Monday, December 20, 2010

Dear Mr. President,

It looks like the whack-a-mole strategy in Iraq didn’t work. According to the New York Times this morning, Moktada al-Sadr’s back with 40 seats in the Iraqi Parliament and, “his followers standing to gain control of powerful government posts...” Is that what you intended? $900 billion and counting, a country destroyed, tens of thousands dead, millions displaced, and one of the most fiercely anti-American groups in the country resurging, if not insurging? The article goes on to say a backroom deal was cut to allow the Sadrists to take over ministries, maybe governorships, and release once imprisoned insurgents so Maliki can stay in power. Mission accomplished! We brought democracy to Iraq, all right. As for Afghanistan ($100 billion a year), you may see “significant progress” but the news sure doesn’t show it. More killing, more destruction, and no change in the corrupt Karzai government that I can see. Tell me again, Mr. President, why we’re there? What’s the “mission?” To keep out the Taliban? To deny al-Qaeda a safe haven? To make the world safe for democracy? (I just can’t resist being a tiny bit cynical here, Mr. President.) Boy, I’d sure like to see that $100 billion a year used for good rather than evil. Just think what might happen if we put that money into the U.S. of A. public education system, rehabbed schools, bought books and supplies, hired more teachers and paid them a decent wage. Sort of boggles the mind, doesn’t it?

Enclosed are last week’s letters that were sent via email on your White House web site. I’m sure no one ever reads all those emails you get, so, as I said last week, I’m upping the odds by sending you hard copy printouts. And starting tomorrow, I’m upping the odds even more by sending my daily letter both email and via the U.S. Postal Service. So rather than getting a week’s worth of letters once a week, you’ll be getting a letter a day from me from now on. Just doing my bit for democracy, Mr. President.