As long as the occupation of Iraq continues, as long as Bush/Cheney remain in office, as long as Osama bin Laden remains free, we are not "Safer." Saddam is gone. Iraqis have an elected government and a constitution. Bush should be finished, and if you believe him we should be safer. Yet the senseless killing continues. And yet, the politicians continue to claim that we must continue the violence, because it keeps us safe.
We can't be safer while every Republican politician vying for our Presidency is scarier than Hell. Many of them have even thanked God for Bush, resplendent in his squandering of billions to pay for all the senseless killing, without end. What a menu for claiming safety! And, here's the frosting on that cake - "If we leave, the terrorists will follow us home."
They claim their war cannot prevent the terrorists from following our soldiers home, and they pray for Bush/Cheney. They pray to hold American soldiers hostage, allowing Republicans to throw tantrums, so they can obtain funds, and will not under any circumstances consider troop withdrawal. Not only that, they get away with it! They call it supporting the troops.
Come to think of it, it’s easy to see why Republicans thank God for Bush/Cheney. But, if this is safe, then fanaticism purchased by Blood Money is the new foundation of safety!
If these were Democrats, Republicans rightfully and long ago would have called this, paying ransom to a Madman. Blackmail, Manslaughter, and/or Murder, would be the charge, and Republicans would have gotten the troops back. But, that’s another story.
Another story too, is Bush/Cheney’s insanely murderous policy, "We fight them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here." This is simply another example of indiscriminate mayhem and violence passed off as a policy for keeping Americans safe.
Bush cannot even tell us who the enemy is! Bush/Cheney has produced an entire nation of enemies, if indeed Iraq is still correctly called a nation.
One day it's Sunnis and the next day it’s Iran and the Shiites. Then it’s this group of Sunni militia armed to fight that group. Then, this group of Shiites armed to fight another group of Shiites. Shiites armed to fight Sunnis that Bush armed. And so it goes, on and on. And if that's not enough, why not throw some Kurds into Baghdad to fight everyone, and exacerbate sectarian and regional tensions even more. This is insane!
This is the perfect plan for fomenting violence, causing a Civil War, to destabilize the region, in order to control Oil, or so they thought. Now, every senseless American and Iraqi death over there is an attack here in the United States, both morally, literally, and figuratively. In reality, the deaths and maimings are merely cannon fodder. It always has been. They are using our troops and Iraqi citizens as cannon fodder for a publicity stunt disguised as a war, so some politicians and their benefactors can profit and stay in power.
Now they claim Iraq is a "Generational Conflict." They expect more children, more grand children, and even the next grand children after them, to sacrifice in a never ending war. Never ending wars can’t make anyone safer.
Are Iraqis safer? In reality, Iraqis are the victims of a cruel dictator whom our brave soldiers supposedly liberated. Years ago they were supposedly liberated. But, yet, in this cruel and ironic twist of an occupation in the middle of a Civil War, Iraqis continue to fight and die. With Iraqis killing each other, and our soldiers, with ever increasing ferocity and facility; it would be needless to point out during any other administration, that Iraqis are not safer.
Are Americans safer? Americans victims of 9/11, losing nearly 3,000 citizens in that attack, continue to lose thousands of citizens, still dying, supposedly to avenge 9/11, and within a country that had nothing to do with it. 4,000 and counting, more Americans dead, doubled down to cover the loss of the original 3,000 Americans, for a lie. In a tragically cruel and ironic twist, Americans are not safer.
On the one hand, these politicians try to convince us that they believe in the security of Americans. Yet, they so righteously send our sons and daughters to die as if we're still defending the same Constitutional government and Democracy our forefathers died to uphold.
But maybe, ironically, after last week, we are a little closer to exposing a very deadly and elusive cell of "Homegrown American Terrorists." Now, if we can only bring them to justice.
MATTHEWS: Do you believe that we win the war on terrorism by killing lots of Arabs on international television? Do you think it helps the case?
COULTER: I don‘t know if it needs to be on international television.
MATTHEWS: Do you worry that killing civilians, even accidentally as part of collateral damage or by the way things happen in war, friendly fire that that‘s going to encourage more young people to become...
COULTER: No.
Please! That's Homegrown Terrorism! Now, someone tell us the difference between that, and Osama bin Laden! Or maybe Ann Coulter is more like one of those ladies who couldn't wait until the next Lynching so she could bake biscuits and smile for the cameras, under the Lynching tree. At any rate, downright Barbarism is what the Republican Party and all who support this war and occupation have wrought.
There is no rational answer to the question of why Americans and Iraqis continue to kill each other for something neither of them had anything to do with. One thing Ann Coulter is correct about though, to sustain this occupation, you must support not only the killing of innocent civilians, but also increasing it.
