Here are responses to David Hamilton’s Tipping Point.
True david, and reliable sources do indicate that Laura is leaving as well.
Janet Gilles
It’s so sad. This may give it all a kind of quasi-official seal, but to whom is it really news?
By the way, sources say Barney may be wavering.
Thorne Dreyer
There are still 200 billion barrels of oil under Iraqi soil. The U.S. has spent a trillion or two trying to control it, own all the oil futures, own the infrastructure. For all the talk I have not heard any big shot politicians call for the U.S. to immediately withdraw or withdraw in less than a year or two, maybe. No one is talking about the status of the oil concessions. What will become of the plans Bremmer laid, the puppet Iraqi government? Can future Iraq governments be held to any deals if the U.S troops leave? No, is my guess. That is the only real question that determines policy. The question the pundits do not ask. The media reports as if the oil was not the main reason for the invasion. I certainly don’t read everything so correct me if I missed something. Many politicians are calling for more U.S. troops in Iraq. McCain is our Netanyahu, more macho than thou, less torture but more war. Someone needs to do exit polls at Wal-Mart to find out if discontent is also any kind of understanding. I hope so But I do not know and I do doubt it. People don’t like losing but that is not anti-militarism. Anti- militarism is also anti-imperialism. Are people there yet?
I figure reality will call the shots. The Eagle’s wings are on fire. The question is how far down the toilet will we go. Can mainstream Democrats repudiate Big Oil? Give Hugo Chavez a big hug?
Alan Pogue
My expectations are so low for Bush he might as well turn it over to Barney for an improvement.
I am just hoping we get to the first of the year (and the new Congress) without a bombing of Iran on the perhaps vain hope that the Dems have grown enough high legs to make bombing Iran a little harder.
Just the military types telling him that bombing would be futile and we can’t put boots on the ground because we are out of boots will not be sufficient to stop this nutcase.
Meanwhile, I have to whip over to campus and give an early final to one of my students who is deploying to Iraq….seems the Army couldn’t wait a week and let him take finals with the other kids.
I chat with [my son] Paul, or have been — the connection has been down a couple of days — and he just looks grim on the webcam. He was within 50 miles of that bloodbath a couple of weeks ago and didn’t even know about it. He does his convoys, eats and sleeps, and chats with family on line. His view of Iraq is more constricted than mine.
I hate this shit.
Steve Russell
David: I am so happy to hear you are volunteering to run for President as an anti-militarist. I will donate to your campaign! I am not as optimistic as you: I think the Baker-Hamilton report will give the Democrats the cover they need to continue doing nothing and proposing nothing. This report essentially calls for “staying the course”; it’s basically a proposal to increase the effectiveness of the training provided Iraqi troops, something Bush claims he has been doing for the past four years. Providing this training is something that all politicians (Demos and Reps) insist will take a long time, and this will be the justification for the continued occupation. Until this “training” is complete, the Democrats will be able to ignore the real issue — bringing the troops home. Baker-Hamilton is little more than a proposal to maintain the status quo; in essence it justifies the death of more American troops and Iraqi civilians while the politicians wait to find out which way the wind is blowing.
Jeff Jones
Here is a link to Tom Hayden’s analysis of the Baker Iraq report, same as mine but with more detail:
www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-hayden/troops-out-oil-companies_b_35816.html
So obvious it should be a big yawn but such is the thoroughness of the brainwashing of our society that this is news. Our non-reporting press doing its obfuscationist best.
I don’t think Obama is going to save anyone.
Out Now! Imprison Bush! or is it Out Someday Soon! Bush Made a Tactical Error!
Alan Pogue
Hey, Jeff. Glad to hear you are back among us. Hope Mexico was good to you. I have inside knowledge that I am unable to divulge at this time, of a very fine anti-militarist candidate who will be announcing soon, I hope. Unfortunately, this impending candidate, though imminently well qualified, is not my ideal candidate – Martin Sheen. Sheen is very left even for Hollywood, has already had eight seasons convincingly being president in front of millions of Americans and starred in “Apocalypse Now”. What more could you want? He should run with Cindy Sheehan, with whom I believe he has already been arrested.
Heard a commentator today describe the Baker Commission (please leave the name Hamilton out of this), as an historic cover-your-ass job. Everyone is looking to say I told you so, me included. All Washington hot air with little or no relationship to Baghdad reality, the over heated motor driving events.
My main point is that we are on the cusp of a historically propitious moment. American imperialism is about to take a beating like never before, victim of classic imperial over-reach, a much more serious blow than Vietnam. Given Bush’s unique qualities, it is a dilemma from which there is no escape from a continuous rain of events that look increasingly like defeat. The impact of these events on the American psyche is going to be great and unsettling. If there was ever a moment to attack militarism as an acceptable and fundamental component of US foreign policy, it is now. It is now because US militarism is failing while it is costing more than
ever. Meanwhile Europe has quietly, but quite emphatically rejected war as a legitimate means of handling inter-national relations. As a result, no European nation has fought another European nation for the past 61 years, a major historic achievement.
The Democratic Party is not going to nominate a black guy who has been in the Senate two years and whose middle name is Hussein. And, regardless, they are not going to address the issue of the unacceptable costs of US militarism in the blood and treasure of average Americans.
So would someone please seize the goddamned day!
David Hamilton
