Oliver Willis is one of the few black bloggers who has commented even obliquely on the current debate on spending in Iraq on Capitol Hill. The filibuster might seem dramatic in DC but how is this really playing outside of DC? It’s nice that the Dems have finally decided to take some action and that a handful of GOP senators are actually putting their votes behind their mouths on changing course in Iraq.

However, I guess I remained stunned that this is even a debate. The President’s strategy is not working. Most Americans understand this and want a change. This filibuster should have come a couple of years ago, so I guess it’s super that the Dems have finally decided to do something that indicates a shadow of something close to the same sense of urgency that anyone who knows someone impacted by military service in Iraq has.

As I’ve written here before, African-Americans saw the truth about this war before it started. We didn’t support going in and the majority of us strongly support getting out. As soon as possible. For a lot of different reasons but mostly because our loved ones’ lives and our hard-earned tax dollars must be a whole lot more precious to us than the sleep of a few Members of Congress. No one ever points that out though on TV. It’s as if the interests of a major and decisive demographic that also happen to comprise about 25% of the military (and their families) are just totally irrelevant in this debate. Hmmm.

Yawn. Sigh. I refer you to Jack Turner’s recent post to get a flavor of how black people talk amongst themselves about the Iraq war at this point. We talk about the future cost to our society. We talk about the damage done and the damage yet to come. The cost of this unnecessary, poorly managed and immoral war will be paid by generations of Americans in ways we are only glimpsing now.

‘Nuff said.

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