“EXITING IRAQ, THE GEORGITE WAY” 

Steven Jonas, MD, MPH

Since the time of 9/11, starting with comments made by Attorney General Ashcroft very early on, the Georgite line of attack on critics of their foreign policy in general and their Iraq policy in particular has been that such people are traitors.  It has remained the same until very recently, except that in the attacks on Rep. John Murtha in Congress for calling for a planned withdrawal from Iraq by a date certain, a Bush attack-dog from Ohio added the word “coward.” Dick Cheney has been a prime promulgator of the “traitor” line, pursuing it evermore viciously in recent weeks as the situation on the ground in Iraq continues to deteriorate, American troops continue to die, and the poll numbers both for him and his titular President continue to seriously erode.  

Then, all of a sudden, over the weekend of Nov. 19-20, 2005, things changed. Bush, overseas no less, visiting that well-known world power Mongolia (well, it was one in the 12th and 13th centuries under Genghis Kahn and his sons, who were just a tad more competent, but no less brutal than George, Sr. and his offspring), went out of his way to call Cong. Murtha a patriot. Dick Cheney was still on the attack, but suddenly going in a new direction, too (of course by coincidence, pure coincidence: who says that Karl Rove is totally preoccupied in talking with his lawyers [although may change soon]).  Cheney’s attacks, with possibly even more venom than this venomous man usually puts forth, were focused on those critics of the War who are and have been for quite some time calling the Georgites liars. And the chosen epithets changed from “traitors and cowards,” to “corrupt,” “shameless,” and “reprehensible.” “Totally reprehensible,” he said, in charging the Georgite critics with lying about the Georgite lying.  Why this sharp turn in the direction of attack, one might ask? 
 
It is becoming evermore clear to evermore people that the Georgites lied the US and its "coalition” partners into the war. An excellent all-round source on the War on Iraq and the Bushevik lies that led to it is: After Downing Street. For a superb brief summary of the Georgite lies, both those that got the US into the war and those being spewed forth now about that series of events and what really happened, see also “Dishonest, Reprehensible, Corrupt. . .” by Frank Rich, New York Times, 11/27/05 (subscription service).  Then consider this recent item by Rupert Cornwell that appeared in The Independent (UK) on Monday 21 November 2005, entitled “White House Used 'Gossip' to Build Case for War:” 

“The controversy in America over pre-war intelligence has intensified, with revelations that the Bush administration exaggerated the claims of a key source on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, despite repeated warnings before the invasion that his information was at best dubious, if not downright wrong.  The disclosure, in The Los Angeles Times, came after a week of vitriolic debate on Iraq, amid growing demands for a speedy withdrawal of US troops and tirades from Bush spokesmen who all but branded as a traitor anyone who suggested that intelligence was deliberately skewed to make the case for war.  Yesterday, Donald Rumsfeld, the Defence Secretary, joined the fray, saying that talk of manipulation of intelligence ‘does great disservice to the country.’  In Beijing, President George Bush said that a speedy pullout was ‘a recipe for disaster’ - but the proportion of Americans wanting precisely that (52 per cent according to a new poll) is now higher than wanted similar action in 1970, at the height of the Vietnam war.”  

A “recipe for disaster” it may be to Bush, publicly.  But it is becoming evermore clear that a pull-out of US forces by the 2006 elections is exactly what the Georgites are suddenly now focusing on (Agence France Presse, “White House Has Withdrawal Plan,” Nov. 28, 2005). That they are is the reason for the sudden change in the content of their attacks on their Iraq War.   But further: why, you might ask, the sudden change in their own Iraq War policy?  Obviously, for political reasons: those polls and the fact that even certain Republicans are beginning to abandon ship tell the tale.  Remember –- only part of the reason for the Iraq invasion was to implement the Project for the New American Century/Neocon plan for US Middle East domination, set forth in the mid-90s. The other reason was, as Andrew Card politely told the press in August, 2002, to influence the Congressional elections of that year with a “new product line” (his words), the Iraq Attack Plan,  that would be “rolled out” at the right time, September. 

