Do you know who I feel sorry for today?

[nevergiveup]

It is the parents and loved ones of those young Americans who have given their lives for this one "glorious" day where brave people risked their lives to vote among-st an armed encampment. One day finally, where it was relatively safe to walk the streets of Baghdad. One day of pretend democracy in a country where chaos will continue to rule. One day where our nimble brained president once again is overcome with a phony sense of success and in so many words declares "mission accomplished". Was all this sacrifice worth this one day?

[Wrinkle_In_Time]

1. Yeah. Sad isn't it?

As you pointed out, the U.S. administration is trumpeting this as yet another "Mission Accomplished": but even they are not so cynical as to use those exact words again for fear of their own spleens rising up and throttling their puny brains.

In answer to yor question "Was all this sacrifice worth this one day?": not to me, not to you and definitely not to those who paid the ultimate price of their lives.

{Edit: I forgot to directly compliment you on your post... thanks for posting it.}

[LittleClarkie]

2. I also feel for the Iraqis who also probably have hope for this day

The picture of the man crying on the NYT front page as he voted really got to me. This meant something to him. I wish for his sake and others that a miracle would happen, but I don't have alot of faith.

[Psephos]

6. Hey Wrinkle - I love your moniker n/t

[autorank]

3. The sacrifice was a brutal act by a "cult" of madmen (Blair etc. included)

I do not care if Iraq has democracy or not. The end game for electoral freedom is a pro-Iranian religious government. When that happens, and it will, the folks behind this war had better move far, far away because there will be some very pissed off folks. The recriminations will last forever for the Republicans. And they can't blame us...Democrats have called for more troops, Democrats (Rangel) supported a draft, Democrats supported better benefits/funding for the troops. Watch Clark emerge, with the support of every retired General almost, to whup ass.

The other reason I don't care about Iraq democracy is that they don't care. This is a nation where teenage boys get automatic weapons as a rite of passage. Think about it. The country is a veritable armed camp of fully automatic weapons and they didn't throw Saddam out. Did they really want this in their heart of hearts? I doubt it. If they did, why didn't they do something about it?

I feel great sympathy for every soldier who has served there, every family impacted, and the entire United States (except non voters and * voters).

[glarius]

4. When I hear the parents say they are proud of their dead children

fighting to keep America safe, I get so angry and want to yell at the TV, "don't you realize the truth about this war?"...But then I guess the poor souls have to believe they have not died for nothing, or they couldn't handle it....It really is sad.

[hector459]

5. One day of almost total lock down doesn't mean Iraqis are "free."

We threw our load of security into these last five weeks in marching through Iraqi towns and killing and shooting and tearing up anything we wanted to. Many people were more afraid of us than the insurgents. We can take no comfort that people could vote under occupation and martial law. this is not freedom. It's just another form of dictatorship.

[FrenchieCat]

7. I feel most sorry for Americans who are being duped into thinking

that somehow this day has made "it" all worthwhile. Americans that don't understand that we are a military might....and that we can go anywhere, bomb the shit out of the population, invade their land, make a mess out of their country, and then line them up to vote.

But the questions are still there to be answered:

Did Bush really go to Iraq to bring "freedom" to that land, or were there other reasons that he chose them, and not another oppressed country?

Was it worth 1,400+ of our American lives, 10,000 American wounded, 100,000 Iraqi lives,and 280 Billion dollars from our treasury to achieve this vote? Could it had been done another way, considering the resouces that we expanded?

Does democracy work when it's forced on a foreign land at the point of a gun?

If Bush cares so much about democracy and voting, why does he act like American democracy and uncounted votes simply don't matter?

What is the exit strategy? What is the long term plan?

Who's next?