The US has lost the War on Terror

Do you know exactly what year 9/11 happened? Probably you could, but 30% of Americans years on after that event don't remember. Years after Bush had once acclaimed "Mission Accomplished" upon the deck of an aircraft carrier, the fighting in Iraq still continues. Iraqi civilian deaths at the minimum is said to be at about 56,000 as of this posting. Did you know that? Did you even hear about it on the news? Likely not, because it seems that the majority of Americans are either ignorant or simply don't care because this information hardly appears in the news. The numbers that they do care is the 2,973 people perished during the aftermath of 9/11 and since the US invaded Iraq and the over 3,000 that have died in active duty.

To date, the US has already spent over $360 billion dollars funding this war and spends approximately $200 million/day to fund operations in Iraq with costs projected to reach at least $1 trillion. The US dollar has depreciated incredibly as results of this and already, nations around the world are considering diversifying their bank holdings to reduce the effects of devaluation of the US dollar (which in turn, also causes more devaluation). The Euro, as a result, has increased in value significantly.

What started all this? 2 planes flew into the World Trade Center towers demolishing those buildings completely. The world gave sympathy and support to the Americans immediately in an attempt to bring down the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Then next came Iraq, whose connection to 9/11 is vague to non-existent at best. Yet they went anyways, against the will of the UN while thumbing their noses at everyone that didn't join; telling them that they would not get lucrative construction contracts during the reconstruction of Iraq. It seems to me that the joke's on the Americans because they can't stabilize Iraq, nor can they do any reconstruction. The world must be laughing at them. The US went alone and they are going to pay the price for it, very alone.

To what benefit did the US wage their "War on Terror?" I can't think of any thing positive. To be honest, it would have been cheaper to let a second 9/11 attack happen and pocket the $360 billion they would have spent and save the 56,000 Iraqi civilians that died during this conflict. If this solution sounds absurd then you've only just begun understanding the absurdity of America's "War on Terror."

Do they Deserve This?

The answer to this question in my mind is a most affirmative "Yes, they do." The US is a democracy is it not? They elected the likes of Bush and Cheney into the White House, for a second term even after their "War on Terror" had begun. It would be not until 4 years later that people would finally realize that this was a mistake, where by Bush's approval rating would drop to less than 30%. More than half of the nation thinks that Bush is doing a terrible job and just as many think likewise of the war in Iraq.

And yet, somehow, despite the majority of Americans thinking this way, they can't get him to stop or kick him out of office. I sometimes wonder if this is how a democracy is supposed to work; if this is this the same "democracy and freedom" that they are trying to spread to the Middle-East. The American people can't even get a handle on their own government.

A democracy means that you have a say for how your country is run-- your representatives take responsibility for the things they do and in turn, you take responsibility for your representatives. It seems to me that nobody takes any responsibility for anything and as a result, the current state of America is what you get.

But perhaps I am getting ahead of myself here, all this intellectual discourse means nothing if there are too few brains out there understand it. Have you ever seen a video called "Why People Believe Americans are Stupid"? I suggest that you watch it... and then after, realize that these people are eligible to vote.

After writing this, I've come to the realization that a democracy only works if your country isn't stupid. If it is, I can only suggest that you move out.