WHY CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS IS WRONG

I read an article in the Vancouver Sun about Christopher Hitchen's visit to Vancouver. I disagree with his stance on the Iraq war because it is not well considered. I know in challenging Mr. Hitchens on his opinions on the war, that I might as well be ingesting poison hemlock for the efficacy of the conversation. However, since I have the personality that likes this kind of challenge ---the bravo gesture such as the time I took down a mugger--- here goes.
Christopher Hitchens is wrong in his support of America's war in Iraq because he thinks it will wipe out Islamic fundamentalism in that country. He is dead-on about that aspect of the war that is troubling. No one would like to see the imposition of sharia law in Iraq. No thoughtful person would want to see Iraq's oil riches in the hands of the Parties of God. However, there are similar "Parties of God" in America that cannot be entrusted to wisely use oil reserves. Politicians, of both the conservative and so-called liberal parties, in that country have strong theological biases. Religion clouds their ethical judgements and their public policies. If the United States captures Iraq's oil reserves , the result will substitute the supremacy of one theological world view for another. The moral equation does not change with an American win in Iraq, just the cast.

Technorati Tags: christopher hitchens,iraq, religious right

WHERE IT HURTS

Another Fort Lewis soldier was killed in Iraq this month, bringing the total of sixteen soldiers from the Tacoma fort killed this month. Spc. Matthew P. LaForest of Austin, Texas died during small arms enemy fire in Taji, Iraq. He was a soldier in C Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division --- a Stryker combat team.

So far this month, there have been 104 American casualties, 3 United Kingdom, and 3 of other countries.

But it never hurts as much as when it is this close to home.

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A MORAL FAILING

The decision of Congress to not override the Bush veto of legislation that would have authorised troop withdrawal from Iraq was a moral failing far worse than any sleaze that an escort service provider could divulge. By a vote of 222 to 203,Congress failed to reach the two-thirds support needed to override the veto and bring home American troops who are unnecessarily in harm's way. As of today, 3352 soldiers have died in Iraq because of a war that was founded upon the lies of the Bush administration regarding the weapons of mass destruction threat in Iraq.

It is unjustifiable that the Bush administrations and its minions continue to sell the American public these falsehoods. Recently, Oklahoma Senator Inhofe said of the media at his fund raiser, "The whole idea of weapons of mass destruction was never the issue, yet they keep trying to bring this up." It wasn't the press who entered a foolish war on flimsy pretences, it was the President. To quote George W. Bush's justifications for the Iraq war on May 29, 2003,"We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories. You remember when Colin Powell stood up in front of the world, and he said, Iraq has got laboratories, mobile labs to build biological weapons. They're illegal. They're against the United Nations resolutions, and we've so far discovered two. And we'll find more weapons as time goes on. But for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." No weapons of mass destructions have been found and the failure of the Congress to correct the consequences of this lie will condemn more American soldiers to horrible injuries and deaths.

Technorati Tags:george bush,inhofe,iraq,wmd

TOO CUTE TO NOT BLOG

Yes, I have been away too long doing other things like writing an unpublished novel and another blog. However, this came to my attention and I can't resist noting the item. It seems that former Arkansas governor Mike Huckebee thinks that the war in Iraq is the beginning of World War III. Then why is the rest of the world leaving Iraq as fast as they can pull troops? Britain is leaving that country. Japan departed last year. Several other countries including Denmark, South Korea, and Italy have gone or will go.

My question to Mike Huckebee is, if this is World War III in Iraq, where is the rest of the world? It is going to be awfully lonely for America in Iraq.