The only constant in Washington

Jan.6, 2008

The only constant in Washington

John McCain's comment during a a town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire, shortly before the the Iowa caucuses that the US military could stay in Iraq for "maybe a hundred years" and that "would be fine with me," held no surprises. It only highlighted the neoconservative mindset that the US has the moral and global authority to stay in Iraq as long it wants. However, McCain qualified it by saying that he had no objection to US soldiers staying in Iraq "as long as Americans are not being injured, harmed or killed." That is something the neoconservatives are not worried about. For them, the life and death of American soldiers in Iraq is the price that the American political establishment should be willing to pay. Never mind that the American political establishment takes orders, direct and indirect, from Israel, and that it is in partly in Israel's interest that the US military continues to stay on in Iraq and consolidate its presence there as an advance base for intervention in the region when deemed fit without risking Israeli lives (not to mention that the US military's departure from Iraq would only strengthen Israeli foe Iran).
In the minds of people like McCain, a US military withdrawal from Iraq is defeat.
They are not bothered by the fact that their country violated all international conventions, charters, agreements and conventions as well the code of conduct of governments when it invaded and occupied Iraq, and that it is continuing the same violation as long as it remains there.
They are not bothered by the fact that their country does not have much credibility around the world except the reputation as the world's strongest military superpower that is terrifying many countries.
They are not bothered by the fact that the behaviour of their governments, whether Republican or Democrat, in recent decades contradicted the very founding principles of their country.
They are not bothered by the fact that their governments, whether Republican or Democrat, have been consistently forced into upholding Israeli interests above American interests and thus caused immense damage to their country's relations with the Middle East.
The list of ironies, paradoxes and contradictions in the neoconservative-nudged policies of the US government is endless, and the people in the Middle East have been and are continuing to pay a heavy price for them.
As the 2008 race for the White House picks up momentum, many of these vagaries of American politics would be exposed as American politicians bend backwards to placate and Israel and its powerful lobbyists in Washington.
Perhaps the only consolation is that the people of America are slowly waking up to the realities of their politics and politicians. Perhaps that was why those who took part in the Iowa causes did not opt to endorse McCain as their Republican candidate for presidency.
But the battle has only started, and the world is keenly watching the scene with hopes that the American majority mindset would reveal itself as it decides who should be their candidate for president.
Not that it would make any difference to US policy vis-a-vis the Arab-Israeli conflict whoever wins in the end if only because Washington's approach to the Middle East is non-partisan. That is perhaps the only constant in Washington.