Stake In The Union Part III

      Many this week will try to say that democrats were wrong in saying that democracy would not be good for Iraq. It just continues to show the short term memory of these critics. The position of democrats has been that the war that Bush waged against the people of Iraq was wrong, based on lies to the American people, ill planned, mis-leading, and inaccurate. Bush today tries to tell us that Iraq is free and that we invaded Iraq to give those people freedom. That was not the reason we were given though. We were told about impending danger to the American people and it's allies. We were told about weapon manufacturing plants, chemical weapons, drones, illegal activities, and atrocities. Never was it mentioned that we were invading Iraq to install a democracy. If told that our sole purpose was to install democracy in Iraq, I doubt that the American people would have supported the war in the numbers that they did.

      It is my belief that the American people know that it is up to a nation's people to determine what is best for them. While democracy is the best way to give people that chance, we know that revolution brings about real change and serves the people best in laying the foundation of their future. It was good enough for America, why is it not good enough for the rest of the world? What is done in Iraq is done, and we must move on. It is on this basis that we must move forward and find the best way to serve the Iraqi people. With a form of democracy in place, we must finish the job. Added resources must be made in forms other than money and the basic foundations must be established. A constitution must be sought based on the will of the people of Iraq and the rules of modern human rights. The Iraqi government's assets must be dismantled and the wealth and resources given to the people to manage. The country must face certain struggles on it's own in order to grow properly and serve it's people the best.

      We need an exit plan and it needs to be made public. Many republicans are saying that we should not tell the terrorists what our plans are, but it is not the terrorists asking. It is the American people and their cries and voices should not be ignored. The American people deserve to be answered when they question their government and to keep it a secret does not serve their interests. Does it serve an enemy government to tell them the day of that you will start bombing? No, yet we told them that. Now the American people are asking what is next and we are told that we are too young and should not ask questions. The American people are the grown ups at this table and deserve to be included in the discussion about where their money is being spent and when the killing will end.

      My fellow American's, we must not rewrite history. We must come clean with the American people and the world. I propose that we stand up to corruption and lies in our government and hold strong to our beliefs. We must remind people on a constant basis that it is not the democracy in Iraq that we oppose, but the manner in which it was imposed. Through lies, deceit, back room meetings, torture, and cover ups, this war was waged with false support and lies about the bloodshed. We are not an honorable nation and no amount of rewriting history will restore it. We must start anew now and help these troubled people but not forget about ourselves. Under my plan we will reduce spending on the war by 50% over the next year. Troop step downs will begin this July and an accelerated program to properly train Iraqi police and military should begin immediately. Audits of all American companies should begin immediately and all contracts should be canceled and up for re-evaluation by the proper owners upon the signing of the Iraqi constitution and the official establishment of a new state of Iraq. All American assets in the region should be reconsidered and maximized to recoup costs garnished in this war in accordance with Iraqi approval. No more money needs the be spent then is needed at a time when our nation is in record spending and deficits. It is time to put American interests at the front of the line while not ignoring true human right violations and humanitarians efforts around the world. We can regain our respect in the world with hard work if we use our hearts and our heads and not our greed and arrogance.