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November 09, 2006
Democrats Gain Control of the House and the Senate
But the big question remains: What will they do in Iraq?
Most things in Iraq are out of American hands, in terms of improving anything. We could certainly make things worse for us and for Iraq, I suppose.
If, however, democrats more or less "stay the course", as they seem intent on doing regardless whatever wordplay they are engaged in at the moment, the consequences could be so horrific that our current times will look like peace.
Iraq's already burning. The current schism being created and emnity being generated by our actions do have the potential to engulf the world in strife and flames for a long time. We must get the Democrats to try to actually change our policies drastically.
Posted by zeynep at November 9, 2006 01:17 PM
Comments
The Dems remain very much afraid of the GOP spin/talking points machine and they don't want to step outside the line of the establishment order in D.C.
Last week's vote was mostly a vote of discontent with GOP, it wasn't a vote against the war overall. Had it been so, Washington overall would have felt that it had no choice but to concede and implement drastic changes immediately by bringing the troops home..(and nothing short of a mass, prolonged presence literally surrounding the White House will achieve that.)
This falls in line with the Pelosi statement of 'impeachment is off the table'...and the stubborn bi-partisan notion that victory and/or success in Iraq on the U.S. is somehow still salvagable.
I hold no illusions that Democrats will somehow deliver substantial shifts in the status quo.
A real mass movement from below might be successful in cornering Washington into a situation mirroring the images in Saigon in the Vietnam war years...and if so, we all hope that pressure would manifest itself sooner, rather than later. After that, the movement would have to sustain itself to prevent erosion of the strides and gains made, if we are to castrate this imperial system.
Love the blog, periodic reader here.
Jon,
Austin
Posted by: Jon at November 14, 2006 01:33 PM
Looking at it from Europe I think Iraq had become a Gordian knot. These kind of knots are impossible to unravel: they can only be cut. There is no good strategy anymore. For America Iraq has become a lose-lose-situation. The only thing left to do is get the hell out of there. The Dems should explain to the American public that the irresponsible policies of the Republicans have brought America in this predicament.
Posted by: Ivo Moelans at November 17, 2006 08:04 AM