Democratic leaders, including Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden, sent a letter to President Bush on August 1, 2006 urging him to change course in Iraq. Contained with that text was this trifle highlight:
"there is little evidence that the Bush Administration and Congressional Republicans have a coherent strategy to stabilize Iraq."
Wow, that was drab, banal and stale! A less than even pedestrian, humdrum effort to convince the Idiot-in-Chief, George W. Bush that his failed foreign policy is, well, failing! Since when was anything the Bush Administration carried out coherent, lucid or logical?
The dilemma is, writing letters to a man (Bush) who publicly admits he does NOT read, is unlikely to produce meaningful results. Further, asking Bush to "please withdraw the troops because we asked nicely", is analogous to sending a letter to the neighborhood bully and pleading for your ball back or to not get beat up again! It is extremely likely to fall on deaf ears and meet the circular file in a rapid fashion!
I must also point out that even revolutionary words (which these were certainly not), no matter how eloquently spoken, accomplish little by themselves. Galvanizing words coupled with assertive action -- to right that which is wrong -- is the only avenue that will truly affect change. Words absent subsequent actions are merely futile rhetoric.
While I applaud the Democratic leadership for finally bringing forth a cohesive message condemning the illegal and groundless act of aggression against Iraq after three years, I wonder how long it will be, or how many more people will die, before a unified cry of impeachment will echo in the halls of the Democratic Congress? Don't hold your breath.
If you ask Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader for the Democrats, the answer would be, "Never!" I presume that Nancy and her posse will keep on writing "Dear Mr. President Letters" and more soldiers and Iraqis will continue to die for the foreseeable future.
In this case, the pen is truly not mightier than the sword.
Frank J. Ranelli is an opinion editorial writer, a research author and critic. He is a former senior editor and current feature writer for the popular online news website, OpEdNews.com. His erudite and chic style of writing has been lauded and extensively published in a variety of news outlets and across the Internet. These include the Naples Daily News, The Online Journal, Information Clearing House, Alternet, The Smirking Chimp, Diatribune, and the former progressive journal of thought, Wicked Philosophy. Frank is currently working on his upcoming book, Rise of the Authoritarians, and is participating as a co-author in prominent philosopher Russell Blackford's anthology, Voices of Disbelief.
The Dems may not necessarily be part of the problem, but to this point, the vast majority has not been part of the solution. Obviously, writing even tersely-worded letters to a president who proclaims he is a "war president" about stopping an illegal war won't get you very far.
Congressional oversight, check and balances, and yes, impeachment proceeding are the only thing likely to stop this run-away freight train. Short of a public up-rising or revolution, which I don't see in the foreseeable future, will net us more of the same. Silence is after all consent and complicity.
Alexander Hamilton said it best, "Those who stand for nothing fall for anything."
by
Frank J. Ranelli (66 articles, 143 quicklinks, 29 diaries, 379 comments)
on Thursday, August 24, 2006 at 2:58:02 PM
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