Image courtesy of Glenn Halog under CC BY-NC 2.0
“Whatever you contribute, it must be substantial.” So spoke Secretary of State Colin Powell to the conference in Madrid, a meeting of friendly nations too weak to defend themselves against the world’s strongest military turned aggressor.
The only things missing were the pin-stripped suit, the broad brimmed felt hat or fedora, and the bulge of a shoulder holster or sidearm tucked under an armpit. Other than that, Mr. Powell could be taken for any mafia henchman walking into a neighborhood candy store to sell the proprietor insurance. You do want to protect your place, don’t you?
Naturally, there weren’t any of the rival families at this conference. Nations from the “axis of evil” and most others with nuclear capability require a different approach. But our weaker friends are ripe for the picking. Countries like Nicaragua and Haiti need our protection.
After a dozen years of embargo and bombing, plus a final walk-on invasion and occupation that didn’t even require the planned “shock and awe,” the United States is ready to rebuild the Iraqi infrastructure and buildings we so systematically destroyed.
The majority of Americans who supported this invasion shouldn’t be asked to bear the expense alone. After all, they are already overtaxed, underemployed, were frightened into believing a pack of lies, and are barely able to keep their SUVs running without paying through the nose. And the invasion itself carried a hefty price tag. Egad, we went $555 billion further in debt during fiscal 2003.
Besides that, the United States is already bearing the brunt of the costs to rebuild Iraq. Didn’t Congress just OK borrowing another $87 billion to start rebuilding and continue the war on terrorism?
Never mind that Iraq had little or nothing to do with terrorism or that they didn’t have any weapons of mass destruction ready to be deployed against the U.S. and their neighbors. We all know that “it’s the thought that counts” and they certainly had a great many evil thoughts directed toward us.
Restricted to an oil-for-food program, losing a half million children to starvation, and denied the parts to repair their equipment (both military and infrastructure) while their leader built palaces, how can you blame the Iraqi people for harboring resentment?
So, Mr. Candy store owner, you’ve seen what happened to the store down the street. You don’t want that to happen to you, do you? Cough up a “substantial” part of your treasury and we’ll take care of you just like we are taking care of Saudi Arabia, the nation where 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 came from.
About this time, Mr. Powell’s Iraqi sidekick from the provisional government kicks in with a comment about how he’s sure to remember those who don’t contribute.
By the way, terrorism is a tactic not a thing. It’s a scheme, an activity, a method, a strategy, a surprise that can be used by anyone, limited only by man’s imagination and resources. People like Osama bin Laden might use it, but it isn’t an entity you can see, feel, or touch. It’s ethereal. Declaring war against terrorism is like declaring war against thinking.
We can, however, declare war against those who commit some terrifying act, but we better be certain who did it. You don’t stonewall an investigation into who committed an act as heinous as 9/11 unless you have something to hide.
David used a form of surprise to fell Goliath. George Washington used it when he crossed the Delaware in the dead of night and attacked the enemy on Christmas morning while sleeping in their barracks at Trenton. You never know where it’s coming from and that’s what strikes terror into the minds of everyone.
So go back to your countries, tell your people that you’ve signed up to fight the war on terrorism. Tell them how vulnerable they are. Scare them, it works. Watch how quickly the 80 percent who were opposed to our invasion will start to praise you. But please sign the check before you leave.
Since writing this article, it has been reported that Mr. Powell’s efforts resulted in $13 billion in promises of support. This amount is what the United States spends every two days, slightly more than we spend every day if you take out weekends and holidays. Two thirds of the commitments are in the form of loans and most of those are from the International Monetary Fund. The IMF is headquartered at 700 19th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20431.
“Published originally at EtherZone.com : republication allowed with this notice and hyperlink intact.”