This Non-Binding Resolution is an anchor in a maelstrom....

[mikelewis]

I watched a little of the House Debate on the Non-Binding Iraq War Resolution and I must confess that I was truly mystified as to why our leadership would offer up a piece of legislation that had absolutely no teeth to it. In reality, the Resolution itself is meaningless and everyone knows it... so why the charade? I have a bad habit of presuming that our Democratic leadership is a lot smarter than I am so I assume that they must have a valid reason for completely wasting our time...


So I sat there watching the debate, listening to a few Democrats and then a few Republicans, one after another standing up at a podium and talking about what they believed we should do in Iraq. To my surprise, a few Republicans stood up and spoke out against the war and criticized how we were brought into this mess. Also I watched as a Democrat announce that he was going to vote against the Resolution. At first I was mad that a Democrat would dare to vote against the worthless Resolution but then after listening to his reasoning and gaging his sincerity, I found I actually respected his point of view. He was a Vietnam Vet and was buying into the argument that this worthless piece of legislation might actually harm the morale of the troops and he spoke passionately in support of our Service Men and Women. Of course there was the Republicans who still support Bush... still there yapping away like the vermin they are... they're there talking about the outrage of being left out of the blah blah blah... wah wah wah... who fucking cares... they're there talking away...

And then I realized what the point of this idiotic exercise was...

Many people wonder why more people didn't speak out against Hitler. Certainly some had to have known that what Hitler was doing was wrong. Not everyone in Germany was a monster... How did Hitler keep everyone from finding out about the concentration camps... How did he maintain such a grotesque and powerful hold over so many good people?

It's called the Spiral of Silence. You've seen it... you know it well... People knew the administrations case for war was based on bullshit... They heard the rumors... they heard Kucinich and Feingold talking out of the corners of their ears.... BUT... They also knew America would kick the living shit out of Iraq... There was no fucking way the hero of 9/11 could fuck this up... There was no way a broken down, dispirited country like Iraq could offer any kind of resistance... Iraq is a "slam-dunk"... If we had won... it would mean we've done no wrong!!!

What is it... 435 congress people now? I could look it up and probably should know it but oh well... Each one was given 5 minutes to talk about how they felt about Iraq. They were given 5 minutes to stand up and correct the record on their original vote on the Iraq War Resolution. They were given 5 minutes to either stand with Bush or stand with America. In all that talking... in all that debate over a useless resolution... the spiraling maelstrom of silence that had descended on Washington over Iraq was slowing.

This worthless legislation has also provided one additional boon I hadn't counted on... The House of Representatives has publicly slanted toward our side. Also the majority of the Senate has leaned toward our side as well but were ironically denied an "up or down vote" on the meaningless resolution. All in all, I'd say Congress has overwhelmingly stated that they are most likely with the American people.

...After thinking about it for a bit... maybe the Non-binding Iraq War Resolution really wasn't all that meaningless. It may not have bound the President... and at this point, what could... but it did bind something... By airing this debate, the vicious Spin that rules our country is slowing... Truth and honor and decency and faith and hope are starting to poke holes in the darkness... The Spiral is ebbing, finally...

ahhh but what the fuck do I know... I cheered as Boxer stood up in that ridiculous attempt to contest the 2004 election so a meaningless Non-binding resolution being debated on the both the floor of the House and Senate looks like a major victory to my eyes...

[peacebird]

1. it is a baby step, but an important one. Forcing everyone to take a stand and be counted.

Along with the investigations the Dems have started I think there is positive momentum for the first time in years. If nothing else - the Repugs in congress feel the pressure and that is a good thing. Even if they only act out of their interest in self preservation for the next election - I believe a fair number WILL act.

Not of course Virgil *Goode* (talk about the PERFECT last name for a bushbot - in the era of up is down, wrong is right, war is peace, GOODE is BAD) - that misogynistic POS who is my rep, but others.

[MasonJar]

2. Thank you, mikelewis, for a very insightful essay. And of course you

are dead center. For over 6 years now the Pat Roberts and the Tom Delays of the so-called representative bodies of elected officials in DC have stifled any debate or criticism of Georgie Porgie, who wants to kiss the gynecologists who want to spread love and food over their families so the fish & they can live together with the liar-in-chief as he repeats the rarely asked question, "Is my children learning?" everytime he snoops for WMD under his desk at a news dinner, while insisting on reciting the "Magna Carter," just in time to accuse the Iranians of "nucular" misunderestimated terriers and bariffs. Did I miss anything? Please feel free to add to the statement while I take a break to watch Keith O.