"We have a right," Biden said

[PatSeg]

In answer to the critics of his federalist proposal for Iraq, Joe Biden had this to say in South Carolina yesterday:

<According to Biden, Iraqi leaders said the United States had no right to make such a proposal.

"We have a right," Biden said Monday. "Thirty-eight hundred dead, 27,000 wounded, billions of dollars. ... The idea that al-Maliki questions whether we have a right to express our opinion, he better get it right real quick.">

http://www.charlotte.com/local/story/301872.html

[pretty_lies]

1. Apparently We Own The Place Now.

You hear enough people saying "You break it, you bought it" like some kind of mantra. Imperialist bullshit.

Biden's a real piece of work, isn't he?

[PatSeg]

3. It is a "proposal"

We have the right to "propose" solutions to a problem that isn't getting any better.

[pretty_lies]

5. Absolutely Wrong.

We have the right to get the hell out of a nation which we invaded for no obvious reason or moral purpose, that doesn't want us there, in which the people largely support outright killing our troops, and in which we're propping up a civil war by supporting Sunni insurgents against a Shiite central government because of some bullshit rationale about Iranian influence and Al Qaeda cooked up by bonkers neo-cons.

Biden's "solution" is ethnic cleansing, against the will of every Iraqi. Partition killed millions of Indians and Pakistanis when the Brits tried it in India, if you don't recall. We were going to hang Milosevic for less.

As for Biden himself, the man will say absolutely anything that he thinks will get him political power. Unlike Obama and Clinton, he doesn't even try to conceal that fact.

Back in 2003, Biden even tried to take CREDIT for the brilliant idea of invading Iraq pre-emptively. "What is so transformational in the last four years is that these assholes who wouldn't give President Clinton the authority to use force have now become moral interventionists" (as reported in New Yorker)

[PatSeg]

7. It is NOT a partition

"It is not partition, it is not foreign imposition," Biden said. “A federal Iraq is a united Iraq.”

It is kind of like, oh lets see...........the United States when it was an infant democracy. It is nothing like India and Pakistan that became separate countries.

[pretty_lies]

8. Ah, So It's Whatever Biden Says It Is!

Giving large amounts of power to regions where ethnic tensions exist is OBVIOUSLY going to wind up with more of what we've got now: namely, ethnic cleansing. The analogy to India and Pakistan, and then Pakistan and Bangladesh, is pretty close.

In fact, if you have a look at the history of the disastrous Partition of India, you'll see that the British introduced "federalism" to a single Hindu and Muslim state in 1935, as a prelude to the outright breakup of the country: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_India_Act_1935

But in any case, no American has any right whatever to tell Iraqis what to do in their own country. It's actually pretty funny to see Biden's naked contempt for the actual elected Iraqi government's position - of course, you could say the same for Bush since he tried teaming US soldiers up with Sunni insurgents.

What alternative universe are you from where the early United States was invaded and occupied by a rapacious foreign superpower, by the way?

[jillan]

10. You're right - Biden is a piece of work. He is the only one calling Maliki out on his BS!

Wake up - Maliki is in Bush's pocket. He was just here visiting with Bush - and they have Iraqi oil flowing quite well to other countries right now. It is not benefiting the people of Iraq - so who do you think is benefiting?

And to think that we should just stand by while Maliki and this administration continue to make things worse is Iraq - is insane.



I am glad that Biden is not pandering to the Iraqi leadership.

[PatSeg]

12. Welcome to my alternate Universe!

Though I prefer to call it Reality.

[jillan]

13. It's almost as if certain dems have drank their own kool-aide.

[pretty_lies]

14. Why, I Agree!

The current puppet leadership in our newly conquered territory is the root cause of all our problems. Nothing to do with our total lack of legitimacy as a foreign occupying power.

Once we remove Ngo Dinh Diem Maliki from power and bomb Cambodia Iran, victory will be within sight.



just loving the imperialist bullshit all round here

[Froward69]

2. al-Maliki is a bushyboy stooge

he would claim the sky is pink if cheney and bush told him too.
the Iraqi legislature thinks different...
Go JOE Go!!

[PatSeg]

6. It sucks being al-Maliki right now

When he tries to placate the Iraqi people by speaking against the Bush administration, he gets slapped down by Bush/Cheney. From his perspective, there probably are no right answers.

[BridgeTheGap]

4. If it's so, Britain's exodus from Basra has brought relative calm

Who is to say that the same wouldn't happen in the rest of Iraq if the U.S. military left?

[ChenZhen]

9. Yes, Might is Right in this case

Thats about it. Other than that, we have a "right" as much as we have a clue. What a fuckn joke.

[ellacott]

11. But isn't this part of the Iraqi Constitution?

Also, does anyone know if the oil sharing agreements with big oil be part of Biden's plan?

[jillan]

16. Yes and Yes.

The oil sharing agreements are a part of Biden's plan -

and the Iraqi constitution calls for federalism as a way for the different sects to live together.

It's really not much different than the US. Even tho we are run by DC, we also have states rights.

[ellacott]

17. Thanks

I was confused when they reported that Maliki was so against this when it's part of their constitution.

I'm concerned about the oil sharing agreements if they are the same agreement that is currently proposed. The current Production Sharing Agreements are a big give away to big oil. The Iraqis would get ripped off.

I wish he would consider readressing this.

[murbley40]

19. His plan calls for the Iraqis to Share in the oil profits.

[GreenArrow]

15. might makes right

Sure, we have a right to express our "opinion" but we were the ones who invaded another country, for no cause, that did not threaten us. How many of its people have we killed, wounded, maimed? Whose culture and environment is it that has been wrecked, ravaged and robbed? Note to Joe Biden: we, the USA, have been the wronging party here. How shall we repay? Make amends? Make right? Note to Joe Biden: you have voted for supported and facilitated the foreign policy that has brought us and the Iraqis to this state. Your foreign policy is stale, profitless, and useless. Note to Joe Biden: even if you were to somehow stick the cost of the US invasion of Iraq up your ass, it wouldn't make you a bigger asshole than you already are, you smug, disingenuous creep.

[murbley40]

18. K&R

[murbley40]

20. I agee with Joe.