Today, Bush will continue to tell the American people that we have to “stay the course,” even as he is withdrawing our troops with, it is to be hoped, a reduction in American casualties.  Yes, very unusually for this man, he will be telling his fans one thing while he does quite another.  But regardless of what he says or doesn’t say, once the Georgites have started withdrawing, the major and real foreign policy issue for the 2006 US elections will no longer be withdrawal.  It will be how the US got into the War, with the subsequent death, destruction, and vast expenditures, in the first place. It will be about getting a Democratic majority in at least one House of Congress so that a serious investigation of the lies, the waste, the death and the deception used by the Bushites, possibly leading to criminal prosecution and even impeachment (if the Democrats can again gain control the House of Representatives).  The Georgites see this, they know this, and that is why the line suddenly changed from “critics are traitors” to “those who charge us with lying are reprehensible.” It is this “how dare you” line that will be front and center as they rally their fundamentalist Christian Rightist troops and set up their election day fixes to continue to promote their version of “democracy,” both in Iraq and the United States.  

OK, withdrawal, one might say, isn’t that a good idea?  On paper, yes –- but the way the Georgites will be doing it, possibly not so good.  Totally ironic is the fact that the Georgite version of withdrawal will be a variation on “cut and run,” in time for Nov., 2006.  It will be accompanied by tall tales of how successful the “Coalition” has been in training the Iraqis “to do the job.”  However, just because they will be withdrawing (while all the time saying that they are not except that they are) doesn’t mean that they will have given up attaining their principal objectives for going in the first place.   

Those objectives (none of which were clearly stated as objectives for the invasion beforehand)? They have gotten rid of Saddam (not stated as an objective independent of the “WMD” and the “al Qaeda link,” but it was).  They will make sure that they keep the string of permanent bases in the Western Iraqi desert now being built (some probably completed, but there is a complete wall of silence around that venture). They will likely “acquiesce” (encourage behind the scenes) in the establishment of a semi-independent Kurdistan, which will become a full US protectorate, along with, it just so happens, those potentially gigantic oil reserves.  They will do nothing to settle the Palestinian/Israel conflict on anything like rational terms.  They will continue, to the extent possible, to rape the Iraqi economy under the Bremer Plan for externalizing it,  as long as their puppets remain in power, at least.   

In sum, the Georgite withdrawal will leave nothing in place that might bring some kind of stability to Iraq, might lead to the massive reconstruction program that Iraq so badly needs, might fend off the establishment of a totally undemocratic fundamentalist Shiite theocracy (built along the lines of what the Georgite Christian Right proposes for the US, ironically enough) except in a very limited area of Iraq.  They would make sure that the secular Kurds would be able to remain secular, however. 

When the likely disaster on a variety of fronts would gradually overtake Iraq, the Georgite Privatized Ministry of Propaganda would be out in force of course.   Blaming it all on the ‘traitorous peace-niks” and worse, who “stabbed the military and the noble Bush Administration in the back.”  But then, blowback. Well, hardly blow-back.  More likely tornado-back.  One likely outcome?  Suppose the above scenario is followed and a secular Kurdish republic, standing astride all of that oil, is established between Iran and Turkey.  Then supposing the Isamicists fully take over the Turkish government and, turning their eyes eastward, give up the idea of getting into the European Union.  Islamicist Turkey and Islamicist Iran launch an all-out war on secular Kurdistan. For its part, Turkey, which has no oil, gets a share of what lies under Kurdistan.  A federation of those two theocracies is established, along with the Shiite portion of present-day Iraq.  The Saudi Monarchy is overthrown in a Wahabbist revolt.  The new, massive federation, soon to be armed with nuclear weapons acquired one way or another, turns its eyes on their suffering co-religionists in Palestine.  And the US military, massively weakened by the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld triumvirate, can do nothing about it, unless they choose to go nuclear. 

Speculative?  Indeed.  Possible?  Unfortunately.   

Author’s note: this column was written on 11/28-29/05, before the Bush/Annapolis speech

________________  

Dr. Steven Jonas is a contributing author for The Political Junkies (www.thepoliticaljunkies.net).  He is a Professor of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University (NY) and author/co-author of over twenty books. Dr. Jonas is one of America's most perceptive Democratic political analysts.  
 
