Mourning the Dead

It would be easy to use the London bombings as another excuse to rant about the continuing evil that has come from George W's illegal war on Iraq. The Downing Street Memo(s) are all the evidence one needs to understand that Bush had no reason to attack Iraq and Saddam, other than to finish what his father had started. At a time when we are all mourning the innocent victims in Britain, it is not really an appropriate time to join the 'Dissident Voice' http://www.dissidentvoice.org/June05/Zeese0615.htm in vilifying Bush and Blair. It is, however, a time for reflection and contemplation.

When Tony Blair made the decision to involve Britain in the Iraq war he did so, knowing the facts as clearly as anyone outside of Washington could have. He likely met with his own advisors, political and military, and after much thought, decided that it was in Britain's best, long term interests to join Bush's coallition. He is a seemingly intelligent man who would have understood that he was opening up his citizens to an increased risk of terrorist attack and yet he still believed he was persuing a course that would be in the best interests of these same people.

No amount of second guessing can change history. The people of England are a hearty lot. They have survived a great deal of cruelty during their history and they will survive these attacks with a resolute determination to move forward. History will come to judge Blair's actions based on the long term consequences of the Iraq experiment in democratization, forced by Bush and Blair.

It is a time to mourn the dead. We must consider the innocent people of Iraq, Spain, and Britain who have died as a result of George W's actions. We must also consider the lives of the soldiers who have died for their devotion to country and their leaders. The war is, it exists regardless of one's opinion of its validity.

In a sane world we analyse a situation, consider a number of possible actions and then begin to set about to make positive change. Bush has created a mess that has escalated beyond his control. Terrorism is as much, if not more, of a threat then before his presidency. These are the facts we face. It is past time for the peace makers of this world to forcefully involve ourselves in this situation. We, and the terrorists, can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Bush's reign will end and, with luck, prayer, and some careful support, sanity will return to Washington. Those countries who were not members of the coallition created by Bush must work harder to find solutions for the middle east that allow for peaceful coexistence. If we spend as much of our time, money and human resources working for peace as Bush has spent creating war, we can succeed.

We must succeed.