Kucinich: Wake Up, America

[goodhue]

Wake Up, America

Dennis Kucinich speaking from the Floor of the House

Link to this entry in the Congressional Record
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?position=all&page=H2982&dbname=2005_record

May 5, 2005

"Mr. Speaker, instead of bringing our troops home from Iraq, today our majority party is advocating sending billions more to Iraq to keep our troops there indefinitely. Instead of winding down operations in Iraq, today the administration will receive money to help build permanent bases in Iraq. At a time when the American people are waking up to the disaster of the war in Iraq, this House is going to sleep. Wake up.

"The administration manufactured intelligence to take us into war in Iraq. Wake up. The flower of America's youth is being sent to battles, spilling their blood to find weapons of mass destruction which did not exist. Wake up.

"Mr. Speaker, $270 billion going for a war based on a lie while America's educational systems are crumbling, while 47 million Americans are without health insurance, while our inner cities have high unemployment, while oil companies are gouging Americans for $2 to $3 a gallon for gasoline. Wake up, my friends. Let us get out of Iraq.

"Mr. Speaker, let us bring our troops home. Let us hold the administration accountable for the lies that took us into Iraq. Redeem the faith our Founders had in this House."

http://www.kucinich.us/floor_speeches/iq_wakeup5may.php

[mmonk]

1. Go DK go!

[realFedUp]

2. I'd like DK to talk about Bush Inc.'s complicity in 9/11

That would elevate him in my eyes.

[katinmn]

3. Thank you, Dennis. You sure speak for me.

[Pawel K]

4. He makes great points and Americans need to wake up but I'm not sure

pulling out of Iraq is a good thing. Bush fucked us all but mostly he fucked the Iraqi people. We can not simply leave them in the dirt because of our idiot president. Their country needs to be stabilized and rebuilt; once that happens we need to get the hell out.

[MuseRider]

6. He does not advocate

leaving them in the dirt. The only problem I can see is that the UN will never help enough for us to get out of there with the Bush** administration running the show unless they change their policies and that is not likely to happen.

[goodhue]

7. US military presence in Iraq is inconsistent with stability

An Interview with Patrick Resta of Iraq Veterans Against the War

"Sent Into Combat Unequipped and Unprepared"

* * *

Zeese: What did you see in Iraq that convinced you that the U.S. should leave?

Resta: Pretty much everything I saw in Iraq convinced that US forces needed to leave. The in your face hypocrisy of this occupation was the most disturbing thing for me. Being told I was risking my life to help the Iraqi people and then getting over there and being told the Pentagon had set policy so no Iraqi could be treated unless they were about to die. The hypocrisy of the occupation was evident when I was told we were going to help rebuild Iraq and then watched as the only things being rebuilt were Saddam's military bases to prepare for a permanent US military presence. Every reason this administration gave to justify our presence in Iraq was the exact opposite of what was going on. While in the towns I would talk to Iraqis hoping to hear something that would make the sacrifices of my fellow soldiers worth it. What I found is that we are neither wanted nor welcome. The Iraqi people don't trust us and they don't want us there. Poll after poll has made that clear.

Zeese: The major argument for staying in Iraq is if the U.S. leaves there will be greater chaos. How do you see this -- is the U.S. minimizing the chaos in Iraq?

Resta: I always ask people to describe the situation now. Is it not chaos? To me the definition of a civil war is when people from a country kill other people from that country. That's what happening now in Iraq. US troops are the problem, not the solution. We are reliving the Vietnam War now and it's sad. We're reliving it because the people in power didn't learn anything from that event. They were too busy dreaming up ways to dodge the draft.

Tank battalions will never rebuild power and water purification plants no matter how long they stay in Iraq. Halliburton and Bechtel didn't build Iraq, so why are they rebuilding it? If you really want Iraqis to have democracy let them run their own affairs. When you break something in a store you don't sit there with crazy glue trying to piece it back together. And you most certainly don't run around with a bat breaking more things. What you do is apologize, write them a check, and get out before you do anymore damage.

Zeese: Did you get any sense when you were in Iraq that the U.S. is planning a long-term stay in the country or are we planning a brief stay until things calm down in the country?

