Iraq: Why No "Exit Strategy"?

Democrats have demagogically used the lame excuse of "No Exit Strategy" to criticize Bush's handling of the war in Iraq.

The fact is, both Democrats and Republicans have always been aware that there would never be any "exit" from Iraq as long as there is oil in the Middle East; to access that oil requires domination of the region.

Much of the peace movement would rather not talk about the term "exit strategy" because to explain why there is no "exit strategy" means having to learn about, and then explain to the American people, what imperialism is all about... imperialism is the final and most advanced stage of capitalism... as we can see from what is taking place in Iraq, imperialism is very barbaric, parasitic, and cannibalistic; it is a completely inhumane system in which wars for plunder and profit are the rule, rather than, the exception.

If we are going to end this war in Iraq from within our own country as is our responsibility to the people of Iraq and the rest of the world, this will require that the American people be educated to the fact that what is taking place in Iraq is an imperialist adventure to dominate and control Iraq for oil and regional domination.

The Rockefeller's outlined this strategy of U.S. imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism, long, long ago in stating: "Own nothing and control everything."

This has been the guiding world outlook of the American capitalist class for well over a century with working people and the rest of society along with the peoples' of the world, and the general well being of our planet and its ecosystems paying a terrible price for tolerating this line of thinking as it has been extended to permeate every area of life and subverting and warping the politics of our country.

Whether stealing the land from the First Peoples, to pits of the Iron Range in Minnesota, or the coal fields of West Virginia, or the oil fields of the Middle East, the objectives of the capitalists have been to rape Mother Nature in the process of exploiting human labor in order to rake in the profits for this small group of people.

Why would anyone even think in terms of an "exit strategy" with the intent being to control the oil fields of the Middle East through regional domination?

Who is naive enough to believe all of the lies and deceit Bush and the military-financial-industrial complex concocted in order to justify the war in Iraq?

The first lie: retaliation for the World Trade Center. No one in their right mind plunges a nation into war with another nation for the actions of a few individuals. What kind of perverted logic and demented mind would send more people to their deaths to avenge the deaths of those killed? This is the height of insanity. Well over 3,000 Americans have returned in body bags from Iraq. As we know, the lives of Iraqis do not matter; no one has bothered to count.

The second lie: Weapons of Mass Destruction. There never were any such weapons.

The third lie: To get rid of Saddam Hussein. He has been hung.

The fourth lie: the "exit strategy." There is none because you don't plan to exit when your intent is to stay to steal the oil.

The fifth lie: This is not an imperialist adventure for oil and regional domination. If not, then what is it?

The sixth lie: We can "win" this war in Iraq. If the war is not about oil and regional domination, what is there to win? John McCain intends to base his Presidential aspirations shamefully and pathetically claiming he has the leadership ability to win this war. Hitler told the German people the same thing until he got to Stalingrad.

Why would there now be an "exit strategy" when the goal from day one has been to secure the oil; with the overall objective being dominating the politics and economics of the Middle East?

If the American people do not put an end to this war in Iraq they will pay a terrible price for allowing this carnage to continue.

So far, the only plan to get the U.S. troops out of Iraq is the "Blueprint to end the War in Iraq" put forward by former United States Senator George McGovern and the man who should have been president instead of that creepy, crooked, warmonger Richard Nixon.

I think it is unconscionable that anyone claiming to be for peace and for an end to this dirty war in Iraq would even consider anything less than what George McGovern has put forward because to make a compromise with Bush is just allowing the military-financial-industrial complex room to maneuver and manipulate as they try to "secure the population" of Iraq in quest of oil profits and regional domination of the Middle East.

Anyone proposing any kind of "compromise" with these merchants of death and destruction should at least be the first ones to step forward to replace those young people over there right now who do not want to be in Iraq. And I don't see anyone stepping forward to do this.

