Growing tensions in the bourgeoisie

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

[David Brooks is a recent addition to the NY Times op-ed lineup and a
thoroughly dreadful one. This piece basically accuses a wing of the
Democratic Party of treason. There will be increasing tension no doubt as
the situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate.]

NY Times Op-Ed October 18, 2003
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
By DAVID BROOKS

When it comes to the future of Iraq, there's not just one Democratic Party;
there are three.

First, there are the Nancy Pelosi Democrats. These Democrats voted against
Paul Bremer's $87 billion plan for the reconstruction of Iraq. The essence
of their case is that the Bush administration is too corrupt and
incompetent to reconstruct Iraq. If Bush is for it, they're against it.

Their hatred for Bush is so dense, it's hard for them to see through it to
the consequences of their vote. But if Pelosi's arguments had carried the
day, our troops in Iraq would be reading this morning about the death of
the Bremer plan and the ruination of our efforts to rebuild Iraq.

Saddam Hussein would be jubilant in Pelosi's Iraq. He has long argued that
America is a decadent country that will buckle at the first sign of
trouble. If the Pelosi Democrats had won yesterday's vote, the Saddam
Doctrine would be enshrined in every terrorist cave and dictator's palace
around the world: kill some Americans and watch the empire buckle.

A few days ago the Pelosi Democrats came up with a fig leaf alternative to
the Bremer plan, which would have reduced U.S. control of reconstruction
and shifted power to the World Bank. When that plan went nowhere, the
Pelosi Democrats were faced with a choice: trust Americans or choke off the
funds. They voted to choke off the funds.

And so in Pelosi's Iraq, there would be little money for children's
hospitals, jails, clean water and schools. In Pelosi's Iraq, everyone would
begin preparing for the post-U.S. power vacuum. The Kurds would rush to
independence, the Sunnis would stock up on weapons, and the Shiites would
call in Iran to help them in the coming civil war. The dream of an Iraqi
constitution would die in its crib.

For the roster of the Pelosi Democrats, look at those who voted against the
Bremer plan. Some names are obvious: Dennis Kucinich, Ted Kennedy and
Barbara Boxer. But there are some names you wouldn't expect to see on that
list: John Kerry and John Edwards. France, Russia and Syria don't oppose
the Bremer plan, but the Pelosi Democrats are to the left of Bashar al-Assad.

full: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/18/opinion/18BROO.html

Louis Proyect, Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org


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