The Democratic
Unraveling
By Lucinda Marshall
25 August, 2005
Countercurrents.org
Democratic
Senators Nancy Pelosi and Hilary Clinton recently sent out a fundraising
letter. An acquaintance of mine who received the letter tells me that
it also included a questionnaire asking him which issues were on his
mind. But there was something very strange about the questionnaire.
It seems that in the list of issues you could check off, they forgot
to include anything about Iraq. My friend was rather peeved about that
because as it turns out, he is mighty concerned about Iraq.
But perhaps the
omission isn't so strange after all. Indeed, as the Washington Post
points out, the Democratic leadership seems to be of the opinion that
the crucial issue is how best to achieve success in Iraq. Given that,
it is unlikely they want folks telling them they're concerned that the
'war on terror' is going badly.
Maybe it's just
me but...how exactly are they defining success? We aren't going to find
any weapons of mass destruction. We've already deposed Saddam. We insisted
that they hold an election, which we deemed a success, never mind the
irregularities, that happens a lot here in the good ol' U.S. of A. too,
no big deal.
Not only that, but
the Iraqis are just inches away from putting the finishing touches on
a brand spanking new Constitution. It's most notable feature is that
it is likely to give much more strength to Islamic law, effectually
taking away many of the rights that Iraqi women previously enjoyed.
Not to worry, in a recent interview with David Gregory on Meet The Press,
Reuel Marc Gerecht, the Director of the Middle East Initiative for the
Project for the New American Century (PNAC) tells us Gilda Radner-style
to never mind all that hoopla about women's rights before the war, "Women's
social rights are not critical to the evolution of democracy."
*
Sounds pretty darned
successful to me. Unless of course you mind daily car-bombings, the
continued deaths of U.S. military personnel (and a whole lot of Iraqis),
our continued lack of progress in rebuilding what we knocked down (despite
billions of funds allocated for the purpose), or the lack of reliable
electricity and potable water throughout Iraq. I know, picky, picky.
At a time when most
Americans are beginning to wonder, "Where's the exit?", the
Dems seem hell-bent on trying out for the dance band on the Titanic.
Little wonder that their approval rating is even lower than the President's
rating. A June Washington Post/NBC poll showed that just 42 % of Americans
approved of the Congressional Democrats' performance.
David Sirota gives
some excellent insights into the head-in-sand thinking that seems to
be prevailing among the Democratic leadership. According to Sirota,
the party line of the day seems to be keep mum about Iraq, and if pressed,
bad-mouth the war critics and call them un-American. However, as Sirota
astutely points out, there is nothing un-American about wanting to bring
the troops home,
"Frankly, it's
the other way around: there is something "anti-American soldier"
about wanting to indefinitely leave our troops in a shooting gallery
without an exit strategy, without proper body armor and without any
semblance of a plan."
Out here in the
hinterland, Sirota's assessment appears to be right on target. Over
at the Kentucky State Fair, the Democratic faithful are busy drumming
up support for the troops, offering those who visit the party booth
a chance to write a message to send to the troops in a ploy clearly
designed to show that the Donkeys are just as patriotic as the Elephants
because by golly, they support the troops too.
Apparently the DNC party leadership hasn't seen the recent polls that
indicate that most Americans no longer support this war. We know we've
been lied to and we want accountability. Above all, we are tired of
seeing our loved ones come home in body bags for reasons that keep shifting.
The Dems delusion that the name of the game is to convince voters that
they can do a better job of winning the war is insupportable. This isn't
a 'winnable' war and it is well past time to acknowledge that the Empire
is butt-naked. What Americans want is a plan to end this deadly misuse
of our military might.
____________
*It really needs to be asked why David Gregory, who was subbing for
Tim Russert, did not see fit to question this statement, which while
no doubt far more likely an accurate reflection of Bush Administration
thinking than the pre-war propaganda, clearly contradicts the official
White House position.
#####
Lucinda Marshall is a feminist artist, writer and activist. She is the
Founder of the Feminist Peace Network, www.feministpeacenetwork.org.
Her work has been published in numerous publications in the U.S. and
abroad including, Awakened Woman, Alternet, Dissident Voice, Off Our
Backs, The Progressive, Rain and Thunder, Z Magazine , Common Dreams
and Information Clearinghouse.