This is the very first time that I have ever seen segments of a "peace movement" urge a "compromise" involving the continuation of a war. Again, unless people like Robert Borosage and Keith Ellison along with his last remaining supporter from the peace movement--- a frail, gaunt, sickly old professor who has spent his entire life hiding in the ivory towers of academia are willing to step forward and volunteer to replace Minnesotans who only joined National Guard in order to get a little fresh air on weekends and make a few extra bucks because they couldn't feed their families on the poverty wages paid by casino operators and Holiday Gas Stations; or to get a college education.

There isn't a single member of the Minnesota Legislature, the United States House of Representatives or the United States Senate that could not be replacing any member of the Minnesota Army Reserves or the National Guard over in Iraq... and they could have as many tours of "duty" as they want over there as Bush has planned for a permanent American occupation.

Anyways, there is no "exit strategy" from Iraq because Bush never intended to leave. And, he still doesn't; because this idiot sitting in the White House and strutting around the globe is a mere puppet on a string; the strings are being pulled, however clumsily, by the merchants of death and destruction who make up the military-financial-industrial complex. Hitler had such a powerful complex, too; once his generals reached Stalingrad there was quite a surprise for this imperialist butcher of Lidice; and Nixon had the same kind of awakening in Vietnam.

In both the Soviet Union and Vietnam the invading armies met their match but a terrible price was paid by humanity in each case.

Does it really take having 55,000 body bags returning from Iraq with the American military on the verge of being defeated by the popular resistance of the Iraqi people for this imperialist war and its carnage and destruction to come to an end?

The only alternative is for the American people to step forward and take the appropriate collective action to end it... if this means impeachment of Bush and Cheney and their war crimes trial... so be it; or massive numbers of the American people taking to the streets and raising so much hell the government can no longer function; or work stoppages... or a combination of these actions and other methods of resistance to this dirty, illegal, immoral, and unjust war, so be it... but let's stop this war right now because the present politicians will never develop an "exit strategy" because they have known that the strategy, from day one, has been to occupy the oil fields of the Middle East... this is their goal and primary objective.

Had the Democrats thought an "exit strategy" appropriate why didn't they ask the details before they voted for this dirty war; after all... the majority of the United States Congress in both the House and the Senate who voted to give Bush the right to go to war are still in the United States House and Senate... and many of them have sat in their seats through other wars... it is not like they are so stupid that they did not think of asking Bush for his "exit strategy;" or are they so stupid? Christopher Dodd, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden... how pathetic. And this opportunist Barack Obama. None of them have the courage to say that the United States went to Iraq to stay, therefore, neither they nor Bush had the need to consider an "exit strategy."

In my opinion all peace activity should be tied to supporting George McGovern's very humanistic, anti-imperialist, liberal and progressive "Blueprint for ending the war in Iraq."

The Roseau County, Minnesota DFL Convention passed a resolution calling for "setting a date to end the war in Iraq that was based upon lies and deceit." It is my belief, as the elected member of the State Central Committee elected by the Roseau County Convention to bring forward the resolutions that we passed, including this one, that McGovern's "Blueprint for ending the war in Iraq" is the only proposal in keeping with our resolution; there were no resolutions supporting keeping the war going of continuing to fund this war in any way, shape, or form. As such, I am encouraging the State Central Committee to convene a special session for the purpose of discussing McGovern's proposal and I encourage all of those for peace including Charley Underwood and Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer and the DFL Progressive Caucus, Peace First, and Peace in the Precincts to join me in supporting such an initiative. More than 130 delegates to the last state convention who are members of Minnesotans for Peace and Social Justice have asked me to suggest to Co-Chairs Brian Melendez, Donna Cassutt, and Executive Director Andrew O'Leary that a special meeting of the MN DFL State Central Committee be convened for the sole purpose of discussing, and debating George McGovern's "Blueprint for ending the war in Iraq" with the intent of endorsing it as the position we expect our elected officials to pursue. After such a meeting Minnesotans will then have a clear idea where the Minnesota DFL stands in relation to ending the war in Iraq.