Projection of Power

There's something very unsettling about the new US embassy taking form in Iraq. It's been veiled in secrecy, subject to 2 ongoing criminal investigations, and awarded, without competitive bidding, to a shadowy Kuwaiti firm. In the senate hearings yesterday, Ambassador Crocker stated explicitly that "The agreement will not establish permanent bases in Iraq and we anticipate that it will expressly foreswear them." I think it's at the very least disingenuous that the man who is denouncing bases in the region will soon be inhabiting the keep in the fortress that is the Green Zone.

I think it's also telling that the website for US Embassy in Iraq does not feature any photos or even mention that it is under construction. It is also worth mentioning that there have been accusations that the company who is constructing it, First Kuwaiti, paid kickbacks to a government official and also of using forced labor to construct the embassy. It's easy to see how under those conditions it was able to meet a fixed price contract, something which none of it's competitors could provide.

Even with the relatively large security presence that is supposed to be stationed there, it seems to me to be inviting terrorist attack and hostage taking. It could be a Saigon or Iran on a grand scale. Not only would this lower morale on a spectacular scale not seen since 9/11, it would be a tremendous publicity coup for the Jihadists, who all too often have shown complete and utter disrespect for human rights. This time it's unlikely anyone is going to be able to escape by pretending to be Canadian, nor is it likely that the hostage takers can be bought off.

With respect for America in other parts of the world is at an all time low it is important for us to project the best face that is possible. I do not think that barricading our embassy far away from the ordinary Iraqi will not help us win hearts and minds. In their eyes at least we will still be the victimizers in stead of the victims. We, as the American people, must cease to be victims and stand up once again to a pointless war in Iraq. True, today there is no South Vietnam, but the blood that would have been shed to maintain it would have been utterly pointless. It would never have been more than a puppet regime. The country that appeared did not spread communism to it's neighbors and, in a rather humanitarian move, used it's armed forces to drive Pol Pot into the jungle. It has normalized relations with the US, and is not a threat to itself or it's neighbors and has embraced capitalism with the gusto of the Chinese. Let us hope that a similar detente can be reached today.

2/28/2008

I think when future generations look back at this period in time they won't so much look it as the Bush Years as the Nixon Years part deux, when all the people who were junior officials in the Nixon era came of age. Same scandals, the same low grade animosity, and the same hapless, hopeless, spineless opposition. Mostly what I won't miss though are those stupid flag pins.

Also whoever inherits the presidency will have two unmanageable wars on his hands. Both will be hard to disengage from, but it will be equally hard to continue. I think if McCain becomes president he may re institute the draft. The one fairly coherent page I found on the subject seemed to indicate that he would like to, even if he won't admit it. I think McCain realizes that to even mention bringing back the draft would be political suicide, but how else does he expect to stay in Iraq for as long as it takes?

What really frightens me is a Hillary presidency. I can see the argument for staying in Iraq and winning by any means (even if it means bringing back the draft), but I cannot vote for someone who was for a frivolous war while it was going well and regrets it now that it goes badly. To me, this shows a lack of foresight. I'm not saying that people should not be forgiven for their mistakes, but that the president of these United States (as the present administration demonstrates) cannot be someone who lacks foresight or who can be unduly influenced, especially in these coming years. My feelings on Hillary and the war is that at best she was dupe and at worst she was complicit.

What also frightens me about Hillary is how proud she would be to be the first woman president. I think what really disturbs me is that it seems to her to be something of a race. That somehow just because blacks got the vote first, somehow Woman need to beat them to the presidency.

The one piece of Obama's policy that I find hard to reconcile is his withdrawal and the subsequent collapse of the American backed government. The rosiest scenario I can paint is that the present government collapses and Iran invades. All that has kept Iraq together all these years has been a burning desire not to be Iran. Iraq either unites to become a state free of influence from Iran or the US and hopefully the internal players are too busy consolidating their power to pursue us home, or Iran tries to annex Iraq, either through proxies or through main force and Iran becomes so busy consolidating it's hold on the region that we don't have to worry so much about Iran for a while. Either of these scenarios would leave more troops available for deployment to Afghanistan.

It's become apparent that if there is to be peace in Iraq than Iran must cooperate. What is refreshing about Obama is that he appears ready to at least talk with our "enemies". Even during the bitterest days of the Cold War their was always the red phone. Why are we still embargoing Cuba when we trade freely with China? Is it because they're communists? That they abuse human rights? Or is it just tradition? The cold war came to an end because of communication. As long we refuse to talk to our enemies and demonize them they will continue to remain our enemies. I'm not suggesting that anytime soon the West and Islamism need necessarily be bosom buddies , but that the two are not intractable. Just as our current trade relationship with China demonstrates that just because we possess opposing ideology does not mean we can't do business and that we may indeed possess common interests.

2/24/2008

Today I spent the day in bed sleeping instead of out and about working or doing schoolwork like I should. I do have a excuse though. I'm sick. I wish I was faking so I could've had some fun, but I wasn't.

I did have a really exciting dream which I can't remember. I was chased by people (skinheads I think), I smoked (a lot) of pot, I broke some expensive chintzy glassware.

The one specific thing I do remember is meeting a pretty dark haired girl who was wearing a blue Adidas jacket. She was with a friend, making a film or something because she had a video camera that recorded directly onto mini CD, which I thought was nifty. Well, like pretty much all pretty girls she didn't like me, and thought I was a jerk. I liked her, I thought she was hot. I don't remember how I talked her around, but somehow I did. I was just about to kiss her when I woke up, which really disappointed me. That and I appear still be sick.