The Kucinich Plan is… "Cut and Run"

I firmly believe that as a nation we have spent and continue to spend our time paying the price for our failure of will in the Viet Nam war. Not only did that failure lead to the huge price we paid during the cold war but more importantly it has contributed to an defeatism that lives deep inside our national character to this day.

There are many lessons to be learned from that war. Surrender is not the basis for a national policy might be one of the most obvious. A good corollary is that there is no diplomacy where there is no credible threat.

Those lessons made it hard to take Kucinich seriously in 2002 when he completely shut his eyes to the real security crisis we had on our hands. That he has learned nothing in 5 years is not a shock. That his brand of conciliatory weakness is the basis for a presidential bid isn’t shocking either, but it is sad. Very sad. Lets’s take a fast look at “The Kucinich Plan for Iraq“. I will be excerpting the critical points of each step but by all means go read the whole thing.

Element 1: The US announces it will end the occupation, close military bases and withdraw.

Somehow this is supposed to “dampen” the “insurgency”. If we were dealing with an enemy that was purely reactive, that might I suppose be a tolerable fallacy. When we are dealing a combination of internal and external forces that have been dedicated to our eradication for decades and who have raised their children to hate us it is idiocy. The “insurgency” was not caused by our actions, it existed before them.

From a purely strategic view it is ridiculous as well. Anyone looking at the US political climate can draw only one conclusion – that killing US soldiers will weaken our resolve. Why then would they slacken at all if we continue to reward them by giving in to their demands? Mark my words, if we announced anything of the type the violence would escalate beyond measure.

Element 2: US announces that it will use existing funds to bring the troops and necessary equipment home.

Same bad idea as point element 1.

Element 3: Order a simultaneous return of all US contractors to the United States and turn over all contracting work to the Iraqi government.

More of the same. Does anyone really think that the Iraqi government will exist for a week after we withdraw? Of course not. Any moderate and free Iraqi government will be swept aside instantly and replaced with a fundamentalist regime emboldened by our defeat. Effectively Iran will take them over. Brilliant plan.

Element 4: Convene a regional conference for the purpose of developing a security and stabilization force for Iraq.

Who, exactly, are they thinking will be helpful in this process? That almost none of them would have US interests in their minds is a given but even so does anyone really look at the Middle East and see discussion as a valid resolution option?

Element 5: Prepare an international security and peacekeeping force to move in, replacing US troops who then return home.

Ah the UN. An organization that has a clear track record of failure. A organization that has time and time again proven to be corrupt to its core with leaders who have caused the US great harm in the pursuit of personal gain. That’s before we talk about their fickle and shifting politics and utter lack of will. Further the backbone of the UN forces would still be US troops.

Element 6: Develop and fund a process of national reconciliation. The process of reconciliation [...]  defined as an airing of all grievances and the creation of pathways toward open, transparent talks producing truth and resolution of grievances.

Because certainly the real problem with genocidal religious fanatics who embrace the idea of suicide attacks by their children is that they don’t get a chance to talk enough.

Element 7: Reconstruction and Jobs. Restart the failed reconstruction program in Iraq.

This will be a cakewalk when the government collapses, the Iran puppets move in and start a terror purge and everyone who “collaborated” (i.e. went to work) while we were there is slaughtered.

Element 8: Reparations. The US and Great Britain have a high moral obligation to enable a peace process by beginning a program of significant reparations to the people of Iraq for the loss of lives, physical and emotional injuries, and damage to property.

I am not shocked that somehow to these people we now are morally obligated to pay the Iraqi people for having saved them from a  brutal dictorial regime that was slaughtering them wholesale while raping their daughters.

Element 9: Political Sovereignty.

After we cut and run, we should make sure that the government of Iraq is absolutely independent from the “oil companies” when they get dragged out into the streets and murdered as US “puppets”.

Element 10: Iraq Economy. Set forth a plan to stabilize Iraq’s cost for food and energy, on par to what the prices were before the US invasion and occupation.

I am not sure how abandoning the nation and it’s people to religious fanatics who will grind them into a puppet state fits into the desire for a good economy.

Element 11: Economic Sovereignty.

See element 10.

Element 12: International Truth and Reconciliation. Establish a policy of truth and reconciliation between the people of the United States and the people of Iraq.

Not only should we apologize and pay them for saving their ass and defending ourselves but we should hold ourselves up as public whipping boy for every hate filled jihadist and assorted anti-US bigot who wants to take a pot shot.

So there you go. That’s the Kucinich plan. That’s the mindset of a man who wants to be our leader, defender and supreme commander. A cut and run mentality that is filled with loathing for our nation and its interests.

I don’t get these people. Seriously.