[Grovenet] The Iraqi View

[David Morelli]

On Sep 10, 2007, at 11:07 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> Nevertheless it's one of the best plans I've ever seen, David.
>
> So why don't the people of the USA demand it?
>
> I keep watching the candidates for a sign of a plan, but so far all  
> I hear are broad generalities and platitudes. I suspect that's  
> because that's what the candidate feels will "get by" alienating  
> the fewest prospective voters.
>
> Ron D'Eau Claire

Thank you.

I don't believe that the people of the USA set policy or even demand  
policy.

In general, I feel that they cast votes for candidates based upon one  
or two major issues and an opinion of the candidate's electability  
and attractiveness.  Other than "single issue" candidates and "single  
issue" voters, there is a compromise in expressing a desired policy  
through the elective process.

If there is an important issue, citizens may attempt to communicate  
with Congress or the Administration.  They may fund political parties  
or special interest groups, if a group exists that covers that  
issue.  Again, except for "single issue" groups the effectiveness of  
the "demand" is blunted by the realities of fund raising and lobbying  
activities.  And, as we found in the processes to formulate a  
national energy policy and a national prescription medical policy,  
the interests of well funded professional lobby's will be heard  
better than the demands of "the people of the USA".  This is  
especially true where then is less than a complete consensus.

In the case of Iraq, there isn't a special interest group dedicated  
to building a stable Iraq without the presence of US troops.  We have  
groups that want the troops out, and troops that want an American  
presence in the Middle East, but I doubt that any group (except for  
people with relatives in Iraq) has much of concern for building an  
Iraq independent of American geo-political interests.  Even our  
military, who have given so much to secure Iraq, are bound by the  
rules of international politics.  No matter how much they may care  
for the civilians who are living and dying in Iraq, when the US  
military pulls out they will leave those people to their own resources.

Some capitalists like Warren Buffett may become rich by taking the  
long term view, but in general, large scale capitalism is biased to  
the short term view.  Extraction industries are concerned with the  
cost of getting the minerals out of the ground, not the cost of what  
happens later.  Factories are built with an eye to reducing the  
manufacturing costs, not the environmental costs.  The whole energy  
infrastructure is geared toward producing kilowatts, fuel, and BTU's  
rather than the long term cost of the impact on the global  
environment.  Where industries have taken a longer term view,  
globalization has taken the jobs and profit and sent it to places  
with a shorter view.

David