If we just stopped right there, just with the weariness of our soldiers, the over-extension of our military, and the disastrous Civil War, Bush created in Iraq. We would see that every day Osama bin Laden is stronger due to the actions of Bush/Cheney. We would also see clearly that the world is a vastly more dangerous place with Osama bin Laden, still at large.
Osama bin Laden kills everywhere. Osama bin Laden kills, anyone. Osama bin Laden remains free. Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda Network continues to grow. Osama and al Qaeda are stronger and safer.
But, Bush/Cheney is enabled from every corner, and continues to use 9/11 to advance their personal/corporate interests. They use it for votes, power, profit, and as a corrosive to the constitutional rule of law, and the Bill of Rights. This makes no one but themselves and their supporters, safer. Everyday Bush and Cheney remain in office, they and their supporters profit from the death brought about by their policies. Everyday the world grows more dangerous.
Again, even after 9/11, they have not changed. No one associated with the failure to apprehend Osama has been held accountable. And revenge was their claim to fame!
9/11 has not been avenged. If it weren’t so deadly, Bush and Cheney's fake acting job and phony belligerence on behalf of "fighting terrorism" would win an Oscar, year after year.
Even though security and safety after 9/11, is the reason Bush and Cheney were re-elected in 2004, we are still at war! War and mayhem now, are touted as security measures. But, their weak vengeance didn’t make us safer. Their war and violence are safer and so are their profits, however.
For us to be "safer," we must demand that politicians quit "living through 9/11." Too many candidates have coasted to office since 9/11 on this deadly and murderous nonsense. Too many candidates continue to ride the lie. Too many candidates play politics, and do nothing effective, but profit.
Politicians are not victims of 9/11. The American and Iraqi People are the true and continuing victims of 9/11!
Obviously, there is no connection between "living through 9/11" and being safer. If merely living through 9/11 qualifies one for office, then all of us are qualified to be, President. As long as we allow politicians to keep living through 9/11, others will keep dying because of it. In the place of campaign slogans, lies, and acquiescence, we must demand effective action.
Although the "Global War On Terror" was created by Bush/Cheney and their Neo-Con cabal; Democrats and Republicans alike, exploit it as if it were their own private meal ticket. Remember what politicians really mean when they say they "lived through 9/11," is that they live OFF of 9/11.
And after all that, the People are reduced to the unthinkable! We fight and die in Iraq and soon, we may fight and die at home just to preserve our Constitution, and restore Habeas Corpus, the foundational principle of Democracy! What a "Mind F@#k," Bush/Cheney have sustained!
It is beyond belief that our soldiers are forced to kill and die, ostensibly to build an Iraqi Democracy. While at home, their families may be locked up for seeking, demanding, or protesting our troops return with some semblance of their Constitution still intact. It may not be too far fetched to suggest that a returning soldier with protesting loved ones, may not be able to challenge their detention, or even determine where they are. Enemy Combatants anyone!
How long will it be before protesting an illegal war, is itself declared illegal? Bush, Cheney, and their Judicial and Congressional conspirators are in a rush to answer that question. They seem determined to make it happen before the troops return. Until this ends, none of us are safe. Both our soldiers, and we, are more vulnerable every day this continues. Bring our troops home safely – Now.
Any candidate who even intimates that we are safer, or any candidate who genuinely feels safer, or any candidate who does not express an urgent-plan to correct the murderous, lying, torture, and constitution shredding, direction of Bush/Cheney’s government, is unfit for public service. One more time: Voting for someone who feels safer, is a vote for continuance of the most despotic and anti-democratic policies in United States history.
If there’s one thing a politician should be obsessed with, it’s ending senseless violence. And if there’s one thing Bush/Cheney does is promote destabilization through senseless violence. Instead, we need politicians who go to sleep, and wake-up every morning, wanting to know where Osama bin Laden is and how close we are to capturing him. We need those politicians in office, before the next 9/11 Memorial.
Unfortunately that will not happen. But we can make politicians aware that it’s been six agonizing years since 9/11. It’s been a long "Slog" for us, not for Rumsfeld, Bush, Cheney, Colin, Condi, or any other architect.
If there’s a seventh 9/11 Memorial without the capture of Osama bin Laden and with Bush/Cheney still in office, it might as well be a celebration. And, if we allow Bush/Cheney to just leave office in 2008, without any accountability for their crimes, they will definitely be celebrating pulling off the most corrupt and scandalous reign since before the Boston Tea Party.
While Americans and Iraqis continue to die, it must become sacrilegious to say we are safer. Let’s show every politician that attempts to ride Bush/Cheney’s Terrorism coattails, the door. Let’s campaign, organize, and educate, every American to send those politicians to the unemployment line. Let’s not get played again.
Protect America! Throw them out! Throw them all out! Impeach Bush and Cheney – Now! Only then, can we begin to feel safer.
From Hardball: Ann Coulter