.Com

Article Link

[Me.]

35. Chuffed?

Deservedly so. A break dancing moment if you ask Me.

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38. If I didn't, I should have

Lets to some free running instead;)

[rucky]

3. That's just crazy talk.

:P

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5. Are you saying ...

... that we don't favor democratic solutions?

[rucky]

11. I'm saying that I didn't think

:sarcasm:

was needed.

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31. 10/4

The irony that engulfs the events of the past eight years works against sarcasm, something that shouldn't
be forgotten at the "Truth Commission."

Wouldn't it be great if some reporter stood up and asked, "Were the Iraqi people consulted on this ongoing
occupation?"

[galloglas]

10. Crazy talk ??

It is really quite simple. The military has long had both the option and knowledge to leave Iraq. It is taunt at the most elemental level, even to the enlisted grunts. It simply needs the will to do so.

The method is very simple. A commanding officer gives two commands, one after the other, and the job is done.

Oh, right, the method. It is first to say "About face!" then "Forward march!" When our soldiers are back on our shores, the job is done.

[ihavenobias]

4. Even if some people disagree with the substance of this proposal...

I think it's safe to say there could be huge political benefits and that those could translate into something more.

K & R

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7. Well

If we actually did such a thing, it would be materially small but politically significant event. We should just leave
period. If not, this question needs to be asked again and again - "Why not let the Iraqi's vote on it?"

[Me.]

6. Haven't They Said They Want Us Out?

I imagine what's happening here is that President Obama (oh sweet words) will have to grasp Petreaus by the armpits and drag him out of the country and the Iraqis will have to come behind them and use brooms to wipe away the boot heel marks that will be left in the sand.

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8. Repeatedly n/t

[Me.]

9. Apparently It Bears Repeating

[truedelphi]

18. My reaction mirrors yours

Time after time, the people who are in Iraq want us out.

Period.

[Cerridwen]

12. What a novel idea. Letting a country run its own affairs.

If I need a sarcasm smiley here I may scream.

That's one weird reply you have at the blog in response to your article. I actually remember a time when Americans would cringe at the idea of being an "occupying army" yet that idiot replying over there thinks it's a good thing.

BTW, I had someone bring up your name in one of my threads today. I did a bit on the "Money Trust." He told me you call them the "Money Party." I saw your link and went and looked. I'm doing the history; you're doing the current events. :D

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28. I'm full of novel ideas;)

Send me the history links!

I just can't figure out where we get to decide to stay over for the next few years when it is so obvious
that the people of the country we "liberated" want us to leave. At one point, 50% of Iraqis said they
approved of attacks on US troops. What kind of Hell hole are we putting our soldiers in? And for what
end.

I did a tad bit of commenting on history that showed this war is based on lies.

Why isn't that discussed?

Why are we not hearing about the 1 million plus murdered civilians (the exact term used by the British
polling group) - citizens who died in sectarian violence predicted before the war. One of those who
predicted it was put in a federal pen and held for psychological evaluation.

Here's what got her in trouble Susan Lindaueer's Last Letter to Andrew Card, Jan 2003.

The beat goes on but we noticed and the citizens noticed. Time to leave Iraq in short order.

[Cerridwen]

36. Yeah, me too. Now if I could just channel my novel ideas

to my keyboard. :)

The history links are in this thread. The information is provided by The Fed itself.

I remember reading about Susan Lindaueer. Very scary what's been happening in this country.

The militarism that Americans have embraced has been truly horrifying to watch. Even the Democrats, so worried about winning elections, have jumped on the toxic machismo bandwagon. Combine that idea with multi-national corporations concerned only with continuing to move public monies into their private hands, and I think we start to see what is going on here.

It doesn't matter if they want us there or not. It doesn't matter if we kill a "few of them here, a few of them there." Hell, it doesn't really matter if a few thousand of us die every year due to to lack of or inadequate health care, tainted food or drugs, or even a crumbling infrastructure. The bottom line is *their* bottom line. And their bottom line is to accumulate as much capital into their pockets as is possible and to wield the enormous power that capital gives them.

