what can be done?

January 10th - London - Sixty one years ago today, the first General Assembly of the United Nations was convened. An international organization founded after WWII with the purpose of facilitation cooperation in international law and security, economic development, social progress and human rights. One of the chief hopes of the Allied Powers was that the UN would act to intevene in conflicts between nations and thereby avoid war.

January 10th - Washington D.C. - 9pm tonight, Bush addressed the nation from the White House Library. He will now increase the presence of troops for the second time in twelve months. An additional 20,000 troops will be sent to Iraq. The plan is to use the strength of these numbers to penetrate and clear the insurgent strongholds in Baghdad. They will also be used to maintain zones that have already been cleared from being repopulated with insurgents. Even though I knew this was coming, I am still completely beside myself. 20,000 troops is not enough to do what he wants to do and if far too many to risk on this worsening situation. Already 3,000 of our soldiers have died. He expects a higher rate of mortality too. He's leading so many more into bloodshed. Look, sectarian violence has existed here for almost 1,500 years. You really think this is going to stop it?

At what point do we draw the line? The more we tip the scales with our troops the more dependent they are becoming on them and the harder the fall when we eventually leave. We've "freed" them. We've removed Sadaam and held him to trial by Iraqis. We've helped them establish a constitution and hold elections. What more are we going to do here and at what cost?

He's warned that the removal of troops will embolden Iran. I think our continued presence in the Middle East will embolden them more. He's warned that it will create a safe bed for terrorists. People that oppose us will always exist and I'd rather have them in an area we know that to have them scattered to places unknown. That's more of a risk.

So now congress will pass a resolution saying they oppose increased troops. And that's great... we know how great Bush is at listening to the will of anyone who thinks differently from him. They won't cut funding... not a chance in hell. So they're powerless dissenters like the rest of us. How did my country reelect this man? How can he be the face of America? How much longer are we going to push our version of peace at the tip of a gun?