My first posting seems to have disappeared....
]"The reasons why we went to war in Iraq don't matter any more, we are there and that mission is accomplished."
That's a quote from a fellow blogger, buried under 99 other responses. Of course, I think he's wrong. The reasons we went to war in Iraq are central to our mission, and those reasons are changed and manipulated at the whim of this administration.
Measures of success, in a similar fashion, are "evolved".
Today, Bush cites the lower death tolls and levels of violence as his barometer of success. Never mind these numbers, when they were bad, were classified by this administration and kept from the American people. Never mind that photos of our soldiers, those who were killed in the ultimate sacrafice for our country, were hidden from view (and the photographers vilified.) Never mind that we seem to prop up the least likely leaders in a country whose termoil reaches back to about 400 ad, if not beyond. Never mind Bush seeks the advice of the Saudis (since before Bush was even elected)to shape his form policy. (wording is deliberate).
The reasons we went to war in Iraq are key. Those reasons set the framework of what our goals -- and measures of success -- should be. By losing view of those reasons, we muddle around in waters that should be crystal clear. Perhaps it is this lack of vision which leads to scandals like Abu Grab. Perhaps it is because we are blinded by confusion we can't see the forest for the trees. When our truest beliefs -- that freedom and justice and a certain moral action -- are shoved aside in the name of security is counter-American.
That's why I believe this administration, no matter what the outcome of the Iraq war, will be viewed as one of the worse in our more than 200 year history. I believe this Administration is unamerican.
Response? None will be deleted. That, also, is UnAmerican.