What might be interesting, were to I live long enough and if we continue this way, would be to watch the last of the capitalists have it out with those they now consider their allies. It might be entertaining, from a purely sociological perspective, of course, to watch the faces of some of the CEOs and the wannabes as they realize that they, too, are nothing more than a means to the end in someone's wet dream of world domination. Yeah, I might pay good money to see that.

If the goal of capitalism is the private holding of monies and if capitalists all compete in the "free market" system to acquire more of the capital, wouldn't the logical conclusion be that at some point in time, the "winner" will hold all the capital? It would seem to me that "there can be only one." (with all due respect to The Highlander)

There's another thread up today. It has even more information. From an insider. That reminds me, I have to go kick it.

No, things won't ever be discussed as long as the very people who profit from this are the very ones who own the means of communication. We still have the internet, for now. It's not as ubiquitous as TV, though. Nor is it as focused. Nor is it free.

These next few decades should prove interesting.

[Gregorian]

13. That would be truly democratic.

It would take the guesswork out of it. Let them tell us what to do. It's their country.

Bush is not in office any more. Until now there would have been no "standing up".

We know how powerful the military in this country is. And I don't mean powerful in the sense that it is against an enemy. I mean in the sense that it has against members of Congress. Many of whom ARE the military.

The irony is, we've known all along how Iraqis felt.

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29. A majority of Republicans, as well as, Democrats opposed the war before invasion

That was before the liars hauled out WMD and nukes.

"Let them tell us what to do. It's their country. "

Amen!

[Me.]

14. A Modest Kick

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24. You are the soule of modesty. Thanks! n/t

[leftstreet]

15. "When the troops leave the Iraqis will give them flowers and sweets"

wait...I think I have that wrong.

K&R

[HCE SuiGeneris]

16. There is no Democracy there

we have assured that it will remain a country in receivership for quite some time.

Oh, by we, I mean the phucktards that initiated the invasion, and the rest of our populace that sits complacent on the sidelines.

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23. It is "them" not "us" - good reminder

Apparently there is no democracy. They had elections, an overwhelming number of the voters want foreign troops
out, but their legislature is not reflecting the will of the people.

Wait, what country am I talking about?

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17. kick

:kick

[truedelphi]

19. K & R. And

Hi :hi:

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30. Ola!

:hi:

[anaxarchos]

21. I initially thought you were making a Swiftian proposal as well...

... i.e. eating infants.

Why not extend your proposal to the United States, as well. Same vote, same format... but here. Make it for Afghanistan, too. Make it binding. Too many times, politicians have run on an anti-war platform, only to turn around and continue or extend a war. Why not move to direct democracy on issues of such overwhelming import.

"Democracy... yadda, yadda... will of the people... yadda, yadda... Popular sovreignity..."

OK... prove it.

Vote.

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22. I was;)

I should have extended the analogy but I'm trying to stay on task lately so the new rule is stop before
800 words;)

Why not democracy here? We have not had a truly honest election in decades - one without the pollution of
money, the absence of issues, and the censored storyline of the corporate media and the mockery of what are
called debates.

The Iraqi Parliament has some resolution about us leaving by 2011 and I was asked why I hadn't mentioned that.

Why bother with any intermediaries - we can just announce the election and keep it peaceful like the first
one. Plus, there would be the choice of "immediately" which would carry the day.

To paraphrase the political philosopher Lennon, "Give democracy a chance!."

[ihavenobias]

25. Kick n/t

[TBF]

27. K&R nt

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33. Thnx!!! n/t

[puebloknot]

37. So you and Dubya are brothers under the skin, eh?

You both want to spread democracy all over the Middle East!

Not all roads lead to Rome. I like your road.

Cheers,

Judy

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39. Well, we're all supposed to be brothers & sisters

But Bush, damn. That pushes the envelope.

It's such a smart political move - they'll vote us out and it will look great for everyone else.

Next time, we should take a vote of the people who we're going to invade. Oops, sorry, no mission,
the people said no.

:hi: