Topic: Ron Paul
The Shroud of the War Machine The war machine, fueled by the military-industrial-complex, had put "regime change" in motion long before President Bush took office. Ron Paul warned us of the coming bloodshed. We just didn't listen.by Jake Morphonios
(Libertarian)
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The greatest thing that corrupt politicians have going for them are the short-term memories of their constituents. Democrats today universally condemn the invasion of Iraq by President George W. Bush. Americans assume that the plan to enter Iraq was concocted by neo-cons in the Bush administration. This is not true. The war machine, fueled by the military-industrial-complex, had put "regime change" in motion long before President Bush took office.
In 1998 the United States Congress and Senate passed a bipartisan resolution, called the Iraq Liberation Act, granting then President Clinton power and discretion to remove Saddam Hussein and topple the Iraqi regime, making it the official policy of the United States to replace the Iraqi government with a "democratic" political system.
Here is just a small portion of the text of that resolution:
SEC. 3. POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES.
"It should be the policy of the United States to seek to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime."
President Bill Clinton, flanked by a multitude of Democrat supporters, signed the bill into law. In doing so, President Clinton said:
Today I am signing into law H.R. 4655, the 'Iraq Liberation Act of 1998.' This Act makes clear that it is the sense of the Congress that the United States should support...a very different future for Iraq than the bitter reality of internal repression and external aggression that the current regime in Baghdad now offers.
Let me be clear on what the U.S. objectives are:
The United States wants Iraq to rejoin the family of nations as a freedom-loving and law-abiding member. This is in our interest and that of our allies within the region.
The United States favors an Iraq that offers its people freedom at home. I categorically reject arguments that this is unattainable due to Iraq's history or its ethnic or sectarian make-up. Iraqis deserve and desire freedom like everyone else.
The evidence is overwhelming that such changes will not happen under the current Iraq leadership.
Clinton made it clear, didn't he? The goal of the United States toward Iraq was regime change. Remember, this was three years before September 11th.
If in 1998 Democrats overwhelmingly supported regime change in Iraq, why do they today claim that President George W. Bush was wrong to invade Iraq?
The answer is clear and dissappointing: a Republican is the President of the United States. These are the same Democrats that called on Clinton to remove Hussein to begin with. We should all learn a lesson from this hypocrisy. The policy supported by Democrats and Republicans before September 11th was regime change in Iraq. When things went bad for President Bush, Democrats acted like they never supported it to begin with.
Liars and Opportunists. That is what these Democrats and neo-conservatives are. They cannot be trusted.
Ron Paul has been the lone voice in Congress, from the very beginning, to denounce regime change in Iraq. Hearing the beating of war drums in February of 1998, Dr. Paul wrote:
"Trying to appease the military industrial complex and appear tough for campaign ads, many congressmen will make strong public statements goading the president to battle, going so far as to draft meaningless resolutions supporting bombings and military action. But they refuse to claim their proper constitutional role and take responsibility for sending America's youth to die in the sands of a foreign desert."
Had America listened to him when it had the chance, thousands of American soldiers would not have had to spill their blood for an unjust and unconstitutional war. Had America listened to him when it had the chance, over a hundred thousand Iraqi men, women and children - civilians who had done nothing wrong - would not have died, caught in the crossfire of an empire fanning the flames of an Iraqi civil war.
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2008 Jake Morphonios, all rights reserved.
Published: Thursday, February 14, 2008
Last modified: Thursday, February 14, 2008
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This massive crime against humanity is being committed in our name. If we do nothing to stop it, we are all to blame. The "War on Terror" is a fraud. GWB even said himself that 'the hardest part of his job is connecting Iraq to the War on Terror.' Because there is no connection. The invasion of Iraq was part of a pre-planned agenda that was conveniently justified by the 9/11 atrocity. The "War on Terror" is really a war on freedom, and we are its target.
We must support Ron Paul for President. He is the only one who will stop the insanity.
I like your article all but for the observation that it appears to have what I would call "partisan bias" -- in this case, it appears to favor the Republican party.
The party behavior in this election year alone should, I would think, be enough to wake almost anyone up to the realization that partisan politics is a disastrous tool used by the monied elite to achieve their despicable goals regardless of "which party" is in power.
This is why I strongly promote DownsizeDC.org - a group of brilliant people who have a real, long-term plan for reducing the stranglehold of the federal government.
Other than that (small) observation, I really enjoy your work! Thanks, and keep it up! :)
warispeace said: "This massive crime against humanity is being committed in our name."
Oh how sad... but true.
Another, often overlooked, aspect of this crime is the millions of Iraqi refugees - of whom the US has only accepted a handful. Many, many Iraqis, that could afford to, left the country. The people that could afford to leave are business people, scholars/teachers, managers, engineers, technicians and other skilled laborers. It is naive to think that, with enough money, Iraq can be rebuilt. To attempt to replace the loss of native human capital with foreign contractors is another crime to add to the long list.
Regarding creator's comments, he is spot-on as usual.
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2008 Jake Morphonios, all rights reserved.