If It?s Good Enough for Iraq

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In an unlikely twist to draconian U.S. statecraft, the Bush administration has turned toward the idea of promoting a socialist Iraqi state. In fact, judging by the current chatter of Bushies and the conservative press, Iraqis will soon be enjoying not just socialism, but democratic socialism, verging toward utopian anarchism, writes Barbara Ehrenreich for The Progressive.

The Bush administration has promised that Iraq?s oil will belong to the Iraqi people. In addition, education and health care will be available for all. ?Imagine: A universal health program, of the kind that has eluded Americans for at least half a century, will be created with a snap of the imperial fingers in Iraq,? writes Ehrenreich. So why would Bush attack civil liberties, the welfare state, and Medicaid in the homeland, while promoting an Iraqi utopia abroad? Ehrenreich wonders if a swift allied victory and the appalling weakness of the enemy hasn?t made even the hard-liners a little soft-hearted.

The Bush administration is promising so much in the way of government services in Iraq, in fact, that it could shift the political priorities of the American left. ?There is a solution, and I do not mean the tedious, exasperating work of building a mass movement for social justice in the homeland,? writes Ehrenreich. ?No, it?s far simpler than that: The solution is mass emigration to Iraq.? Whether U.S. citizens are willing to pack up their bags and relocate to the birthplace of civilization remains to be seen. Both U.S. citizens and Iraqis already have a lot in common, however. Both groups have been subject to the lies and empty promises of Bush-style nation-building.
?Nick Garafola

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