The Global Musings of an Educated Man......vol.133
On this last evening in August, 2010, our president, Barack Obama gave a speech to the American Public. I wondered, was anybody watching this tonight? Does the American Public even care anymore? Have we noticed that he just announced the end to U.S. Military Combat Operations in Iraq? Did you notice that there will still be 50,000 U.S. troops remaining behind in Iraq as a "transitional force?" After 7 1/2 years, 4,500 dead U.S. soldiers and estimated to be 150,000+ dead Iraqis, the time to "turn the page" is here. Someone, que the Bob Seger song of the same name. As I watched, disappointed in the fact that the U.S. troops will only be moved to nearby Afghanistan to continue fighting a war that will never end, "the war on terror," I was pleasantly surprised that 9/11 was only mentioned once, but I know that we must remain ever vigilant against that shadowy group of evil-doers lurking behind every corner in the middle east, Al-Qaieda. President Obama wishes for "lasting peace and long term prosperity" for Iraqis and so do I, but I find it very ironic, that after 7 1/2 years of the exact opposite, combat operations can be considered to be over. However, there is no government to take the reins in Iraq. What we are going to be left with is another vacuum to be filled with corrupt officials and bureaucracy. President Obama said that all U.S. military will be out of Iraq by the end of next year, but can you really believe it? He hasn't closed Guantanamo, he said that when he immediately took office he would pull the troops out of Iraq and that he would get out of Afghanistan as well. After spending 1 Trillion dollars in fighting endless wars these past 7 1/2 years, he is setting us up for disappointment once again. His slogan of "hope and change" still rings in my ears as empty promises from just another empty suit in Washington. He mentioned that we must help the Iraqis to "secure the dream." I only wish that it doesn't ring true like the deceased genius comedian George Carlin once said, "The American Dream, you have to be asleep to believe it."