Resta: If you go back and look you can see members of this administration talking about an invasion and long occupation of Iraq as long as a decade ago. As I said earlier I saw plenty of bases being built for a permanent US military presence. Things like barracks like you would see back here in the States. While I was in Iraq the Air Force opened up what was referred to as a "million dollar gym" at a base outside Baghdad. I never saw the receipts, but it sounds about right to me. Indoor and outdoor swimming pools. It was incredible to watch it happening and then hear the spin from the American press. You can even go to www.globalsecurity.org and find the specifics of the plan, including what units are going to Iraq for the next few years.

http://www.counterpunch.org/zeese05052005.html

[CrispyQ]

15. Is any of the money being used to re-build Iraq?

Or are we putting most of it into the 14 bases with plenty of overcharges for the fat cats at Halliburton & Bechtel? There will be potable water & electricity for the bases, but will there be any for the Iraqis? The 'million dollar gym' & those ariel views of Camp Victory tell the story, don't they? (BTW, that name, Camp Victory makes me wanna :puke:)


His response to the Pottery Barn excuse is perfect: "When you break something in a store you don't sit there with crazy glue trying to piece it back together. And you most certainly don't run around with a bat breaking more things. What you do is apologize, write them a check, and get out before you do anymore damage."

[goodhue]

17. When you break something you don't sit there with crazy glue trying

"When you break something in a store you don't sit there with crazy glue trying to piece it back together. And you most certainly don't run around with a bat breaking more things. What you do is apologize, write them a check, and get out before you do anymore damage."

Yes, it is a great line and response to silly pottery barn argument.

[dxstone]

28. That was a terrific addition to the discussion, goodhue...

Well done!
D

[goodhue]

31. thanks

Patrick Resta is but one of many voices pointing out that the US military presence in Iraq is not providing stability for Iraqis.
Once this is understood, the argument for continued occupation is much less compelling.

[serryjw]

40. Thank you

great post!

[jmatthan]

10. How can US staying there stabilise anything?

eom

[katinmn]

11. We need a plan to get out or we'll be there for the next 50 years

There is nothing wrong or devious or weak about demanding a plan. Shit, no business or community, school, family or individual operates without a plan. That's just chaos.

We're building permanent bases now. Iraq doesn't want us there! Insurgent attacks are occuring at the rate of 50-60 per day and all signs point to increased violence.

The majority of Iraqis want to take over management of their country but they can't wrest control away from the U.S.

DK advocates a plan, a timeline and moreover, a goal that we will not occupy Iraq and the entire ME forever.

I believe that's what Howard Dean wants, too. Semantics and the media taking things out of context have caused division that we cannot afford on this issue.

[mzmolly]

35. I agree, time to demand A PLAN.

:hi:

[katinmn]

43. Yes, mzmolly! We need to stick together on this.

:hi:

[jwirr]

12. I would like to see us

take responsibility for what we have done there when we vertually destroyed whole cities, killed 100,000s, destroyed their economy. But I don't see the bushies, or maybe any American administration, doing that. Our reasons for being over there has nothing to do with the welbeing of the Iraqi people. It has to do with stealing their resources - oil. The only reason we needed this extra money was to build 14 pernament military bases so we can continue to control the middle east for our own benefit. No good for the Iraqi people can come out of that.

[Pawel K]

13. I fully agree, but thanks to our invasion there are some very bad power

hungry people in that country. If we leave there is almost a 100% chance for a full blown civil war (if it isn't already) that will kill hundreds of thousands more. Don't get me wrong, I fully agree this is 100% the fault of Bush for going in there in the first place but we must give them as much aid as possible. I am all for reforming our policies there as the current ones clearly aren't working with people feeling oppressed; however, I am against leaving and allowing thousands more to be killed on top of what Bush has done.

[eridani]

37. The US is CAUSING the civil war, not preventing it

What do you think is going to be the result of hiring Kurdish Peshmerga to flatten Fallujah, and only Shi'ites to be roadblock inspectors in Sunni towns?

[oneold1-4u]

14. "we need to get the hell out."-Wrong!

