Oregonian Letters to the Editor does Iraq
The third anniversary of the start of the Iraq war also heralded an interesting, although primarily unreported phenomenon: the death of the anti-war movement. When Portland, Oregon, has the second-most-attended protest in the world, at a modest 10,000 individuals (only 200 attended in New York City on Sunday), it provides solid evidence that the movement is dead.
So to the liberals in the Portland area, continue to take refuge in this largely ignored venue because the rest of the world has become quite comfortable with the displacement of Saddam Hussein and the freeing of more than 50 million people in Iraq and Afghanistan by this amazingly good country, the United States of America.
KEN CALHOUN, Tualatin
Hm. I do not understand this letter. Looking at the graph, the letter might make some sort of sense … maybe in January of 2004, sometime just before Bush promised to take us to the Moon. But then, there might have been more people marching in the streets in the occasional organized Big Marches. As it were, and while I’m aware that the politics of the bulk of the protesters do not match the politics of the general population, at this point in time on the issue of Iraq it matches them closer than they do with this letter writer. Thus, Ken Calhoun is standing with a third of the population, taunting the rest of us.
What to do about Iraq? To invade that country was shameful. To leave it in chaos would be more shameful. Here’s what I suggest:
1. Acknowledge the actual reason we invaded — oil.
2. Send enough troops to stop the violence and keep it stopped for two years (resurrect the draft to raise enough troops in a democratic way).
3. In the resulting nonviolence, continue to support a process that results in a plausibly democratic government.
4. Leave as soon as that government has been accomplished, has recruited and has the ability to support a police force that can maintain the nonviolence.
. No return, no matter what happens (including merger with Iran).
6. If we still want the oil, buy it.
We must complete steps 1 and 2 during the Bush administration. No other administration should bear the burden of correcting the original mistake.
DAVID FILER, Southeast Portland
And if a snag is hit in between Steps 2 and 3, step 3 starting by necessity with “resulting nonviolence” caused obstensibly by Step 2’s enlarged American troop presence, with democratic drafting techniques. (Huh.) Do we leave after Step 4 “no matter what happens” if what happens is, um, Sectarian Violence? I guess we have some vague responsibility to the Sunnis, who would be pulverized by the Shiites through sheer number. But, what do we care about Genocide here in the United States — or so says that upteenth editorial just across the page about how the US and the World are not acting in Darfur.
March 22nd, 2006 at 3:13 am
these expressions are ballsy….what is your crusade??? dont get me wrong..I find the content interesting..to say the least..I cannot however fathom the system which supports your personal peace of mind…its a spooky world when its naked…
March 22nd, 2006 at 7:15 am
If you say so. I could clean up this entry, as I don’t think I’m particularly clear (my response to letter #2 is a muddle of a muddle), but it’s not a priority.
Again: if you say so.