Mission Failed


Five years ago, George Bush got to "play solider" and, on an aircraft carrier, declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq.

5 years, 4000+ American Soldiers, billions of dollars later, it would seem that the "mission" in Iraq has been essentially a failure. The country is still on the brink of a civil war, based mainly along sectarian lines. The idea that the "Surge" is working is based more on uneasy alliances and fragile truces. Not to mention the "Surge" in terrorism in other parts of the world as groups use Bush's policies as a recruiting and rallying tool.

But what's likely and even greater failure to Bush is that he could accomplish the mission of keeping the American people in a web of fear that would have kept America in the hand of the coalition of religious and free-market fundamentalists, neo-imperialists, etc that make up the GOP. Bush never expected that the anti-war movement would be able to stay afloat this long, but as the causalities increased and a corps of "micromedia" activists from sites like BuzzFlash, Common Dreams, Go Left, and Air America would make places like Abu Gharaib and terms like "Stress Positions" and "Waterboarding" familar, the movement not only stayed alive, but grew in strength.

I look back on just the last 2 years, never mind the last 5, and am amazed at what I've been a part of. From standing with a small group of activists in Harrisburg, PA, to marching with a few thousand people in DC.

And I don't think we're done yet. We still have our mission to accomplish. To vote the warmongers out of office and replace them with men and women committed to ending this imperial quest and returning this nation to beacon of freedom it was and can be again. It will take time to heal the damage, but hopefully in November I'll be able to post on this 'blog--Mission Accomplished. . .