Molly and me

Molly Ivins is dying of cancer, or at least she suspects she is.  As she again battles breast cancer, Ivins has dedicated whatever columns she may write to stopping the war in Iraq.

I'm in a similar situation. Not dying, necessarily, but struggling with another onslaught of the cancer I've lived with for nearly twelve years.  I thought about announcing a simple medical hiatus from blogging, but I think I'll follow Molly's lead.  When I'm able to muster the energy, what I write will also be mainly about stopping the war, not just the war in Iraq, but the planned hostilities against Iran and other countries in the Middle East and around the globe.

The urge to war is the urge to violence, and war, like all acts of violence, is almost always a stupid, counter-productive, and immoral course of action.   Chris Hedges, who wrote a book entitled What Every Person Should Know about War, is more eloquent and direct in his characterization and condemnation of war:

"The   vanquished know war. They see through the empty jingoism of those who use the   abstract words of glory, honor, and patriotism to mask the cries of the wounded,   the senseless killing, war profiteering, and chest-pounding grief. They know   the lies the victors often do not acknowledge, the lies covered up in stately   war memorials and mythic war narratives, filled with words of courage and comradeship.   They know the lies that permeate the thick, self-important memoirs by amoral   statesmen who make wars but do not know war."

"Empty jingoism" is all that justifies the invasion of Iraq and all that sustains those few who still believe that "victory" in Iraq is achievable.  Iraq has become the metaphor, the symbol, of the utter senselessness and criminality of all wars championed by "amoral statesmen" who indeed "do not know war". 

Here are two bits of information about the war in Iraq that may force you to join with those tens of thousands --perhaps 400,000-- who marched in our nation's capital yesterday to demand an end to the carnage in the "cradle of civilization".

First, the actual troop numbers in Iraq may not be 150,00, but 250,000.  That's because the Pentagon has "contracted" out services that heretofore were performed by U.S. soldiers.

Secondly, many of the "soldiers" who serve in Iraq are  privately employed mercenaries, provided through military "outsourcing" by an organization rarely mentioned by news media (and certainly not by Bush in his State of the Union plea for more soldiers to be sent to Iraq.)  That organization is Blackwater USA, which has a $300 billion contract with the State Department to provide "diplomatic security" in Iraq.

Jeremy Scahill calls the Blackwater venture "...an outsourcing laboratory. Iraq is its Frankenstein monster."

Of Blackwater Scahill says:

"Such power in the hands of one company, run by a neo-crusader bankroller of the president, embodies the 'military-industrial complex' President Eisenhower warned against in 1961.

"Further privatizing the country's war machine — or inventing new back doors for military expansion with fancy names like the Civilian Reserve Corps — will represent a devastating blow to the future of American democracy." 

Back to Chris Hedges.  He leaves us with this warning about the ongoing militarization of U.S. foreign policy:

"...if we continue to allow force and violence to be our primary form of communication, ... we will not so much defeat dictators such as Saddam Hussein as become   them."

 

Comments

[David Wynde]

Terry

We don't always agree on matters close to home, although even there I think we share agreememt on mre than it might sometimes appear, but I know we agree on a lot of national and foreign policy issues. I'm very afraid that we will be living with serious domestic and foreign policy consequences of the war in Iraq for decades.

I'm sorry to hear of your health challenges; your in my thoughts and prayers.

[Anne]

Terry,
So sorry to hear about your struggle with cancer. I appreciate your conviction to speak your mind and do something good for the world despite your personal troubles.
I am forwarding this announcement about a new weekly peace march here in Portland to bolster your spirits. The young man who started the march is a friend. He gives me great hope.

Anne

I am a seventh grader who is very concerned about the war in Iraq. I am leading a Peace March every Sunday from 1:30 to about 2:30. We meet at the Sunnyside Environmental School (3421 SE Salmon Street in Portland) in the playground. We then march on Hawthorne and march back to the school. The first week there were three of us. Last week there were 17. Who knows how many there will be this Sunday.

Please join the Peace March. Everyone, especially kids, are welcome. Bring or make a sign if you can. If you miss this Sunday come the next week.

March for peace

Ethan

[Terry]

Actually, David, after your declaration that neighborhood schools are "off limits" to focus options looking for new buildings, you seem to be back in the good graces of neighborhood school advocates, me included. And thank you for your expression of concern. I appreciate it.

Thank you too, Anne. As long as I can type, count on me to speak out on issues that trouble me.

[Eamon]

Terry,
I'm sorry to hear that the cancer has come back. Hang in there and post when you can.

[howard]

Terry:

My best wishes are with you in your battle with Big C.

Howard

[Anne]

Molly Ivins died today. Did you hear the story about how she used the awards she got for trivets at a dinner party she hosted?

"So keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was."
Molly Ivins

I miss her already....
Anne

[Ruth]

Terry, I am so sorry to learn of your illness. Keep fighting and thank you as always, for the eloquence of your blogging! Hope to join you on the barricades soon.

Another peace rally/vigil, to which all are welcome: Hillsdale stands for peace, every Friday from 5:30 to 6:00, corner of SW Sunset and SW Capitol Hwy (near entrance to Wilson HS). Tonight we were honored by the presence of the mom, grandma and little sister of a recent Wilson grad now serving in Iraq. The honking was nonstop. Next week we plan to have signs each with a name of a fallen OR soldier. But that means we need 49 people there to hold signs.

Ruth

[ROBBIE22MACDONALD]

Cars and houses are quite expensive and not everyone is able to buy it. Nevertheless, loans are invented to help people in such kind of situations.