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Wednesday, June 30, 2004

It's the Stupid War, Stupid!

Via Cyndy, I came across this review of "Fahrenheit 9/11" from a self-proclaimed "ultra conservative." Like Cyndy, I think these two paragraphs are the most interesting:
An interesting encounter immediately after seeing the film underscores its fundamentally non-partisan nature. Some poor schlep had positioned himself outside the theater with a clipboard soliciting signatures on a nominating position for a would-be Democrat congressional candidate. A couple of people seized the petition and started to sign. Impertinent sort that I am, I asked, "What's this fellow's position on the war?"

The scribbling stopped, and several sets of eyes focused intently on the hapless volunteer. "Well, um, ah, he thinks we should do something," he began, stammeringly. "Ah, he just thinks we should be more careful." On hearing this, a lady looked at her husband, who had signed the petition, and snapped, "Scratch off your name." I told the volunteer that I'm what most people would regard as an "ultra-conservative – not just a `conservative' – but if your guy came out against the war I'd vote for him, and knock on doors." "Well, I can't really address all the details of his positions," the increasingly flustered guy responded. "Just let him know what I said," I suggested, telling him that there are a lot of people who have the same point of view.
I think it's long past time for John Kerry to flip-flop one more time and suggest that all American forces should be removed from Iraq with the same alacrity with which Paul Bremer left. If he does that, I'll click on one of his bazillion online ads asking for $50, and I'll knock on doors, too.

I've been disillusioned many times in my life, but the selection of Kerry as the Democratic nominee was one of the most disillusioning experiences ever. The election should have been a referendum on the war, but now to get rid of Bush we're supposed to support the guy calling for more troops and more allies so we can more quickly move along to the next war? Of course the Bushies have badly mismanaged the occupation, and they should be criticized for that. But their biggest crime, and the one easiest to explain to voters, was starting the war itself. Apparently, people seeing F 9/11 get it. John Kerry should, too. Unless he really intends to try to get elected by running against tax cuts.