War is hell. I have to admit, up until now I have been a silent radical. I think about political issues, but I choose not to comment publicly on them. Is that so bad? It's not that I'm anti-Bush (which, technically, is an incorrect statement, because we all know that Cheney is the *real* president with Bush as his little puppet) or unpatriotic, but you all have to admit that the government is in a sad state at this point.

In Article II of the Constitution, one of the powers invested in Congress is the power to declare war. Not the president, not the executive branch, but CONGRESS. And look what's happening now - Congress in the past century has repeatedly alienated itself from exercising those powers, and just look at the state of foreign diplomacy now.

The way I see it, there are better solutions for the current oil situation than invading Iraq and making it a little American colony. (Don't even try and argue that this farce isn't about oil; it has *everything* to do with it.) Instead of relying on oil-and-fuel driven cars, why don't we invest the $27 million it will take to actually wage a war against Iraq in a rehaul in Detroit? That way both foreign policy and environmental issues will be eased.

Of course, I realize that there are potential problems with the rehaul option - people are so used to gas stations, that blaring 76 sign waving from every other street corner, but hey - we are destroying the earth, peoples.

Or how about this, you right-wing Fascists: what will happen if we *do* wage war against Iraq? Either we fail miserably and leave anti-American ideas even more deeply rooted in Middle Eastern countries, or we prevail (hey, they rhyme). Sure, not so bad, eh? WRONG. Terrorism will be spurred even if we do win; terrorist cells will spring up in the secret Iraqi underground or from beneath Osama's protecting wings. We make Iraq a protectorate or whatever the fuck they call them nowadays (stupid "politically correct" speech writers, they can all go to Hell), and they will hate us even more. There is no way on earth we can totally get rid of anti-American sentiments; the seeds had been planted long ago. We make Iraq into a gigantic strip mall or a gigantic apartment complex - no one's going to stop us but ourselves. At this point, UN is completely impotent and useless.

Last but equally important: where did Saddam Hussein get those weapons? Who sold the materials to him? Those were both rhetorical, of course - WE DID. We, America, the champions of democracy and whatnot, we did this to ourselves. We the people chose to elect a president (who, ironically, shares the same genes as our current president) who knowingly *gave* Iraq the power and resources to become a nuclear threat. Is the world America's playing ground? Do we truly believe that we are the most powerful? (Because, let me tell you, the Middle East has some lethal weaponry, both militaristic and biological, that far exceeds what we *think* we have here.) Is oil our prerogative, has it suddenly become a natural right?

Don't even get me started on human rights issues.

~AF