The truth never being part of the reasons for going there in the first place are now the true reasons for staying.
1. The US needed space in ME for secure military installations.
2. Now Iraq needs those for their security that a neighboring country won't take them over.
3. The "oil for food program would be administered correctly and excess profits would be returned to US government for all efforts to free the country." (According to *, originally, this should have been happening already!
4. Truth: They still haven't secured the oil production and world sales. US at this time buying gasoline to furnish to Iraqis (even all the insurgents) at 5 cents a gallon. (THAT IS STUPID)
5. Simply have to stay to give aid to those who will accept US for control for years to come. (for Japan it was more than 15 years but they made it back to world with greater strength and economy)
----For those who believe "get the hell out" would now solve anything for anyone they might as well join the "stupid majority". It is going to be a complicated solution, to say the least, so if the job is going to be done, the Democrats better find the right person!
----The "right person" hasn't yet arrived in any political arena so the country needs to do a deeper search! We have had basic education in this country for many years so there has to be a few Einsteins and W. Gates! That type doesn't want to rule, but does always consider making the country and world "better".

[LeftHander]

18. huh?

cairify...in or out?

[katinmn]

25. those aren't arguments. Those are RW talking points for staying

in Iraq.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

50. Oh yeah?

1. Why? Are you saying that the U.S. has the right to dominate the world? We're suposed to create some kind of new Roman Empire?

2. What neighboring country is trying to take Iraq over?

3. In whose dreams? This is a profit grab by the corporations.

4. They haven't secured oil production. Okay, shouldn't the U.S. be spending billions on how to deal with the coming oil shortage instead of wasting billions on an unwanted occupation?

5. Uh, Japan was occupied for only 7 years. Not one G.I. was killed by anti-American Japanese. That's why Japan could be rebuilt so fast. No violence.

[clem_c_rock]

21. The only thing that is going to be built are 14 bases and the biggest

embassy in the world. This is the only plan the PNAC has and they never intended anything more.

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2103

[Pawel K]

30. well the people prosing this are the republican idiots

and it needs to be changed. However, the solution is not to pull out.

[PATRICK]

26. Honest withdrawal

would entail getting the crooked civilians and businesses out FIRST and allowing in all fields a global and regional influx of aid and presence and competition bound to the laws of international accountability and Iraqi sovereignty. The rats have to leave first and should not be allowed to do so without attention.

The people on the end of peacekeeping bayonets cannot in any event be Americans. Full temporary retreat to Crusader castles still under construction must also invite in a different international presence and the dismantling of these invasive bases a done deal. The colonization process must be recognized and reversed in other words. A chaotic bug out would mask our crimes and be almost a spiteful withdrawal of a jagged blade.

Real inexorable and defined processes with many moving quickly would do most of the job. It must be recognized Al Qaeda would attempt to subvert ANY American presence, or maybe anything or anybody in Iraq, and provoke a civil war, continued global conflict. We have totally lost sight of that nagging reality in the fight over simple colonization. Recognition of crimes of this administration would go a long way to getting out of the false honor and responsibility rhetoric that would cripple peaceful withdrawal. Our own crippled democracy makes dishonesty almost inevitable, makes a withdrawal almost certainly
a bloody horror, simply because we cannot possibly see clearly enough to accomplish the necessary. Too many lies, too many lies in the idea that we learned the right lessons in Vietnam as a people.

[spindoctor]

5. "The flower of America's youth"

It's phrases like that that get you in trouble, Kooch!

Stop writing your own speeches already!

Other than that... thank you. You rock!

[Drewskie]

41. ?

What's wrong with that? How would you have stated it, or driven across that particular sentiment in a speech?

[donsu]

8. kick

nt

[jmatthan]

9. THE ONLY MAN in the US who can speak sensibly

eom

[LeftHander]

16. Visualize Peace....and DK as president.

Makes a lot of sence to me.

Dennis is a true patriot.

[sniffa]

19. i Love him

i'm proud i voted for him.

[clem_c_rock]

20. Makes me happy I gave money for his campaign

Especially when Dean seems to be in favor of keeping our troops there.

[Zenlitened]

22. Holy cow! He used the "L" word!!

Sweet! Go, DK! :yourock:

"... Let us hold the administration accountable for the lies that took us into Iraq."

[Tesla]

23. Makes me proud of being from Ohio

He is a "White Light" in a very dark world....

[bvar22]

24. ThankYou, Dennis.

When you find yourself in a HOLE, STOP DIGGING!!!

