Ayoon wa Azan (McCain's Ignorance Means the Catastrophe Will Continue)
Jihad el-Khazen Al Hayat - 24/03/08//
If John McCain becomes the president of the United States, God forbid, America and the world will be facing a third term of George Bush.
The above is my personal opinion, but it is the opinion of many Americans. The senator from Arizona, who has gained the Republican Party's nomination for president, is proud that he will be a war president. He is ready to remain in Iraq for 100 years and wage other wars. He has even called for bombing Iran.
Americans who oppose his entry into the White House have begun coming up with various names for him: I have seen McSame, McShame, and McInsane.
Arab readers have followed his statements in Israel. McCain supports Israel so much that he is trying to out-do George Bush. Actually, I do not pay much attention to such statements. It is an election year, and we can expect such things from any candidate. McCain might maneuver, forget or lie on other issues, but he supports Israel and any military solution. He is an American "hero," not because he was victorious in any war, but because his plane was shot down over Vietnam, where he was captured and tortured.
McCain's campaign bus bears the slogan "Straight Talk Express," but does he deserve his reputation as a right-wing, independent Republican who always speaks the truth?
He opposed Bush's tax reduction but supported keeping taxes low indefinitely. He opposed amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage but supports such a move at the state level. He calls for an amnesty for illegal immigrants but has been silent recently in the face of fiercer opposition to this step. He supported abortion and has now become an opponent, or prefers to remain silent. He is also against torture and supports closing Guantanamo; he opposes oil drilling in Alaska and defends the environment.
However, what worries me the most is his stance on Iraq. He bases his dealings with that country on convictions that have not been altered by his repeated visits there. On his most recent trip he was accompanied by Senator Joe Lieberman, who is an Israeli through and through, hostile to Arabs and Muslims. Lieberman supported and continues to support the war in Iraq. Also on hand for the trip was Republican Senator Linsdey Graham of South Carolina, another supporter of the war.
The visit was thus not about learning something new, but giving the Republican candidate the opportunity to repeat his well-known beliefs.
McCain was a supporter of the war from the get-go. However, when things did not go the way that he and the administration had hoped, he declared that he was for the war but against the way it was being managed. In his opinion, a US withdrawal means a victory for al-Qaeda; thus, he opposes getting out. Perhaps readers heard his strange statement in Jordan, where he said that Iran was helping al-Qaeda, which prompted Lieberman to whisper in McCain's ear. McCain corrected himself, saying that Iran was supporting extremism.
George Bush's ignorance led to the destruction of Iraq and the death of one million Iraqis, while McCain's ignorance means that the disaster will continue. McCain does not appear to be someone who understands that the Sunnis are against the Americans, the Shiites are with Iran, and the Kurds are with themselves. He believes that the invasion succeeded and that democracy will arise in Iraq. He goes even further to say that he knows that the war will be long and hard, even though he is also on the record as talking about a quick victory and success, and the gratitude of the Iraqi people.
Today, McCain is the Republican candidate for president and the talk is now about the man, or woman, whom he will select as a running mate. The name Mitt Romney has come up, along with Mike Huckabee, who was McCain's last true challenger for the nomination. Huckabee has asserted that McCain led an honorable campaign, because he is an honorable man. This is despite the mudslinging that took place during the campaign; McCain has responded by saying that Huckabee is "my friend," although the two have never been friends.
I am happy that I have not seen Lieberman's name among the candidates mentioned for vice president - it would be like having Ariel Sharon or Benjamin Netanyahu. Lieberman is not cut out to be the vice presidential nominee because McCain is over 70 years old and he needs a relatively young running mate standing beside him. I have heard the name Mark Sanford mentioned; he is the governor of South Carolina and describes himself as a "right-wing nut."
However, the name that is being talked about the most is Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state. She has everything that McCain lacks, even though she has made many mistakes in her job. She miscalculated the terror threat prior to 11 September 2001, went along with the destructive policy in Iraq, and ignored the Arab-Israeli conflict until it was too late.
I admit that I have tried and failed; I have found no promising candidates for a presumed McCain administration, but the picture will not be complete without discussing his advisors. They are the worst possible that can be imagined when it comes to Arabs and Muslims. (To be continued tomorrow)
|
