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The Truth About John Kerry
“Marines nowadays want to know stuff. They want to be informed, because we’ll be voting out here soon. ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ opened our eyes to things we hadn’t seen before. We still have full faith and confidence in our Commander-in-Chief. And if John Kerry is elected, he will be our Commander-in-Chief.” - Marine Sgt. Christopher Wallace, Ramadi Iraq.
John Kerry made headlines when he declared that the Iraq war was the “wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time” and tore Bush a new asshole in the first presidential debate. This, combined with his history as a Vietnam veteran who spoke out against that war after he came home, has given hope to millions of people who are sick and tired of Bush and the war. But people who are looking to Kerry for a change - however small - ought to look more closely at what Kerry is actually saying about the war. While he nailed Bush for “misleading” (i.e. lying) to America about the reasons for the Iraq war, he said that the U.S. should continue to fight and attempt to win “the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Sound confusing?  As Kerry explained in the debate with Bush: “I believe there’s a better way to do this. ... I have a plan for Iraq. I believe we can be successful. I’m not talking about leaving. I’m talking about winning.” According to his website johnkerry.com, he has a four point plan for “victory” in Iraq: 1) bring allies in like France, Germany, and Russia to help bear the financial and military burden 2) train Iraqi security forces to take the place of U.S. troops 3) step up reconstruction of the country and 4) establish a stable Iraqi government. So Kerry doesn’t want to withdraw from Iraq, he’s going to try to finish the job Bush started - establishing a puppet government in Iraq and securing control over Iraq’s huge oil reserves. And Kerry’s four-point plan for “victory” isn’t going to work, for a few reasons. For one, if France and Germany didn’t want to join the invasion, why would they want to join the war now, when there are beheadings, carbombs, and serious attacks on foreign troops almost every day of the week? What would they get out of jumping into the quagmire, except sinking into it? Secondly, the problem with Iraqi security isn’t their lack of training, it’s where their political loyalties lie. The Iraqi National Guard units used in the April attack on Fallujah disintegrated - some went over to the Iraqi resistance, some ran away, and many just plain refused to fight. Think of it this way: if the United States was invaded, its government overthrown, and the occupiers set up a police force and an army, would you want to join it? Would you join it knowing you would be used against your fellow Americans resisting the foreign occupation? Would more “training” change the fact that you hated being occupied by a foreign country? Contrary to what Kerry claims, help is NOT on the way in Iraq. The U.S. is not fighting a bunch of foreign terrorists or Saddam loyalists - it is fighting a patriotic, nationalist movement that wants to kick the U.S. out of its country, just like in Vietnam. The majority of the population is against the U.S. being there, and that’s why the war is unwinnable. So why won’t Kerry withdraw troops from Iraq? For the same reasons as Bush. Handing over the world’s second largest oil reserves to Al-Sadr or the Iraqi resistance would mean a tremendous loss in economic power for Corporate America, and the victory of the Iraqis over the world’s number one superpower would inspire people around the world - in Chechnya, Palestine, and Afghanistan to name a few places - to fight for their independence, which would severely disrupt the world order. This is why Kerry is echoing Bush, saying “it’s important to not just cut and run” and “I don’t believe in a cut-and-run philosophy.” Kerry wants to win Bush’s war for oil and Empire. No matter who wins on November 2nd, tens of thousands of American soldiers are going to still be in Iraq, fighting an unjust and unwinnable war. Like Vietnam, we can’t rely on the bought and paid for politicians from the Democratic and Republican parties. An anti-war movement within the ranks of the armed forces - involving thousands of soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, reservists, and guardsmen - is going to be crucial in forcing Bush or Kerry to bring all the troops home now. Page 7--> |
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