In his book The New Americanism, Dr. Jonas presents his case that the Democratic Party has come adrift from its founding principles.  He urges the Party to turn to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to find the new vision and mission that it, and our country, so desperately need.  "The New Americanism: How the Democratic Party Can Win the Presidency  is available from Amazon.com (go to "Books;" enter the title) and BarnesandNoble.com (same). 

He is also the author of The 15% Solution: A Political History of American Fascism, 2001-2022, originally published in 1996 under the pseudonym “Jonathan Westminster,” and republished with a New Introduction in 2004, under the same author's name.  The 2004 edition is available at www.barnesandnoble.com (search with the title) and www.xlibris.com (click on “Bookstore,” then “Search” with title).  Both versions are available at www.amazon.com (go to "Books;" search with title).

Dr. Jonas is also a Contributing Editor for the Weblog http://planetmove.blogspot.com/, produced by The Planetary Movement Ltd. UK (http://www.planetarymovement .org/), TPJ's own Michael Carmichael, Founder and President, and a Contributing Columnist for the Project for the Old American Century, POAC, http://www.oldamericancentury .org/. By invitation Dr. J's TPJ columns are posted weekly on the website of AirAmericaRadio's new morning man (9-12 Eastern), the redoubtable Jerry Springer (yes, it is that Jerry Springer, a true progressive it turns out), at http://www.springerontheradio .com/, and on Thomas Paine's Corner ( http://civillibertarian .blogspot.com/).

Dec 1, 2005            "The Future Of The Democratic Party, VIII: 
                              A Politically Viable Progressive Position On The War" 

Nov 25, 2005            “The Future Of The Democratic Party, VII: ‘The Ten Commitments’” 
Nov 17, 2005            "The Future Of The Democratic Party, VI: An Organizing Proposal For Progressives”  
Nov 10, 2005            “The Future Of The Democratic Party, V: 
                               There Is No Middle Ground" 
Nov 3, 2005              “On The (Possible) Indictments.”

Oct 27, 2005            “The Future of the Democratic Party, IV: 
                                Bush, Bennett, Miers, and the DLC.”  
Oct 20, 2005            “The Future Of The Democratic Party, III:  
                                First Thoughts On Dealing With The DLC.” 
Oct 13, 2005            “The Future Of The Democratic Party, II: On The Republicans”  
Oct 6,  2005             “The Future Of The Democratic Party, I”

Sept 29, 2005          "The Bush Flood, And The Georgites: New Orleans, III" 
Sept 22, 2005          "On The Great New Orleans Flood Of 2005, II" 
Sept 15, 2005          "On The Great New Orleans Bush Flood Of 2005, I" 
Sept 8, 2005            "Let's Hear It For Original Intent" 
Sept 1, 2005            "An Iraq Solution"

Aug 25,2005             "Some Thoughts On The Atomic Bombing Of Japan" 
Aug 18, 2005            "Why God Sent Us George W. Bush"  
Aug 12, 2005            "John Bolton And The Nuclear Option II" 
Aug 5, 2005              "The Significance Of The Karl Rove Speech"

July 28, 2005             “Iran Nukes, Revisited" 
                                  (Expanded Edition)  
July 21, 2005             “Iran Nukes, Revisited" 
July 14, 2005             "The Dick Durbin Disaster" A Follow Up 
July 7, 2005               "The Dick Durban Disaster"

June 23, 2005            "Why All Of This Repression Abroad?" 
June 16, 2005            “Not Very Intelligent Design" 
June 8,2005              "Pat Buchanan's "What If, "III?" 
June 2, 2005             "Pat Buchanan's 'What If,' II?"

May 26, 2005            "Pat Buchanan's 'What If?'" 
May 18, 2005            "The Schiavo Case, V: The Attack On Science"  
May 12, 2005            “Possible Explanations For Bush-Behavior On And Around 9/11" 
May 5, 2005              "Bill Frist's Declaration Of War"

April 28, 2005            "The Schiavo Case, IV: The Definitions Of Life And Death" 
April 24, 2005            "The Schiavo Case, III: Further Legal Considerations And Their Political Implications" 
April 14, 2005            “The Schiavo Case, II: William Bennett And The Beginning Of The End Of The Separation Of Powers" 
April 7, 2005              "The Schiavo Case And The Locus Of The 'Police Power'"

