The State of the Current Disunity

George Bush used to tell us that he is a uniter, not a divider. There is a certain kernel of truth to that idea but not one the president intended.

China and Russia have made history recently with their joint military exercises. The reason for the joint exercises? Russia and China find themselves very uneasy with the unilateralism of current American foreign policy.

Islamic extremists who have never had a foot hold in Iraq before, are finding common cause with the insurgents of Iraq, likewise the Iranians.

The majority of Europeans have united in their distrust and fear of the little president and his administration.

America has, in many ways, been torn asunder by the outrages of this defender of the rich and protector of the powerful. I think it fair to say that the American population is in a severe flux of disunity. A flux that is growing by the day.

Many months ago I predicted that the draft would have been reinstated by this summer. I am not sad to say I was wrong. That is the sort of thing I like being wrong about.

However, my reasons for that prediction still remain and the administration's inability to deal with the problems, show what a tenuous position the little president and his neo-con handlers are actually in.

The war is going very badly for our war time president. While he and Cheney, and the rest of the deck of white house cards continue to proclaim victory, most of the world is seeing a different story unfolding in Iraq.

In fact, the only people sensing victory are the same losers who started the war and wish to continue it. The same losers who are now making threats and trying to build a case for war against Iran. The same ones continuing to decimate the military while losing in Iraq.

Now, the building disunity I spoke of in the title, refers to the United States itself. The little president has no answers for any of the questions that are being inspired by this war. What do you do when you've skated so far upon the thin ice of fabricated evidence and flimsy excuses?

In his last radio address, the little man who could not face the mother of one of his victims, attempted to explain his war with the same old lie. A lie even key members of his administration have admitted is wrong. 9/11, 9/11, 9/11.

Almost no one still believes that lie but the little president, pro liar that he is, keeps telling it. Only the brain dead and utterly ignorant still believe him. Their ranks are beginning to shrink and at the same time, the ranks of ordinary citizens, fed up with the lies and the over the top power abuses of this administration, are growing rapidly.

The success of Cindy Sheehan's vigil is an indicator of how strong and how fast this movement of rational questions is growing.

Cindy Sheehan did not create this movement, she gave it a face, and a focus point, but she is so successful now because the balance is changing. People who have been quiet, for too long, are finding their voices. And finding the courage necessary to question such a paranoid regime, in public.

No amount of carefully orchestrated political display, such as the government sponsored Garth Brooks parade and concert, in Washington, will change the simple truth. There is no reason for war in Iraq, other than a naked grab for oil, money, and power. Nothing uniquely American is being defended, nothing good is being disseminated to the Iraqi people, but Halliburton is making an enormous pile of money, as well as the big oil companies.

Meanwhile, our soldiers are dieing in a war of pure greed, in unarmored vehicles, without proper body armor, because this administration is trying to save money on protective equipment while borrowing billions upon billions to throw at the corporate interests the White House serves.

One thing the war mongers realized, from the beginning, was that this war would not be supported by the American people if any real sacrifice was demanded of them. A clear indication that they knew the excuses would not fly for ever.

In spite of the huge cost of the war, Bush has given massive tax breaks to the rich and dares not raise taxes to support his war. For purely political reasons, he's leaving that for another administration to take the heat for.

Anyone doubting the slim support for the war has only to look at recruitment statistics. They are in the pits. Many of the traditional sources of recruitment, Black Americans, immigrants, and the poor, have quickly figured out that the military is not a reasonable alternative to poverty and unemployment.

In spite of their 'support the troops' stickers, and vocal proclamations of support for this insanity, Republicans, young and old alike seem to be waiting for someone else to do the actual fighting. They certainly aren't standing in line at military recruitments centres or packing their kids off to boot camp.

What popular support this war has, will evaporate very quickly if the draft is reinstated. So, the little president has decided to use stop loss programs to force people to say in the field long after their enlistment times are up. He uses National Guard and reserve units like regular troops, in spite of their man power and equipment shortages.

Recruitment is not replacing the losses. If you believe it is, then you are only looking at the official KIA figures. The loses, due to all causes, are out stripping recruitment.

The cracks of division are showing in the ranks of the Republicans themselves as more and more become embarrassed by their support of this failing regime. The idiocy, arrogance, and rank dishonesty of high administration officials, becomes more and more difficult to support.

Many are beginning to worry about the next set of elections, in 2006.

A small warning. Some people that I have spoken with and heard lately, mistakenly believe that an unpopular lame duck president will become powerless and will begin to make concessions.

George Bush is a vain, power besotted and scared little man. As pressure mounts against him, in the US, he will more likely escalate his excesses, rather than retreat from madness.

I should not be surprised if the real purpose of the Patriot Act becomes much more obvious between now and the end of this little president's reign.