Why We Must Leave Iraq ASAP

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/23/2697/

Why We Must Leave Iraq ASAP
It’s the Only Way to Fight Our Real Enemy
by Hank Edson

snip//

Every day in Iraq is another day this enemy like a tick grows fatter on the blood and oil of Iraq. If we want to fight our real enemy, we will pull out of Iraq and keep our young men and women from serving as Big Oil’s henchmen for keeping the Iraqi people and government in line. Big Oil cannot pump oil from Iraqi oilfields where there is no security, infrastructure or stability. If Iraqis provide this security, infrastructure and stability on their own, they will quickly decide to kick Big Oil out of their precious oil fields.

For the Sake of the Iraqi People: Although chaos and violence will exist after America withdraws until the Iraqi people find a common purpose in rebuilding their society, all this chaos and violence has a cure so long as the soul of Iraq remains free. The oppression and poverty that will result from Big Oil control of the Iraqi economy, by contrast, has no cure but the end of Big Oil control over the Iraqi economy and the release of the Iraqi soul from Big Oil’s imperial army-ours. Therefore, for the sake of the Iraqi people as well as for the sake of American democracy, we need to pull our troops out of Iraq ASAP.

You can judge your politician by his or her willingness to: (1) defend Iraqi’s right to national control of oil, (2) to identify the need to remove Big Oil from the disastrous formula that is the

U.S. occupation of Iraq, and (3) to explain how the U.S. occupation serves to enable Big Oil to cheat the Iraqi people under the false cover of trying to “protect them.”

I propose that American voters form a voting coalition that will apply this standard as a test. Every U.S. congressperson and every U.S. senator should be given one month to issue a statement that unambiguously meets this standard. All members of the coalition should promise in the next election to vote against any member of congress who fails to issue an adequate statement within that one month period.

The time has come for voters to demand democratic principles be defended with integrity rather than traded for mistaken and corrupt conceptions of “American” self-interest. The time has come for voters to demand candor from our elected officials. The time has come for the people to unite against one of the only real threats to American democracy: Big Oil. And the time has come to leave Iraq-one more time-ASAP.

[Demeter]

1. And That's Exactly Why Bush Refuses

He doesn't want the attention of the nation brought upon his crimes.

Why Congress refuses is another question entirely. For that there is no good answer.

[Karenina]

3. Other than that THEY ARE COMPLICIT.

[yurbud]

2. that's a test that about 5 congressmen would pass, but it's the correct one