Just Incredibly Stupid

The Senate voted by a slight margin to make half of the Iraqi reconstruction aid a loan.

Saddam left Iraq in $180 billion of debt (most of that tyrant apologists France and Russia) and the Senate wants to add to that total, making Iraqi reconstruction that much more difficult. It is a huge propaganda victory for our enemies (See! The selfish Americans really were in it for the oil!) and it will cost the American lives, as some fence sitting Iraqis fight against a loan they didn't agree to. Not surprisingly, all the democratic senators who voted against the war and now wish the reconstruction to fail (are you listening, Ted Kennedy?) voted for the loan idea.

How can our Senate be so stupid?

In the reconstruction of Japan, there was a point when chaos ruled, and (unlike Iraq) most of Japan was starving. Congress was complaining about the cost of the reconstruction in Japan. Starry-eyed idealists had the wacky idea that a democratic, capitalist Japan would be bulwark against communist expansion in Asia, and that it might just infect the area with capitalist zeal. Realists in Washington complained that it was costing too much money, and that silly yellow people could never build a democracy or understand how to make money.

Douglas MacArthur was furious. He cabled Washington: "Send me money or send me bullets."

It looks like we should prepare to send bullets this time. Thank you, Senators.
- posted by total @ 10/17/2003 07:40:00 AM .