I saw a news report tonight that said that the two (I won't repeat their names) Democrats who traveled to Iraq and there told the world that the president of the United States would not hesitate to lie to the American public if a lie helped him to start an unprovoked war, were "Vietnam War veterans".

Okay, I can buy that. George Bush is a liar. Nothing new about that. And George Bush will not provide an answer or evidence if he can accomplish his desires without doing so. Nothing new about that, either. But the singlemost transgression spoken by the two Democrats in Iraq was their statement that they, both of them, were "Vietnam War veterans." This single statement alone helped the "Duplicitous Duo" (or "Doofus Duo") in Iraq carry the awesome credibility of their argument against unprovoked war around the world. For actual "war" veterans who served in America's most brutal and longest war to resurrect Vietnam in the same breath they labeled an American president, descended from the nobility and regality of George Washington -- the president who could not tell a lie -- increased the volume of their words and sent them reverberating around the world... until a young reporter who heard those words thought she should investigate them further.

The young reporter discovered, to no surprise to herself, that neither Democrat served a single day in Vietnam during the war. Although both had served in the military during the Vietnam War, neither had left the country, let alone served in-country Vietnam. Okay, so they got caught in a lie. What's the big deal about that, you ask? The 'Big Deal' is that when confirmation of the two Democrat's non-service in Vietnam hit the White House our president, who also didn't serve in Vietnam, felt boosted and encouraged to new heights of self-righteousness. Our president, you see, never lied about his not having served in Vietnam... nor did he ever tell the truth. Although our president has never explained to a single soul why he chose to go AWOL (Away Without Official Leave) for eleven months to ensure he would never breathe a molecule of dung-tainted oxygen in Vietnam, he has never lied about his fear or cowardice. This simple fact of never misleading anyone made our president, in his mind, mountains higher in integrity and honor than those two "traitors" he believed (and instructed others to promote the idea) should be "compared with Jane Fonda." And it was on this day, Tuesday last, that our president decided to ask the four networks, three cable news stations and one C-Span channel to cover his "special" address "which should be heard or seen by the entire nation" promoting his wish that our country should and must invade the nation of Iraq, take over its oil fields, kill or capture its top government officials... then ready ourselves for another conquest. That speech will come tomorrow.

Since the president first switched gears labeling Saddam Hussein as our greatest threat and ceased mentioning the name Osama bin Laden, fewer and fewer Americans have polled less support for our invasion of Iraq, dropping from 66% in August to 54% today. To express their rising anger over an unprovoked war, over the last three days no fewer than 210,000 Americans have participated in massive, public anti-war rallies.

Perhaps the only comfort the two disgraced Democrats can feel satisfaction in is the fact they are true Vietnam War 'Era' veterans, whereas our president by virtue of the fact that his military status for eleven months was both illegal and prosecutable, was stripped of all morally or patriotically honorable legality. George Bush, by his dishonor of refusing to report for duty for over 11 months, is not equal to the two Democrats who served every day of their military obligation. Of the 2,709,918 men and women (of which approx 59,000 died in-country) who sacrificially served our great country on the ground in Vietnam, it is estimated that fewer than 700,000 actual Vietnam War veterans are alive today. Sad but true, our true Vietnam War in-country veterans are dying almost as fast as their WW2 uncles and fathers (approx 1,800 per month). Of the estimated 700,000 living in-country Vietnam veterans alive today only a tiny fraction, led by Senator John McCain, supports the president's invasion of an unprovoked war.

The president will never face prosecution for his eleven months AWOL, nor will any military agency even address this transgression... Jimmy Carter's blanket pardon for Vietnam War deserters and conscientious objectors also covered its cowards.

The president of the United States has a podium no other American, (save for black football heroes who murder their white ex-wives or white Yuppie women who vacate their corporations or capitalize on insider trading information), can command. If the president tells the cable and broadcast networks that he has a statement all Americans should hear the president will get his audience... even though what he has to say on Monday night is in no way or form different than what he has been repeating for the past month but broadcast in its entirety only on one of the three C-Span stations or on the White House Press Office Station -- otherwise known as "Fox News".

We in DEA will also fight the coming war that appears unavoidable. The growing anti-war rallies being staged and planned; the growing drug inspired, counter-culture movement reminiscent of the 1960's, will draw DEA into the coming military war in Iraq... and the certain subsequent wars to follow... Iran, Korea, Taiwan, Palestine/Israel...

As any human grows increasingly despondent over his or her future/survival/ability to raise children in a secure world/employment status/affordability to purchase goods and services... etc... they tend to seek diversion and escape. During the Vietnam War a large segment of our population sought escape through narcotics. Yes, much of the drug use in America today is sponsored by the escapist drug users from the Vietnam War era.

Because drugs and illegal narcotics are manufactured and controlled by criminal organizations that, admittedly, our federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies have failed to successfully penetrate and/or curtail to significant and important degrees, the monies realized from domestic drug and narcotic sales will continue to fund our military enemies at the same time we will need to increasingly tax the American public to fight against. Talk about a vicious circle!

In the past we had presidents who sought peaceful ways to resolve international problems. Today we have a president who firmly believes that war is the only way to resolve international problems. When America goes to war criminal organizations flourish. Today our entire Justice Department has retooled itself for locating and neutralizing terrorists. Federal criminal investigation is practiced today only in cases of high profile crimes. Take for example the recent sniper victims in Maryland... from the distance of their killer all could be (mis)identified as Arab-Americans or foreigners either by their appearance or their frugal spending environment... the one, common link... (which is typical moreso to minorities and foreigners).

DEA is now the only federal agency practicing non-terrorist related federal criminal investigations. Sadly, we are led by an incompetent who doesn't appreciate this fact/reality, nor wishes to expound or expand on this fact/reality.

On Monday night, if the president doesn't tell us that the invasion has begun we will hear more of the same we have heard from him for the past month or so. If the news networks are bored with his repeat of 'more of the same' we can, perhaps, hope that they will give him less airtime in the future. But regardless what the president has to say about starting a new military war, you and I, and everyone taking home a DEA paycheck will still be challenged by the same mission we had long before the feebs grabbed then got out of our turf... long before 9/11... and long after whatever happens between our military and Iraq.

We will continue to be the same agency we've always been. The most that we can hope for in the future is getting an Administrator who is truly committed to DEA. We haven't had one of those for a long time. But until that time comes, if it ever does, we will still be war veterans in every true sense of the word, because our war, the drug war, continues no matter what subject matter obsesses a president...

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