V-P Down Under

Warning: Rant Ahead.

Yessiree, the Vice President of the United States of America is on a three day visit to our shores.

That has meant three days of protest by the ill-educated, narrow-minded, anti-establishment, touchy-feely, anti-war movement. But there's plenty of angst to go around.

The VP has been given special dispensation for his Secret Service to carry guns (as if we're not good enough to protect a VIP)! The Harbour Bridge was closed without warning so the VP's motorcade could cross it (the worst thing that would have been thrown at him would have been harsh language). The resulting traffic jam pissed off an awful lot of Aussies on their way to weekend events. Then the VP, police and secret service boarded boats for a harbour cruise; the armed officers kept everyone out of the way, but the waves had windsurfers jumping into the water - and no, they weren't helped.

One appalling thing: Mr Cheney demanded that all the televisions in his suite be turned to Fox News - gaaahhh. He can't use the remote himself? How precious!

Yeah, yeah, he's the VP, but he's not liked here. He's a war-monger and corrupt (Halliburton, anyone?) and we don't understand why he's still in office.

However... And it's a big one. He, Mr Bush, Mr Blair and Mr Howard, among others, are absolutely right in their pursuit of war in Iraq. They may have gone in for the wrong reasons, and too early, but the fundamental aspect of that war remains: should the allies pull out, it is a victory for the radical fundamentalists who's prime objective is to rid the world of anyone not like them, and not willing to live under an oppressive, sick, twisted and immoral regime.

This war has developed into a war of attrition. For those weak-willed people who call for the troops to be withdrawn because too many lives (American) have been lost, the consequences will be the same war fought on American, English and Australian soil (though when it comes to world politics, we are but minnows) because make no mistake, these fundies want to kill democracy and kill those who support it.

There have been few terrorist attacks in the West because of the hard, determined work of intelligence operatives and local police forces. This war will not end soon (but you've got to wonder if the the fundamentalists keep blowing themselves up, they've got to run out of bombers sooner or later); it will be ongoing for years.

It's tragic that the lives of soldiers will be lost and families should mourn. But demanding the troops home 'so it doesn't happen to another family' emasculates what the soldiers are doing. It denies those sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands and wives, the right to make their own choices; accuses them of making the wrong one - and look what happened when they didn't listen; they're dead, maimed or missing. Worse, it reduces their sacrifice for our freedom to nothing more than a 'mistake'; an accident because hey, they shouldn't have been there!

Do people want another 9/11, 27/7? Without those troops, without their fortitude, courage and willingness to protect the rest of us, Afghan women would still be stoned to death for showing an ankle, would still be dying because there's no medical help would still be without jobs, homes and be killed for being raped. (Where was Amnesty International when this was going on?); Iraqis would still be tortured under Hussein, the Kurds would still be subjected to genocide, would not have the right to vote for their own government, would not have new schools, roads, hospitals, infrastructure. All the things you don't see on the evening news because it's not exciting enough.

The troops are doing an excellent job over there, regardless of if it is right or wrong - they are doing what needs to be done.

We can only hope Mr Cheney wasn't serious about his 'first strike' on Iran idea. He'd better makes sure he has the appropriate armed forces (from wherever) to back up the all out war that would result.

Yessiree, the VP is in town.