Reg,

Sorry I’m so long in getting back to you.  I was out riding today and I pretty much came to the conclusion that your disgust with the war is probably akin to my disgust with abortion.  I don’t think there’s a whole lot of middle ground there for us to pitch out tents on.  We’re both pretty set in our beliefs.  I have no doubt that we both care a lot about our country and fellow man. 

I don’t have any evidence on Kerry other than his words where he talked about taking part in the free fire zones where villages were burned and shot up.  Maybe he killed noncombatants and maybe he didn’t.  I got a little fed up last week with what I felt was some over the top nonstop coverage of the photos taken at Abu Ghraib and I was trying to put them in a context with what happens in war.  Maybe I was a bit abstract in my approach…I dunno.

I agree with those who say we need more troops in Iraq if we’re to succeed there but I’m not sure where they would come from.  It’s sort of like an air carrier which has to have x amount of fuel when it arrives at its destination in case it’s diverted to an alternate airport.  Maybe we need to have x amount of troops ready to deploy elsewhere should another need arise rather than send them to Iraq where we could use them now.

You asked about some positive things happening in Iraq.  If it weren’t for Fox news the other day providing a segment on just that who else would do it?  I do appreciate that ‘balance’.  Some of the things they mentioned…

1. Ending the brutal regime of Saddam and ending the systematic torture and murder of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.
2. Ending the theft of billions of dollars from the Iraqi people.  An investigation has found that Saddam stole eleven billion dollars from the Oil for Food program. 
3. Ending the threat that WMD will be developed and used.
4. Under Saddam, little money was spent on education.  Now, 2500 schools have been renovated with another 800 to be finished soon.
5. Nine million new math and text books have been printed and distributed.  Old books were filled with pro Saddam propaganda.  Knapsacks with school supplies are being distributed to the children.
6. Health care is much improved.  Under Saddam the Ministry of Health spent 16 million dollars per year.  The current budget is one billion dollars.
7. The health care system is now open to all Iraqis with 30% more people using the facilities.
8. Doctors who used to earn on average $20 per month are now earning around $180 per month.
9. Modern medications such as cancer drugs are now available; something unheard of during the Saddam years.
10. A fully functioning legal and judicial system has been developed.  More than 600 judges are working in court rooms across the country.
11. Iraqis now enjoy freedom of speech.  Street protests are now allowed.
12. Freedom of the press…more than less.  There have been a couple papers which were shut down because they were inciting people to violence but for the most part the press is thriving with 120 different news publications.
13. Access to computers and the internet.
14. Satellite dishes providing access to news programming and whatever else to 1/3 of Iraqi people.
15. Improving economy with a new, stable currency.
16. Oil production us up, exceeding pre war levels, averaging 500,000 barrels a day more than when Saddam was in power.
17. Basic utilities have been neglected for years, providing the average Iraqi with only a few hours of electricity per day.  By this summer, the average Iraqi will have electricity for 16 hours a day; 40% above pre war levels.
18. Under Saddam only half of the country had access to clean drinking water.  Extensive renovations to water treatment facilities have brought clean water to 15 million more people.
19. Improvements in infrastructure are widespread.  Baghdad airport now has 43 commercial flights per day.  Telephone service is much more widespread.

Anyway, it’s only a beginning.  With all that is wrong over there it’s still possible for some flowers to rise up above the weeds.

Kevin g