"Winning" in the Middle East

What do Bush and Cheney mean by "winning the war"?

1. Passage by the Iraqi parliament of the oil law -- written by four major American corporations, which would sign away the right of the Iraqi people to most of the profit from their own oil for 30 years.
2. A government in Iraq which will cooperate with our agenda, and which can maintain control in the area in order to assure our ability to harvest their oil safely and efficiently.
3. An Iraqi people defeated by diminishing their numbers, power, collective knowledge, solidarity, infrastructure, health and wealth.
4. A secure path across neighboring nations for export of the oil from Iraq to the sea.
5. An "embassy" which is the size of a large city, free of local restrictions, which can serve as a haven of American culture for American personnel living and working in Iraq during the 30 year project.
6. Continued U.S. military presence to guarantee the status quo as we have created it to serve our interests.

On an imaginary balance sheet, what gains could be listed from U.S. domination of the best remaining oil (and water) in the Middle East?

1. U.S. control of the supply of these two valuable resources.
2. Enrichment of a few Americans (whether they continue to live the the States or not, and who pay as little tax as possible) - beyond imagination.
3. World power - also in the hands of a few Americans.
4. A feather in George Bush's stetson - now kept in Crawford, Texas, at the former pig farm Rove told him to buy in 2000 and re-image as a Ranch. The feathered hat will no doubt go with Bush down to the vast property in Paraguay he is buying up to escape justice at the end of his ride as head of the oulaw gang running the United States.

What are the costs of these gains on the balance sheet?

1. Death of a million-plus people who wanted to live in peace.
2. Breaking the U.S. military and states' National Guard, and building up of a federal mercenary military without legal controls.
3. Huge foreign debt and deterioration of the U.S. economy and ability to be self-sufficient.
4. Ever-decreasing opportunities, power and security for American middle and lower classes.
5. Compromise of our democracy and freedoms - checks and balances, Constitutional rights, justice system, elections, and the press.
6. Neglect of our national responsibilities to maintain infrastructure, safeguard the environment, and help those in need here and abroad.
7. Contributing to the growth of violence: inspiring revenge, necessitating self-defense, reducing options through poverty and powerlessness, pushing international sale of armaments because they are one of our few remaining manufactured products.
8. Becoming, ourselves, the principal terrorist nation in the eyes of the world.

Notable Quotes:

"There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights." General Smedley Butler

"Stop throwing the Constitution in my face. It's just a goddamned piece of paper!"-Bush's reply, "screamed" at an aide who had said, "There is a valid case that the provisions in this law undermine the Constitution." November 2005, reported in Capitol Hill Blue 12/9/05

Overheard on a New York subway train...Hobo: "Attention, attention! I'm playing this saxophone to raise money for my spaceship!"Plays a horrible rendition of "Pop Goes the Weasel."Hobo: "I'm going into space, and I'm taking George Bush with me!"Fellow passengers cheer.http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/