Open letter to George W Bush

[kygeographer 0]

On Waking Up Sleepless in the Middle of the Night

By John Brown

TO: The President

FROM: A former American diplomat

SUBJECT: Waking up in the middle of the night

Mr. President: Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night? Do you? Do you ever wake up sleepless in the middle of the night?

What have you done in Iraq? Do you ever realize, in the middle of the night, what you've done? Do you?

1. You've caused over 2,370 American soldiers to die in an impoverished land that never attacked us. Was that the right answer to 9/11 or the "threat" from Iraq? Do you ever ask yourself that question?

2. Because of your Iraq invasion, thousands of U.S. enlisted personnel are maimed, physically and mentally, for life. What can you tell these victims of your war? That you're honored by their duty towards you, our "mission-accomplished" commander-in-chief?

3. Your decision to go to war has led to the death of tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis. Do you have any remorse for this, Mr. President? Or was it that, for you, Iraqis only really deserved to serve as props in "shock and awe" -- your name for your made-for-TV porno/violence program at the beginning of the war, produced and distributed directly into our living rooms by the mainstream media? (Thank you, Fox News.)

4. Will you ever, ever accept responsibility for making torture all-American at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and elsewhere? And the Statue of Liberty -- why, tell us why, did you allow it to be replaced by that image of an abused, hooded, helpless prisoner on a box? Aren't you the least bit concerned at how America is seen by the rest of the world because of your war -- as a brutal aggressor nation, dismissive of the opinions of mankind?

5. What about your mercenaries ("Pentagon contractors") that our tax dollars pay for? Who are they? What are they doing in their multi-thousands in Iraq, and to the Iraqis? Do you know? Or don't you care to know?

6. You said you wanted to "rebuild" Iraq -- but isn't it true that all you've really done is construct a Roman-Empire-style camp, a "Green Zone" for Iraqi collaborators (whom you now mistrust) and U.S. personnel in the heart of Baghdad that is an invitation to insurgent mortars? Haven't you -- tell the truth -- destroyed in Iraq more than you have built? Haven't you?

7. You say Iraqis now live in a land of "freedom" -- but what kind of freedom? How can it ever be like the Four Freedoms of Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- freedom of expression and worship, joined with freedom from want and freedom from fear? As electricity fails and bombs terrify citizens in Baghdad, where is the freedom you promised Iraqis, Mr. President?

8. Your occupation of Iraq has led to a bloody sectarian conflict. Why do you and your ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad now blame the Iraqis for their problems? Don't you share responsibility for the desperate situation they are in?

9. Your trillion-dollar binge of destruction in the cradle of civilization -- who will pay for it? The widows of our soldiers? Our young people, already too debt-burdened paying for their educations? Or their baby-boomer parents who may see their pensions evaporate to support your war?

10. Why can't you truthfully tell us, Mr. President, the reasons you led America into war? Was it for the WMD, for regime change, for the oil, for grand neocon visions, to avenge your father, to win elections at home? What were your real intentions? Are you afraid to tell us? Or is the truth that, deep down, you never really knew?

11. And, Mr. President, as you contemplate another war, this time against Iran, won't you ever wake up in the middle of the night, and stop more madness before it is too late?

Now that the pot's been stirred, discuss!

[Mirorgate 0]

#9 = Good Times

[Jasman0717 9]

It's easy to have hindsight!

[kygeographer 0]

#9 = Good Times

Definitely. I love how Perkins loans are being cut, Pell grants are being frozen, and work study grants have gone down the $hitter. How the hell am I expected to pay for my education, if I choose to go to school, or for Felicity's when she gets over here? This is an outrage!

Edited April 25, 2006 by kygeographer

[Mirorgate 0]

#9 = Good Times

Definitely. I love how Perkins loans are being cut, Pell grants are being frozen, and work study grants have gone down the $hitter. How the hell am I expected to pay for my education, if I choose to go to school, or for Felicity's when she gets over here? This is an outrage!

Gov'ment loans. Just wait, they'll default you on those too just because.. welcome to higher interest rates.

[almaty 19]

hmmm.. a sad state of affairs...we are ###### for years due to him and his gop congress

[GaryC 7]

I suppose you think they were better off with Hussen. And if we just are "nice" to the terrorist they will just leave us alone?

[almaty 19]

I suppose you think they were better off with Hussen. And if we just are "nice" to the terrorist they will just leave us alone?

allot of the folks in iraq believe they were...and by the way, where are the wmds//

Edited April 26, 2006 by almaty2004

[gericked 0]

I suppose you think they were better off with Hussen. And if we just are "nice" to the terrorist they will just leave us alone?

allot of the folks in iraq believe they were...and by the way, where are the wmds//

I love Monday Morning Quarterbacking. It is wonderful!!!

[Fuzzness 2]

don't start the flame war until i can go to the store for some beer and nachos

[almaty 19]

I suppose you think they were better off with Hussen. And if we just are "nice" to the terrorist they will just leave us alone?

allot of the folks in iraq believe they were...and by the way, where are the wmds//

I love Monday Morning Quarterbacking. It is wonderful!!!

oh wait, i forgot it was done with lies, miscommunication and no planning for the aftermath...

don't start the flame war until i can go to the store for some beer and nachos

i'll wait my friend.. no promise for fish or reinhard though

[Cassie 8]

I suppose you think they were better off with Hussen. And if we just are "nice" to the terrorist they will just leave us alone?

allot of the folks in iraq believe they were...and by the way, where are the wmds//

I love Monday Morning Quarterbacking. It is wonderful!!!

it's not monday morning quarterbacking when one has been saying it all along........

[PsychoKat 0]

I suppose you think they were better off with Hussen. And if we just are "nice" to the terrorist they will just leave us alone?

Do we think they were better off with Hussen? I ask a couple of questions in response to a question here.

There are many in the international community that view Bush as evil, do not agree with our way of life and believe theirs to be THE way. Do they have the right to decide what is best for us? Would we be happy if our country were invaded by others who disagreed with our way of life and our government? Would we want to be freed from what they view as wrong and led to a better life living the lives THEY choose for us?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I suppose you think they were better off with Hussen. And if we just are "nice" to the terrorist they will just leave us alone?

Actually a lot of Iraqis did, considering the fact that up to 2 years after hostilities ended, areas of the country were still without electricity or running water.

That said, I don't think we have any reason to congratulate ourselves for 'job well done' seeing as how we were quite prepared to tolerate Saddam's brutality while we were arming him and using him as a buffer against neighbouring Iran.

[kaydee457 13]

I suppose you think they were better off with Hussen. And if we just are "nice" to the terrorist they will just leave us alone?

You're wasting your breath and your time with this bunch........They believe that democracy is something that they have and will never lose. It's just something they've always had and most won't bother to defend, voluntarily.

It's just something they can use in the abstract to thumb their noses at, in that lofty pontificating and snooty way, to denigrate those that actually have the back-bone to do what they themselves don't care to do; make the world a safer place for a democratic peoples.

They ride high on mouthing moral platitudes by giving hope to our enemy and thereby extending the war.

They have a naivete that sometimes is frightening. They believe that we (the people of this country) can just ignore the bad guys and they'll go away.

Pretty dumb, and some are just pretty damn young, these folks in this forum.....

I am enjoying your posts GaryC, but there are a few malcontents here that are just plain....er well keep up the good work.