The American Military is NOT the answer in Iraq, it is the PROBLEM.
Killing MORE Iraqis is not the answer. Killing Iraqis is the PROBLEM.

I am sending a donation to Progressive Democrats of America in Dennis Kucinich's name today.
Thank You, Dennis, for speaking for me.

I encourage others to help the Democratic Party by targeting their donations.

http://www.pdamerica.org/

[dxstone]

27. Something about Cleveland to be proud of!!!

Dennis has always been a firebrand and a troublemaker; he's honest to a fault (some might say DEfault, but he did the RIGHT THING there) and he's got guts, dammit!
Unfortunately, the news-assholes will all tell you the same thing: He's just not tall enough to be president.
Maybe someday Americans WILL wake up, and view these matters through a lens of maturity...
Then again, I wouldn't hold my breath.
D
ps: He was also the first guy I've ever heard of to call for the establishment of a Department of Peace... what a wonderful idea...

"Imagine all the people living life in peace..."
John Lennon

[BigBearJohn]

29. We need MORE of our leaders to harp on this. MUCH MORE

[Maat]

32. Go, Dennis!

I'm glad I voted for that guy in the primary.

I'd always been a Deaniac. But Dean dropped out, and many were voting for him anyway. I decided Dean needed a vote!

I'm glad I did vote for him.

Actually, we need to hear regularly from all of the former candidates.

At least I want to hear from all of them (except Lieberman).

Thanks for the post!

[Zomby Woof]

33. Bravo, DK!

[raysr]

34. The only Rep. in there

with ANY integrity.

[goodhue]

36. kick

eom

[eridani]

38. The invasion of Iraq is just like someone breaking into your car

Suppose you catch someone ripping the stereo out of your car. Is your reaction to say "Stealing my stereo is wrong, but as long as you started you are morally obligated to finish the job"? That's obviously stupid, but is it nonetheless possible that you could wind up better off after the theft? Of course it is. Your insurance company could decide to reimburse you for the whole thing, and you could wind up with a newer stereo with many more extra features. But the catch is that you won't end up better off if the thief continues to stalk you waiting for another chance. The only way for that better outcome to occur is if the thief is put permanently out of the picture.

So, yes, it might be possible for Iraq to be better off in the long run, but only if the goal of the invasion, namely using it as a permanent military base, is taken completely off the table. And it's up to them--"democracy" imposed at gunpoint isn't really democracy.

• Bush did not invade to get rid of WMD. There were none.
• Bush did not invade to fight Al Qaeda. Iraq had nothing to do with Al Qaeda, and the invasion in fact took resources away from that project. He maintains close business relationships with Saudi Arabia, which funded and continues to fund Al Qaeda.
• Bush did not invade to get rid of Saddam. He explicitly stated that the invasion was still on even if Iraq's neighbors succeeded in their plan to convince Saddam and sons to go into exile.
• He did not invade to bring democracy. He fought having elections for as long as he could, and is now unwilling to abide by the platform of the party with the most votes, which calls for phased US withdrawal.

He invaded Iraq for one and only one reason, to plant a permanent military presence there against the wishes of its population, in order to rule the entire region by force. The only acceptable stance for Dems is to constantly call Bush on this. Reasonable people can disagree on how to get out causing the least amount of further damage, and how long it will take, but there can be no compromise on the issue of NO PERMANENT BASES.

[Zorra]

39. "hold the administration accountable for the lies that took us into Iraq."

Yeah.
:headbang:

[goodhue]

42. kick

[bpilgrim]

44. DK validates my opinion in congress and lets me know that it's not all

just in our heads.

give'm hell DK :toast:


http://images.globalfreepress.com

peace

[Lydia Leftcoast]

45. Why isn't every Dem Congresscritter saying this?

If the Dems stood united on this, as they did on Social Security, it would give lie to the meme that says that "the Dems don't stand for anything."

[robertpaulsen]

46. Kick! DK in 2008!

:kick:

[goodhue]

47. kick

[goodhue]

48. .

[Amonester]

49. Kick.

:patriot:

[Desertrose]

51. DK kick

"... let us bring our troops home. Let us hold the administration accountable for the lies that took us into Iraq. "

OK..sounds good to me!!!