I was hoping to avoid the big post (heh, fancy I'd change that too eh?), but BV I gotta point some big facts out that helped bring me to this PAINFUL decision.
I fully and truely believed that Iraq had WMD's. Really I truely did, just from what I know of our intelligence community and everything, we're the best. I also believed Bush, and Powell when they told us. I figured France and the rest were either way wrong OR they had alterior motives (I think there has been a little bit of that on BOTH sides of the Atlantic). But this is where it starts to get scarry, like Kid Aphex conspiracy theory scary (no offense, this is kind of going down the same road).
Just follow me on this. We get intel that shows Iraq has WMD's. Most of the world agrees, hence the UN inspections and resolutions. Thing is, we want to go to war. Fine, I'm thinking we know some things they don't and they don't have the cajones to act and Bush does. So I was adimant in supporting the War in Iraq, I was litterally CONVINCED that we'd find WMD's after the brief skirmish was over. "We'll show em" was litterally my additude; I had that much faith in the administration.
There are no WMD's in Iraq. We looked for em, the UN looked for em, hell AUNT FRIGGIN JEMIMA LOOKED FOR EM, and we got
NOTHING.
Now there are 2 possibilities here, Bush is screwed on either one:
1.) Iraq HAD WMD's before the (current) War, and has either hidden them or found a way to get them into Sudan or into Saudi Arabia.
Worst case scenario for the world and Bush if true. IF he had the weapons and has them in hiding that means they're about open game for people to either find, and possibly fall into the wrong hands, or the people who hid them for Saddam could sell them to Al Quidea or equivalent organization. That is a huge problem.
Second he HAD WMD's and has found a way to smuggle them out of Iraq, also terrible/big/huge problem.
Either way the fact that
we pussy-footed around for 9+ months just letting them know what we were going in there to look for just might give him the opportunity to hide or sell them ASAP.
And on top of that, if it IS true and WE LET IT GO BY with all of our sattelite technology and surveilance of that country, it is one of the largest blunders in intelligence that the US has probably ever seen.
I mean if you KNOW they got WMD's, you get a quick coalition together and just go, you don't wait around. The fact that he waited around so long when he was SO SURE of an imminent threat is just crazy.
So what's the deal?
I mean, I don't believe Bush would have some evil plot to lie to the US and the world -
and to this day I don't think Powell would either, however I think they were mislead. Possibly by Rumsfield or some other evil force that I pray to god really doesn't exist in the Administration/Government.
And even if this is true and GWB didn't mislead us intentionally, then I don't want a man who is so easily mislead himself by his subordinates to be in charge of our country in this time of peril!
And that other possibility? Iraq just didn't have WMD's, but tried to lead on that they did. I think this is the most logical explanation for Iraq, and I really pray that it is the true one. It does fit into Saddams style and logically it makes SO MUCH SENSE.
Tell the UN that you have no weapons, their inspectors find no evidence of said weapons.
Do some stupid measures to lead on that you might have WMD's, this leads some fear that if they ever did try and attack you that you might just go nuts and push the button to kill a million plus people. Plus it makes some of the terrorist organizations who might normally hate you (Al Quidea specifically) be sort of nice to you if they think they can buy some nukes.
And besides, who's going to attack your country for having WMD's when they'll never be able to find hard evidence that you have them in the first place? I mean no one is THAT stupid!
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Sorry back on track to more important points:
The fact that the US went into Iraq on the basis of WMD's AND CAN'T FIND ANY, has done so much to hurt us on the War on Terror (which I still whole heartedly believe in) that it's not even funny. I mean really, you have justifiably pissed off the Arab world (not to mention the rest of the world who WAS overwhelmingly ready to help the US in the WoT after 9/11).
I mean, going into Afghanistan didn't anger most of the Arab nations, some of the more fundies got enraged, but not the whole region - most governments at least officially supported us. Not so in Iraq.
WE NEED THE HELP OF THOSE GOVERNMENTS TO CRACK DOWN ON THE TERRORISTS THAT ARE INSIDE THIER BORDERS!
This is the major screw up of Bush, IMO.
Sure there are benefits from the War in Iraq for us, we can stabalize a country, install a Democracy, and most importantly keep a military base in there to "keep the peace" and constantly be a reminder to the surrounding nations that a ground force is never too far away from deployment should they get too out of line. And yes there is a plan to use Iraq to force democracy in the other countries, BUT THIS DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE WAR IN IRAQ!
Bush can enact on those benefits and possibly make them work, but it'll cause more bloodshed, since about 90% of the rest of the world hates him. Kerry can get in there, enact the plan, and patch things up with the rest of the world.
I think your average Arab would be less inclined to hate the US if they see that we take Bush out of office. I'm not talking about appeasing terrorists, I'm talking about getting the innocent civilians to realize that WE'RE ON THEIR SIDE! That way they might be inclined to turn over the bastards that hide amongst them.
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Also, I would almost fear Kerry cutting the military/intelligence since he's been so blindingly liberal in this reguard back in the 80's/90's (he did vote against most major weapons systems that are VERY MUCH instrumental in the War on Terror and other areas). However, if there is one thing you can count on with Kerry is that he'll blow where the popular winds take him, and after 9/11 I can not see the popular winds allowing him to cut back on defense and security.
This is doubly true if there is still a Republican majority in Congress.
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Other minor issues: Taxes.
Yes I believe in Tax cuts, even for the rich and "teh EVAL" corporations. It stimulates economic growth. But that only works well if you cut the governments spending, which Bush has done the exact opposite.
Kerry's removing of Bush's tax cuts
for people making over $400K a year would do very much to pay off the irresponsible spending Bush has done in his administration.
I hate tax and spend liberals with a passion, however I really hate fake conservative republicans who cut taxes and spend more.
Get this through your heads guys, Bush != a Fiscal Conservative.
Also Tax & Spend > Less Taxes + More Spending.
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One more note that's no where near as important as the above two. Gay marriage.
Amending the constitution for an issue that is so stupid as gay marriage is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
As much as I do not think Homosexuality is the right choice of lifestyle*, we can not deny them the right to marry the person they love simply because "we don't like it" here in the Religious Right.
Why?
Because we can not and should not make being gay illegal. As such denying them the right to marry does not make any logical sense. And it is EXTREMELY WRONG to deny them that just because "we're in the majority and we don't like it so they can't do it".
Why? Because what happens if one day the majority is against us (the Religious Right), and decide they can opress us simply because they're in the majority?
Unlikely sure, but it could happen. And I for one enjoy having intellectual integrity when I decide where I stand on an issue.
Solution: Make a national law defining "civil unions" for gay people that have all the benefits and responsibilities of hetero marriage. Of course it'd be called civil unions because people have a bug up their butt about gay people being "married".
I hate symmantics.
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Ok, I'm done my ranting. Sorry, it made me feel good to rave for a bit. I'm going to have a beer now and go to bed. With luck I may have brought a fellow conservative over to my side, if not then at least I've made up for supporting GWB like I did before.
Peace-friggin-out.
