August 13, 2002

Who Will Fight the War Against Iraq?

A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL

If and when the Bush Administration sends America's sons and daughters into combat against Iraq, BuzzFlash suspects that there won't be too many sons and daughters -- if any -- of the Bush administration among them.

While the Bush twins continue in their party-on mode (Jenna was last seen guzzling down a $250 bottle of Vodka in St. Tropez), their father is doing his John Wayne thing again, threatening Papa Bush's big bad nemesis, Saddam Hussein, with annihilation. It's a good bet the Bush twins won't be volunteering for military service between now and whenever Cheney and Rumsfeld tell Boy George to give the orders to invade Iraq. We don't suspect any of the Cheney relatives are doing much in the way of military service either, but we would be glad to stand corrected if they are.

In all the news accounts we have read since Bush took office, we have not come across any reference to a close relative of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Perle or Wolfowitz currently serving in the military. Now, that doesn't mean there aren't any in the service, but don't you think Karl Rove would have hauled them out for a photo-op with Bush by now if they were in uniform?

Our point here is quite simple. It's a lot easier to send young Americans into harm's way when none of them are your relatives. We don't even suspect the sons and daughters of the wealthy contributors to the Bush/Cheney cartel have many kin in the military. It's just not their style.

As we've pointed out before, Bush evaded service in Vietnam -- in fact, he ran the other way -- when he had a chance to walk the walk. Cheney figured out ways to dodge the draft and never served at all. This is an administration that happens to be run by men who found ways to avoid combat when their country called.

It may be no coincidence that Colin Powell, who is a career soldier and fought in Vietnam, has expressed serious reservations about leaping into a war with Iraq.

So let's do the math.

We have a Supreme Court appointed President and Vice President who supported the war in Vietnam, but avoided serving there and let other young men die in their places.

We have the same men planning to send thousands upon thousands of America's bravest men and women into an inferno in the Middle East, even though their kinfolk aren't among those soldiers. Nor are, as best we know, the sons and daughters or grandchildren of any of the key administration hawks.

It's a lot easier to wage a war when you are jeopardizing the lives of the middle class and poor folk who live across the tracks.

After all, the only hides that the Bush/Cheney cartel members are interested in saving are their own.

When the dead and injured start coming home from the Iraq campaign, Karl Rove will run Bush down to a military hospital to get all teary-eyed and cravenly "patriotic." But it'll be an easy gig for him. He knows that he'll never run into the son or daughter of anyone he knows.

Message to the White House: We would welcome a list of sons, daughters, nieces or nephews -- of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Perle, or any member of the Bush cabinet -- who are currently on active military duty and are in units that might be in active combat against Iraq.

In case you don't know our address, it is:

BuzzFlash.com
P.O. Box 618354
Chicago, Illinois 60661-8354

We're always willing to admit a mistake. We'll print the list without comment. We promise.

A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL