Replies to post #5818 on Foreign Correspondence

[Ace Hanlon]

Iraq Transforms American Democracy Into American Eliteocracy
David Sirota


December 6, 2005

If you read the papers today, you will see that the disconnection between the insulated political Establishment in Washington, D.C. and the rest of the country has grown to a point where the American political system now resembles a fictional television show - not democracy. If we were to start being honest, we would simply stop calling America "the greatest democracy in the world," because what it has become in recent years is anything but democracy.
It has instead become the greatest eliteocracy in the world. That's right - it is a government of, by and for the elite insiders, pundits, and powerbrokers in the nation's capital - not the people.
Poll after poll after poll shows Americans are demanding a very different Iraq War policy - one that includes a detailed exit strategy to bring our troops home. And polls show Americans believe the war was a mistake and that it is damaging U.S. national security. And yet, incredibly, if you look at the rhetoric coming out of Washington's elite, it is as if the public simply does not exist.
Just look at today's Washington Post story headlined "Democrats Find Iraq Alternative Is Elusive":

"Among the Democratic foreign-policy elite, dominated by people who previously served in the top ranks of government, there are stark differences -- and significant vagueness -- about a viable alternative...Several accept Bush's premise that a rapid withdrawal anytime soon would leave Iraq unstable and risk a strategic disaster in the broader Middle East."
Yes, that's right - Iraq is turning into a slow-motion disaster, American casualties continue to pile up, and yet the insulated Democratic elite in Washington are backing up President Bush's "stay the course" nonsense. This elite class, of course, is filled with many people who helped justify the Iraq War in the first place, and who from their well-guarded enclaves in Northwest Washington, Northern Virginia or Bethesda never have to feel the real-world consequences of their actions.
Then there is Roll Call's story, headlined "House Democrats Seek to Avoid Iraq Stance Vote":

"House Democratic leaders this week will try to block any effort by members to adopt an official Democratic Caucus position on the Iraq war...Caucus members remain at odds over whether to continue U.S. involvement in Iraq and for how long."
Again, don't rub your eyes - you read it right. The minority party - which purports to be serious about taking back the majority - is actually working overtime to prevent its rank-and-file members from backing up Vietnam War hero Jack Murtha and putting the party on record with a clear, concise position.
Then again, many of the party's elected officials have for years been more interested in appeasing the Washington pundit class, than in actually representing or mobilizing voters. They are, in short, too interested in making people like Mort Kondracke happy. And that brings us to today's final example of wholesale disconnection from reality: Mort Kondracke.
Here is an excerpt of his column today:

"In 1966, Republican Sen. George Aiken (Vt.) famously advised President Lyndon Johnson to 'declare victory and get out' of Vietnam. There’s a danger that this will become U.S. policy in Iraq and lead to a too-early withdrawal of American troops and disaster in the Middle East."
This is really too much. Kondracke - who you may recall appears on Fox News supposedly representing the left - is now attacking George Aiken for having suggested getting out of Vietnam in 1966, as if in retrospect it would have been a bad idea to avoid tens of thousands of U.S. casualties in that bloody quagmire (which, of course, Kondracke did not serve in). But even worse, Kondracke is actually using his own attacks on Aiken to justify doing something different in Iraq - namely, having American troops stay there in perpetuity, no matter how many more casualties accrue, no matter how deleterious the conflict is to our military, and no matter how much damage we are doing to America's overall national security.
This is what it's come to - a situation where pencilnecks, slimy political operatives, cowering politicians, and chickenhawk pundits sit in their comfortable Washington offices, strut around puffing out their chests, and make themselves feel like red-meat eating patriots by advocating the continuation of a policy based on lies, a policy that is destroying our military, getting our soldiers killed or maimed in a quagmire, and hurting our country's overall position in the world. And they are advocating for this policy - and even labeling it "moderate" or "mainstream" - even though the vast majority of Americans want an exit strategy.
This is not democracy - and to call it democracy is an insult to the courageous icons throughout history who actually fought for a real democracy. This is something dangerous, and something that threatens to truly re-shape our country in destructive ways. This is eliteocracy - and it is taking over our political system every single day we don't expose it and label it a fraud being perpetrated on America.
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[otraque]

This air defense missiles for Iran is a major matter.
The time for completion of 30 Tor-M1 systems is 2 years.
i can see Israel falling into paranoia over Iran being a no longer an easy place to strike by air.
The Israeli and U.S. propaganda machine to both its population will remain that Iran threatens our existence--like Iran can really destroy america or Israel, this is the propaganda line though, relentless, non-stop to maintain paranoid populaces.
i counter, and ask who could destroy Iran's existence , the U.S. and Israel could, they could quite easily annihilate Iran.
So you from some Iranians testosteronic verbal blasts saying "Israel does not have the right to exist, and the U.S. is the great Satan", but these are but in your face verbal yakety-yak that have no teeth.
But it does play strongly into the hands of the U.S. and Israel regimes that totally disavow the old wisdom of "Sticks and stones can break my bones but names can never hurt me".
No, instead, Israel and the U.S. has labelled ANY person in Iran going to name calling, a THREAT to the EXISTENCE of the U.S. and/or Israel, or for that matter the entire wondrous and blessed (in their eyes) Western Civilization.
What does Iran see when they look out at the world, they see two Dobermans salivating to wipe them out and who can easily do so.
O my goodness now Iran is seeking to defend themselves with getting these missile systems, is this paranoia; no, it is based on the reality they can be wiped out--Iran's existence is very insecure, unless, unless they, of course, agree humbly to become members and devotees at the altar of Western Civilization and become card carrying members of the devout belief that truth,justice and the american way will save the world, which is really only a fascist scheme for world domination on our part.
So has this attempt by Iran to defend itself made matters safer for them.
NO! The dobermans don't like people that can defend themselves, the dobermans will want to attack BEFORE Iran can defend themselves, and thus the Iran matter is just getting closer and closer to true madness breaking out, attack Iran.
Iran has ONE defense, a loss of the iranian oil supply to the west WILL drive the price of crude to 100 dollars per barrel, does Bush dare risk this---he is crazy enough to do so, yes.
Now, Bush will continue to get out and talk about people that these non-western civilation people that don't care about anything, they kill man women and children, they don't care about anything; and he will do so in his smarmy oily soft tones, like an evil Mr.Rodgers talking to children."These are evil people, boys and girls, they blow up innocent people, and don't care, and they are going to destroy our country if you don't believe your teacher---you don't want your country to be destroyed do you?" 'O, no Mr.President, o no, save us,save us'
Never stating how many men women and children we have killed in Iraq and elsewhere over the years---far far far far far far far more than these 'savage evil non-westerners have done'. And it is us, this country that is out to destroy worlds that don't please us.
We are the Numero Uno bastion of profoundly evil hypocrisy in the world today.