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Here
We Go Again
Unveiling a new feature is usually a proud moment for a newspaper.
But The War Report is a section we at Metroland had hoped
to never run. By the time you read this issue, though, we’re
certain to be engaged in the second war in the Persian Gulf
commanded by a man named George Bush.
On Monday night, George W. Bush issued the ultimatum that
was heard ’round the world—an arrogant and unprovoked call
to arms that has colored the world’s view of just what Bush’s
America (not our America, not anymore, many would argue) has
become: a place where dissenting voices are simply unacknowledged
or silenced as “unpatriotic,” and an unwanted war is waged
under the now-ironic banners of freedom and democracy.
But dissenting voices are everywhere, folks, regardless of
what the mainstream media would have you believe. So in our
own nod to freedom and democracy—and, yes, patriotism—we offer
The War Report, a weekly forum for alternative journalistic
takes on the Iraqi conflict. It’ll run for the duration—but
we hope it’s short-lived.
A
Letter to George W. Bush on the Eve of War
George
W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC
Dear Governor Bush:
So today is what you call “the moment of truth,” the day that
“France and the rest of world have to show their cards on
the table.” I’m glad to hear that this day has finally arrived.
Because, I gotta tell ya, having survived 440 days of your
lying and conniving, I wasn’t sure if I could take much more.
So I’m glad to hear that today is Truth Day, ‘cause I got
a few truths I would like to share with you:
1. There is virtually NO ONE in America (talk-radio nutters
and Fox News aside) who is gung-ho to go to war. Trust me
on this one. Walk out of the White House and on to any street
in America and try to find five people who are PASSIONATE
about wanting to kill Iraqis. YOU WON’T FIND THEM! Why? ‘Cause
NO Iraqis have ever come here and killed any of us! No Iraqi
has even threatened to do that. You see, this is how we average
Americans think: If a certain so-and-so is not perceived as
a threat to our lives, then, believe it or not, we don’t want
to kill him! Funny how that works!
2. The majority of Americans—the ones who never elected you—are
not fooled by your weapons of mass distraction. We know what
the real issues are that affect our daily lives—and none of
them begin with I or end in Q. Here’s what threatens us: two
and a half million jobs lost since you took office, the stock
market having become a cruel joke, no one knowing if their
retirement funds are going to be there, gas now costs almost
two dollars—the list goes on and on. Bombing Iraq will not
make any of this go away. Only you need to go away for things
to improve.
3. As Bill Maher said last week, how bad do you have to suck
to lose a popularity contest with Saddam Hussein? The whole
world is against you, Mr. Bush. Count your fellow Americans
among them.
4. The Pope has said this war is wrong, that it is a SIN.
The Pope! But even worse, the Dixie Chicks have now come out
against you! How bad does it have to get before you realize
that you are an army of one on this war? Of course, this is
a war you personally won’t have to fight. Just like when you
went AWOL while the poor were shipped to Vietnam in your place.
5. Of the 535 members of Congress, only ONE (Sen. Johnson
of South Dakota) has an enlisted son or daughter in the armed
forces! If you really want to stand up for America, please
send your twin daughters over to Kuwait right now and let
them don their chemical-warfare suits. And let’s see every
member of Congress with a child of military age also sacrifice
their kids for this war effort. What’s that you say? You don’t
THINK so? Well, hey, guess what—we don’t think so either!
6. Finally, we love France. Yes, they have pulled some royal
screw-ups. Yes, some of them can be pretty damn annoying.
But have you forgotten we wouldn’t even have this country
known as America if it weren’t for the French? That it was
their help in the Revolutionary War that won it for us? That
our greatest thinkers and founding fathers—Thomas Jefferson,
Ben Franklin, etc.—spent many years in Paris where they refined
the concepts that led to our Declaration of Independence and
our Constitution? That it was France who gave us our Statue
of Liberty, a Frenchman who built the Chevrolet, and a pair
of French brothers who invented the movies? And now they are
doing what only a good friend can do—tell you the truth about
yourself, straight, no BS. Quit pissing on the French and
thank them for getting it right for once. You know, you really
should have traveled more (like once) before you took over.
Your ignorance of the world has not only made you look stupid,
it has painted you into a corner you can’t get out of.
Well, cheer up. There IS good news. If you do go through with
this war, more than likely it will be over soon because I’m
guessing there aren’t a lot of Iraqis willing to lay down
their lives to protect Saddam Hussein. After you “win” the
war, you will enjoy a huge bump in the popularity polls, as
everyone loves a winner—and who doesn’t like to see a good
ass-whoopin’ every now and then (especially when it’s some
Third World ass!). So try your best to ride this victory all
the way to next year’s election. Of course, that’s still a
long ways away, so we’ll all get to have a good hardy-har-har
while we watch the economy sink even further down the toilet!
But, hey, who knows—maybe you’ll find Osama a few days before
the election! See, start thinking like THAT! Keep hope alive!
Kill Iraqis—they got our oil!!
Yours,
Michael
Moore
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