March 31, 2005           “John Bolton And The Nuclear Option" 
March 22, 2005            Of "Moolahs," Putin and Bush  
March 17, 2005            Georgite "Freedom And Democracy" 
March 10, 2005            "We Won't Have To Worry Any More" 
March  3, 2005             "Iranian Nukes"

February 24, 2005        "Going Nuclear In Iran" 
February 16, 2005        “The Georgite Social Security Scam: Bases For Suspicion” 
February 10, 2005        “The Georgite Version of ‘Freedom and Democracy’ ” 
                                   “The Coming 2nd Civil War (Unless),” No. 6 
Feb 3, 2005                  “WMD Discovered --- In Washington”

Jan 27, 2005                 “Comparing George W. Bush And Adolf Hitler” 
Jan 18, 2005                 “The Bush Second Inaugural: A Preview” “The Coming 2nd Civil War 
                                     (Unless),” No. 5  
Jan 13, 2005                 “The Georgite Concept of Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law” 
Jan 6, 2005                   “The ‘Unless’ Of The ‘Coming Second Civil War’ Series; Part II”  

Dec 30, 2004                 “The ‘Unless’ of the ‘Coming Second Civil War’ Series, Part I”  
Dec 23, 2004                 “The Real Meaning Of The ‘Faith-Based Presidency;’ Part II” 
Dec 15, 2004                 “The Coming Second Civil War (Unless)”  
Dec 9, 2004                   “The Real Meaning Of The ‘Faith-Based Presidency’ ”      

Oct 28, 2004                 Why The Patriot Act?” 
Oct. 21, 2004                “The Cheneys’ Daughter Flap” 
Oct 14, 2004                 “George Bush’s America”  
Oct 7, 2004                   “The Debate” 

Sept 30, 2004                “Four 800 Lb. Gorillas In The Campaign Room”  
Sept 23, 2004               "Fixing The Kerry Campaign, 9/15/2004" 
Sept 16, 2004               "Lessons From Japan.  Part II: Successful Occupations" 
Sept 9, 2004                 "Thoughts On the Third Anniversary of the Tragedy of 9/11/2001" 
Sept 2, 2004                 "Lessons From Japan, Part 1" 
 
August 26,2004             “Dealing with the Republican National Convention and Related  
                                      Issues”  
August 18, 2004            "The Best Of Dr. Jonas" 
August 12, 2004             “Some Thoughts For and About The Kerry Campaign, VI” 
August 5,2004                “Some Thoughts For and About The Kerry Campaign, V”

July 29, 2004                “Some Thoughts For and About The Kerry Campaign, IV”  
July 22, 2004                “Some Thoughts For and About The Kerry Campaign III”               
July 15, 2004                “Some Thoughts For And About The Kerry Campaign II”  
July 7, 2004                  “Some Thoughts For And About The Kerry Campaign,I” 
July 1, 2004                  “Counsel To The President” 
June 24, 2004               “ ’You Know me Al:’ On the German Reichstag Fire of Feb. 27, 1933 
                                      and the 9/11/01 Bombing of the World Trade Center, Part II” 
June 17, 2004               “ ‘The Ralph Nader Problem’ --- A Re-run plus” 
June 10, 2004               “Ronald Reagan’s Legacy” 
June 3, 2004                 “’You Know Me Al:’ On The Reichstag Fire Of Feb. 27, 1933 And The 
                                      9/11/01 Bombing Of The World Trade Center, Part I”

May 27, 2004                “On Fascism -- And The Georgites” 
May 20, 2004                “On John Ashcroft -- And Jefferson Davis” 
May 13, 2004                “Karl Rove’s Personal Political Notebook” 
May 6, 2004                  “Possible Explanations For Bush Behavior And 9/11” 

April 29, 2004               “On George Bush and Religion, Part 2” 
April 22, 2004               “What Condi Rice Might Have Said” 
April 8, 2004                 “On George Bush And Religion” 
April 1, 2004                 “Some Political Thoughts For Senator Kerry”  

March 25, 2004              “Brief Essays” 
March 16, 2004             “You Know Me Al: The Iraq War --- So What Was It About, Anyway? 
March 11, 2004             “A Word (Or Two) On Ralph Nader” 
March 4, 2004               “A Firebell In The Night” 

February 27, 2004        “On Doctor Dean”

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