Victory

Certain words, when uttered by a person, mean what the word is intended to mean. But, those same words, when said by a different person, lose meaning and can instead become ironic.

Such is the case of Bush's latest euphemism for the quagmire in Iraq, "Victory."

Let's examine the situation that is Iraq before coming back to the meaning of the word "Victory."

First, the U.S, led by Bush and his cronies, invaded a sovereign nation, bombing the hell out of cities, killing people.

Second, the reason that we entered - supposed weapons of mass destruction, were never found.

Therefore, we entered for a lie. We entered this sovereign nation for no reason other than the feelings of fear and revenge for something that had nothing to do with Iraq. I am talking about 9-11. Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11, despite the President's attempt to blur the distinction between 9-11 and Iraq in order to cover up the lie of weapons of mass destruction. So far we have two lies.

Third, after capturing the leader of this sovereign nation, we attempt to fix the mess which dismantling the central government of a nation does.

I am talking about civil war and insurgancies. Iraq, consisting of competing factions of people is now in a state of unrest, which is really an understatement. We are attempting to apply a form of democracy which has yet to be proven effective in a country that is completely different than us - history, culture, religion are all different.

So, we will be pouring billions of dollars into Iraq, according to Bush to get their police force able to fight insurgencies. Now --- it is very important that it is clear that we caused these insurgencies by invading and disrupting the central government. We caused this mess. Peiople are dying everyday over there -- Iraqi citizens.

Now, let's go back to the word "victory" uttered by Bush. We will be spending billions of - tax payers'- dollars (your buck) in Iraq in order to claim "victory". No weapons of mass destruction. No connection to 9-11. Civil unrest. Insurgencies. Countless people dying everyday in Iraq.

So, the word victory is just not appropriate, unless you intend the word to be ironic. Because "victory" is very ironic, uttered by our President, to justify our mess in Iraq. Victory over what?

The answer is nothing. There is not victory but a big fat mess.

I pass, each Monday under an overpass on I-5 right outside Fort Lewis. Yellow ribbons line the overpass, tied there by what I assume to be loved ones of those who have died in Iraq. I wondered today, as I passed underneath - how many more overpasses would be filled with yellow ribbons if we tied a yellow ribbon for each and every Iraqi citizen who has been killed since we invaded their country. How far would I have to drive before the ribbons would not be there anymore -- Chehalis, Portland? Eugene? Further, shorter?

I also get angry when I pass under this overpass on my way back from tutoring in a high school with a 30 percent dropout rate. That's 30 percent. These kids are begging for an education that works -- something isn't working if there is that many students dropping out.

I wonder -- if we took those billions of dollars, of our money, and applied them to the purpose of having every child in this school graduate. Every child in the U.S. But we can't - because we apparently have to clean up our mess.

Too bad.

But, then again, perhaps the kids who drop out can be recruited more effectively by the military recruitment office they have right in the school. Did Bush's children have recruitment offices right in his kids' school?

Probably not.