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How To Get Out of Iraq

Here's an idea that hasn't been tried: Present George W. Bush with the bill.

The abiding contradiction of America's occupation of Iraq is the discrepancy between blood and money. Our nation has spent over 3000 lives and 25,000 total casualties in pursuit of whatever our government's aims are in that horrible country, yet the total expenditure of American treasure on the project remains the same: $0.00. The entire cost of the war, now rising towards half-a-trillion bucks, has been borrowed, primarily from Asian central banks.

In other words, we're willing to fight to the last dollar we can scrounge from China. For those of you with adjustable rate mortgages, this means your home is a hostage to a Communist government. Cool, huh?

Within a month, Bush will send a supplementary appropriations request for over $100 billion for the war to Congress. The new Democratic majority has neither the guts nor the votes for the simplest responses to this insanity, refusal to pass it and/or impeachment. So here's a third alternative. Pay for it. Raise taxes by the exact amount requested by the White House.

Not just any old taxes, mind you. Those raised should be leveled squarely upon Bush's dearest loved ones-large corporations and the extremely wealthy. Democrats should ram a fully-funded Iraq bill through committee, sit back, and watch the fun.

The Democrats are afraid to refuse further expenditure because they don't want to be accused of "not supporting the troops." My idea puts the onus of that proposition squarely on the Republican party. The idea "Iraq's worth dying for, but not paying for" is both politically insupportable and sound-bite friendly enough to use on the average distracted voter. I never underestimate the venal lunacy of the Bush base, but really, who'd want to run for re-election on THAT platform?

When the bill passes, let Bush make the decision. He says he enjoys that. Worst case scenario: He signs it, and the Republic staves off fiscal ruin for a bit longer. Also, the Republican party falls apart. Best case: Bush vetoes. The money runs out by the end of the fiscal year, and the troops must come home.

Will this wonderful idea ever happen? Hell. no. The Democrats are too cowardly to think about increasing taxes. Even in the majority, their plan remains, "let's roll into a ball and hope the whole thing blows over."

Honestly, there are so many times when my emotions about being a Democrat are identical to my feelings about being a golfer. Both are lifelong loves forming a significant part of my identity. Both offer satisfactions. Both, alas, also create the same frustration.

Realizing that the party's response to the escalation of an already lost war will be precisely nothing and plenty of it, I feel the same as I do when I leave a ball in the trap a second time, or I'm schlepping my clubs through O'Hare airport.

Why DO I bother with this stupid fucking game?

posted by Michael Gee @ 9:58 AM