The Fog of War in Viet-raq

First, a word: tomorrow starts Torture Awareness Month, supported by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and a few other NGOs. Check out the blogroll at the right, and support organizations that work to end the evil use of torture.

I'll be writing more on this during the month, and reading some of these blogs that are all new to me. New ideas, fresh debate, the exchange of energy in the fight will renew us all.
Here is the link to the Torture Awareness site. Check it out, and let me know.

Next, Go to the store and rent or buy "the Fog of War", and watch it.
I saw it on the big screen the day it opened here in Flint.
I knew.
A F'ing Midwestern Housewife, and I knew.

Will Dubya and the Neocons have that sense of deep regret someday that Robert MacNamara revealed in that film over the tens of thousands of young soldiers who died for the mistake, in the 'long war' portion of the Vietnam War, when our leaders knew we were losing and had no way out, except to get the hell out, but were prolonging ending the war for the purpose of POLITICAL TIMING?

Will Dubya and the Neocons ever have any sense of guilt?
Who cares with all that Gelt in their pockets to soothe them? Between the GOP legal drugs of Ambien and the Viagra and Oxycontin they'll be whatever they want to be.
But they were never good men.

(22 million prescriptions have been filled for Ambien.
Why are so many middle and upper class (obviously the health insured) Americans feeling so unable to sleep? We are a society of hypochondriacal self-medicators, but we are the 'prison planet' for illegal drug users. Must be a profit in that somewhere.)

I've suggested this before:
We don't need to fight wars if we have a competent Department of State.

Settling disputes diplomatically is what DIPLOMACY is supposed to be about!
Maybe Condi Rice thinks she is running the Department of War, but that's supposed to be Rumsey's place over at the Department of Defense. Duh.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich proposes a Department of Peace. At least with a job title like that on your official badge, the Secretary of Peace might recall why he/she was put there, and at least SOMEBODY in the administration would be concerned with diplomacy.

The way to end the Iraq War is to declare victory and leave, just like we did, finally, in VietNam.
A F'ing Midwestern Housewife, and at least I know that.

Here is the article that got me going this morning:
U.S., Vietnam remove last trade barriers
By TINI TRAN, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 29 minutes ago

The United States and Vietnam signed a trade pact Wednesday that removes one of the last major hurdles in Hanoi's bid to join the World Trade Organization.

The deal would knock down remaining trade barriers between the two countries, which saw bilateral trade rise 21.6 percent to nearly $8 billion last year, by ending U.S. quotas on Vietnamese textiles and garments and giving American companies greater access to a growing Southeast Asian market.

It also paves the way for Vietnam to reach its goal of becoming a member of the global trading body before Hanoi hosts the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, which President Bush is scheduled to attend.

A vote in the U.S. Congress is still needed for the pact to take effect.

Deputy Trade Minister Luong Van Tu and Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Karan Bhatia signed the agreement during a ceremony that was attended by Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan as well as U.S. Trade Representative-designate Susan Schwab.

Calling it a "historic step forward," Bhatia said, "Today's signing is the culmination of years of hard work and preparation on both sides."

The United States was the last country that Vietnam had to negotiate a bilateral treaty with for WTO access but a final challenge remains: the U.S. Congress must vote to grant Vietnam permanent normal trading relations.

A vote is needed before Congress breaks in August or else the entire process could be delayed until next year due to U.S. elections in November. However, observers are hopeful that Hanoi will achieve its decade-long goal.

Bhatia said the U.S. Trade Representative's office will seek "prompt approval" for permanent normal trading relations for Vietnam, but said the climate in Congress was challenging, suggesting the deal may face some opposition.

"It's a tight time frame but I think it's doable," said Virginia Foote, with the U.S. Vietnam Trade Council, a Washington, D.C.-based business advocacy group. "This is a huge accomplishment for both sides but especially Vietnam."

The ceremony was held at the Reunification Palace where three decades ago Communist tanks barreled through to end the Vietnam War. But times have changed, and the former wartime adversaries are enjoying their strongest relationship in decades.

A historic bilateral trade agreement in 2001 pushed two-way trade from under $1 billion a year to $7.8 billion last year — most of it exports from Vietnam.

This trade pact will help reduce barriers even further, with Vietnam agreeing to reduce tariffs to 15 percent or less on U.S. manufactured and agricultural goods and open up its telecoms, financial and energy services to foreign companies.

Vietnam also agreed to scrap a $4 billion government plan to improve its textile and garment industry, which the U.S. considered a subsidy.

However, observers are hopeful that Hanoi will achieve its decade-long goal.

Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press.