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Today, March 18, 2003 is the saddest and darkest day in the history of the United States. I say this with the full knowledge that, from the Colonial War with the British through 9/11, this country has faced many dark days. After the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a famous political cartoon depicted the statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington DC, weeping with his head in his hands. Today, that same statue must be on his knees sobbing uncontrollably at what has happened to our country.
Be it a government, a company or pro a sports team, we have often heard it said that one man doesn’t really make all that much difference. In most cases that’s true, while in a select few, it’s not. The Chicago Bulls would not have been the dominating team they were without Michael Jordan and The United States would not be about to add to the shame of its recent actions without its current president, George Bush. Many of us knew he would be a bad president, but none of us could guess at the level of severe havoc he would be capable of in just two years in office.
That he turned a budget surplus into a growing deficit or that his lack of an economic policy has crippled the stability of our nation is not a big surprise. That he wants to weaken environmental laws, set women’s rights back fifty years or cater his tax cut to the wealthy is also not a shock to anyone who has studied what kind of man he is.
But now, Bush has ordered a first strike war on a nation that many experts say poses no threat to us. He wants to attack Iraq and get rid of Saddam Hussein. No one it their right mind says that Saddam Hussein in not a cruel dictator. The unfortunate fact is, he is one of many cruel dictators in the world, some of which possess far more weaponry. Some have nuclear weapons while Saddam does not. Some have a large well-trained army, which Saddam does not. After Saddam, who will be next?
Why then has George Bush chosen to abandon the time-honored principal of this country in which we do not start major wars with first strikes against a nation that has not attacked or threatened to attack us? Why Iraq and why now? Why supplant the work of the UN inspectors with a bloody war that is not sanctioned by many UN members? And most importantly, why kill thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of American service men and foreign citizens? Why risk a conflict that could escalate into World War Three?
To understand the answers to those questions, we first have to look at George Bush, himself. He is the product of a wealthy New England, old money family. Oh, he loves to say he’s a Texan, but he is in reality a transplant from New England (he was born in New Haven, CT). As a native born Texan myself, I deeply resent Bush's efforts to pass himself off as a Texan. He has no understanding of the common man or the daily struggles many of us go through. George Bush, in succession, went to Yale, when his only qualification for entrance was his father, went into the oil business and failed miserably, had a major league baseball team purchased for him, presided as governor over Texas when it held the infamous distinction of being the most polluted state in the union and became President by some quite dubious shenanigans in Florida which culminated with him being appointed president by a 5-4 vote in the Supreme Court.
Deeply indebted to the oil business and to the religious right, he immediately sat about repaying that debt by using the power of his office to aid them at every turn.
I don’t have to tell you what happened to the stock market, employment, and the economy once he was in power as that is something that affects each of us daily.
Why Iraq and why now? As a product of his environment and silver spoon heritage, this not too bright, accidental president wants war with Iraq for revenge (as he often says, “They tried to kill my daddy.”), for oil, and to take attention away from the miserable job he has done at home as president. He says the oil belongs to the people of Iraq. Don’t you believe him! It will become the spoils of war. Oil executives now carry large terry cloth towels with them everywhere they go, due to the large amount of slobbering they do just thinking about all the oil in Iraq.
As we stand here, on the brink of war, we realize that our country may never again be the same. Terrorist attacks will increase in numbers; our world stature, which has already diminished will continue to do so under Bush. Both the shame at what our country has done and the cost of this war will be with us for years to come. George Bush wants Saddam Hussein to leave his country. Oh if only it were so that Bush could leave with him.
Move over Mr. Lincoln. There are plenty of us who are ready to join you in your weeping over what has become of our country.
©2003 by Ken Kreps. This article may not be re-published in electronic or print media without the express written permission of the author. All Rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ken Kreps lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife. He has written a number of published articles, essays and short stories, as well as numerous consumer and business pieces. Ken has also written scripts for Imagination Theater, an award winning audio drama series heard on over 150 commercial radio stations across the nation.
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