--- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, "hobbbes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hey if you don't like the idea of War or that it is necessary at times...then may I suggest in a most vehemently way Get Your Lazy Liberal ASS out of the United States ----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Addison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Friday, February 14, 2003 9:43 AM Subject: [biofuel] Senate floor speech by Robert Byrd
> http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0212-07.htm > > Published on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 by CommonDreams.org > > Reckless Administration May Reap Disastrous Consequences > > by US Senator Robert Byrd > Senate Floor Speech - Wednesday, February 12, 2003 > > To contemplate war is to think about the most horrible of human > experiences. On this February day, as this nation stands at the brink > of battle, every American on some level must be contemplating the > horrors of war. > > Yet, this Chamber is, for the most part, silent -- ominously, > dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no discussion, no attempt to > lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this particular war. > There is nothing. > > We stand passively mute in the United States Senate, paralyzed by our > own uncertainty, seemingly stunned by the sheer turmoil of events. > Only on the editorial pages of our newspapers is there much > substantive discussion of the prudence or imprudence of engaging in > this particular war. > > And this is no small conflagration we contemplate. This is no simple > attempt to defang a villain. No. This coming battle, if it > materializes, represents a turning point in U.S. foreign policy and > possibly a turning point in the recent history of the world. > > This nation is about to embark upon the first test of a revolutionary > doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The > doctrine of preemption -- the idea that the United States or any > other nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently > threatening but may be threatening in the future -- is a radical new > twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in > contravention of international law and the UN Charter. And it is > being tested at a time of world-wide terrorism, making many countries > around the globe wonder if they will soon be on our -- or some other > nation's -- hit list. High level Administration figures recently > refused to take nuclear weapons off of the table when discussing a > possible attack against Iraq. What could be more destabilizing and > unwise than this type of uncertainty, particularly in a world where > globalism has tied the vital economic and security interests of many > nations so closely together? There are huge cracks emerging in our > time-honored alliances, and U.S. intentions are suddenly subject to > damaging worldwide speculation. Anti-Americanism based on mistrust, > misinformation, suspicion, and alarming rhetoric from U.S. leaders is > fracturing the once solid alliance against global terrorism which > existed after September 11. > > Here at home, people are warned of imminent terrorist attacks with > little guidance as to when or where such attacks might occur. Family > members are being called to active military duty, with no idea of the > duration of their stay or what horrors they may face. Communities are > being left with less than adequate police and fire protection. Other > essential services are also short-staffed. The mood of the nation is > grim. The economy is stumbling. Fuel prices are rising and may soon > spike higher. > > This Administration, now in power for a little over two years, must > be judged on its record. I believe that that record is dismal. > > In that scant two years, this Administration has squandered a large > projected surplus of some $5.6 trillion over the next decade and > taken us to projected deficits as far as the eye can see. This > Administration's domestic policy has put many of our states in dire > financial condition, under funding scores of essential programs for > our people. This Administration has fostered policies which have > slowed economic growth. This Administration has ignored urgent > matters such as the crisis in health care for our elderly. This > Administration has been slow to provide adequate funding for homeland > security. This Administration has been reluctant to better protect > our long and porous borders. > > In foreign policy, this Administration has failed to find Osama bin > Laden. In fact, just yesterday we heard from him again marshaling his > forces and urging them to kill. This Administration has split > traditional alliances, possibly crippling, for all time, > International order-keeping entities like the United Nations and > NATO. This Administration has called into question the traditional > worldwide perception of the United States as well-intentioned, > peacekeeper. This Administration has turned the patient art of > diplomacy into threats, labeling, and name calling of the sort that > reflects quite poorly on the intelligence and sensitivity of our > leaders, and which will have consequences for years to come. > > Calling heads of state pygmies, labeling whole countries as evil, > denigrating powerful European allies as irrelevant -- these types of > crude insensitivities can do our great nation no good. We may have > massive military might, but we cannot fight a global war on terrorism > alone. We need the cooperation and friendship of our time-honored > allies as well as the newer found friends whom we can attract with > our wealth. Our awesome military machine will do us little good if we > suffer another devastating attack on our homeland which severely > damages our economy. Our military manpower is already stretched thin > and we will need the augmenting support of those nations who can > supply troop strength, not just sign letters cheering us on. > > The war in Afghanistan has cost us $37 billion so far, yet there is > evidence that terrorism may already be starting to regain its hold in > that region. We have not found bin Laden, and unless we secure the > peace in Afghanistan, the dark dens of terrorism may yet again > flourish in that remote and devastated land. > > Pakistan as well is at risk of destabilizing forces. This > Administration has not finished the first war against terrorism and > yet it is eager to embark on another conflict with perils much > greater than those in Afghanistan. Is our attention span that short? > Have we not learned that after winning the war one must always secure > the peace? > > And yet we hear little about the aftermath of war in Iraq. In the > absence of plans, speculation abroad is rife. Will we seize Iraq's > oil fields, becoming an occupying power which controls the price and > supply of that nation's oil for the foreseeable future? To whom do we > propose to hand the reigns of power after Saddam Hussein? > > Will our war inflame the Muslim world resulting in devastating > attacks on Israel? Will Israel retaliate with its own nuclear > arsenal? Will the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian governments be toppled > by radicals, bolstered by Iran which has much closer ties to > terrorism than Iraq? > > Could a disruption of the world's oil supply lead to a world-wide > recession? Has our senselessly bellicose language and our callous > disregard of the interests and opinions of other nations increased > the global race to join the nuclear club and made proliferation an > even more lucrative practice for nations which need the income? > > In only the space of two short years this reckless and arrogant > Administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous > consequences for years. > > One can understand the anger and shock of any President after the > savage attacks of September 11. One can appreciate the frustration of > having only a shadow to chase and an amorphous, fleeting enemy on > which it is nearly impossible to exact retribution. > > But to turn one's frustration and anger into the kind of extremely > destabilizing and dangerous foreign policy debacle that the world is > currently witnessing is inexcusable from any Administration charged > with the awesome power and responsibility of guiding the destiny of > the greatest superpower on the planet. Frankly many of the > pronouncements made by this Administration are outrageous. There is > no other word. > > Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent. On what is possibly the eve of > horrific infliction of death and destruction on the population of the > nation of Iraq -- a population, I might add, of which over 50% is > under age 15 -- this chamber is silent. On what is possibly only days > before we send thousands of our own citizens to face unimagined > horrors of chemical and biological warfare -- this chamber is silent. > On the eve of what could possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in > retaliation for our attack on Iraq, it is business as usual in the > United States Senate. > > We are truly "sleepwalking through history." In my heart of hearts I > pray that this great nation and its good and trusting citizens are > not in for a rudest of awakenings. > > To engage in war is always to pick a wild card. And war must always > be a last resort, not a first choice. I truly must question the > judgment of any President who can say that a massive unprovoked > military attack on a nation which is over 50% children is "in the > highest moral traditions of our country". This war is not necessary > at this time. Pressure appears to be having a good result in Iraq. > Our mistake was to put ourselves in a corner so quickly. Our > challenge is to now find a graceful way out of a box of our own > making. Perhaps there is still a way if we allow more time. > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Biofuels list archives: > http://archive.nnytech.net/ > > Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. > To unsubscribe, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > --- End forwarded message ---
