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All wrong

Thomas Hohn, Vail

Unfortunately, 70 percent of the population believes the fabrications and deceptions of this administration concerning Iraq. Overbeck refers to the “objectives of the nation.” This government has no national objectives as it is not a democracy; it is an oligarchy. A democracy would not scorn its own people and its allies. That is precisely why there is no discussion.

When Bush expropriated the presidential election two years ago, it was obvious that most European countries were disappointed with the results. Yet all the European leaders telephoned Bush to give their congratulations and support. Bush, however, didn’t have the decency to extend to Schroder the customary polite congratulations required of his office, and he even went public with his decision not to. He allowed Rice to accuse the Germans of poisoning their relationship, and Rumsfeld to snub the German defense minister. An administration based on petulance.

Overbeck’s claim that the Europeans and the United Nations are being fickle, as they prefer to exhaust all forms of diplomacy before getting involved in a military adventure, is pathetic and traitorous. For any country to question, to reason why, to ask that the case be made before committing blood and billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money to the battlefield is not fickleness or lack of will or failure of nerve. It’s simple patriotism.



Bush does not know what he is doing, Overbeck. There has been little discussion with the people in this country or with our allies, whom Bush chooses to treat more like enemies. The entire adventure is merely short term. There has been absolutely no consideration about a post-Hussein Iraq. Nothing concerning the Kurds in the north or the Shia Muslims in the south. No consensus on the type of government that will administer Iraq. Nothing on the effects of such an attack on the Middle East in general. However, there has been a lot of discussion with the oil companies, who will certainly benefit from a “regime change.”

The German justice minister, who was forced to resign over her comparison of Bush and Hitler, was mistaken when she claimed that Hitler used the militarization of Germany to distract the German people from the country’s economical problems. However, she was completely correct in Bush using the continuing “war on terrorism” to distract the American people from its domestic problems. Bush has gutted almost every environmental law, even those that his father advocated and signed. The economy is in shambles, and he and his vice president still have much explaining to do concerning their past. He naively states that a war in Iraq will not affect the economy, yet it already has. Fuel prices are rising because of stockpiling in preparation for a war.

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Bush 1, in a rare and remarkable achievement, immediately began to build a diplomatic and then a military coalition for his invasion of Iraq. He drew together the U.N., the European nations,the Gulf states, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, set concrete goals and adhered to them, and was even able to persuade the Israelis to hold their fire in the event of any missile attack from Iraq. Bush 1 did things Bush 2 would never consider or undertake. Quite a contrast. Does this make Bush 1 a wuss? Bush 2’s advisers would think so.

Even the Pentagon has generally agreed that containment has worked, and should be continued. If this administration is really concerned with the “war on terrorism,” then it should be far more concerned with Afghanistan and Pakistan. This country has not honored its commitments to Afghanistan in that it has not come through on its promised financial obligations. The USA also has not expanded its peacekeeping forces beyond Kabul, thereby giving most of the country over to the warlords, and a foothold to the Taliban.

Pakistan is a nuclear power, governed by a weakening military dictator with an ever-increasing fundamentalist population. If Bush really wanted to stabilize things, strengthen Islamic ties and lessen the tide of anti-American feeling, then he should drop the $30 million tariff imposed on Pakistan’s textile industry. But Bush, always looking for votes, will not cross the textile lobby in this country.

Given the attitude of this administration toward its allies and its own people, it’s reluctance to follow through on its commitments in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and its neglect and deceptions of things at home, is it any wonder that any intelligent person would have doubts?

There are other sources besides the AM radio, TV, and local newspapers, Overbeck, if you choose to look for them. And please, cut back on the testosterone injections.


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