Bush Shown Abuse Photos at Pentagon Briefing

This could not come at a worse time for the United States, or Bush. Just as the summer and it's ensuing Presidential campaigns heat up the worst case of POW abuse in recent years falls in GW's lap. If I were him I'd be making my vacation plans for January. This is an absolute atrocity. Though it is neither his nor Donald Rumsfeld's fault, they will accept the blame and do all of the apologies. Which is exactly what good leaders should do.

The people who committed these acts of abuse should all be punished severely. Now being the leftist I am I believe that they should all be thrown in a prison with a few Iraqis in charge and leave them there a few months and see what happens. These Iraqi POW's were abused and violated in every way possible. The best possible thing that can happen to these soldiers is to get them out of Iraq. The best way for them to learn why it is wrong to do what they did, however, is to make them face the people they did this to. No videos or pictures this time though. Just some good ol' Turkish prison fun with the Americans on the receiving end this time...they earned it.

Being an American living abroad in a country like Japan during a time when my country is at war has been tough. Being here when Koizumi sent troops to Iraq was like being in a firestorm. The amount of hatred and racism directed my way was something I had never before seen in my life. All of the times I put foreigners down for being foreigners back in NY I now regret. I now know what it is like to move to a country where you do not speak the language, have nothing, and have to make your own way. This has been a tremendous growth period for me as a person. It also has allowed me to witness first hand how the Japanese would react when their troops were sent out of Japan into a combat region for the first time since WW2, I am living through history.

Most Japanese are ashamed that they have been pulled into this war by the Americans. They yell "Fuck Bush!!" in huge demonstrations in Hachiko Square, they hurl things at Americans, hand out sheets that say "We do not have sex with men who support the killing and violence of wars," and in general let me know that I am not welcome in this country. All because of a war that I am not fighting in and have nothing to do with. I do admit that with the short hair I have and the fact that just by looking at me you can tell I am American from about 10 miles away I do look awfully like a guy in the military. To the point that people ask me what branch of the service I am in...half the time the people asking me are in the military themselves; the rest are J-girls looking for a military guy to nail.

Others, a small majority, are proud that Japan has finally emerged from it's shell and pulled it's proverbial tail from between it's legs after WW2. Japan has one of the most technologically advanced armies in the world, second only to the US and UK perhaps, they are the second wealthiest nation in the world also. It's about time they took on more of a humanitarian role and helped out the US. The Japanese who realize this are proud of their country, and rightly so. This is a huge step towards making Japan the world power it should be...especially with China knocking on the door.

Overall I believe Bush is doing the best job he can. He means well. I did not vote for him in the last election. I am not a Republican either. I am a registered Democrat to be perfectly honest. During this election I will be voting for Bush though because in a time of war the best way to avoid a total mess like Vietnam is to have continuity of government. Most Americans knew when Bush won that eventually he would wage war on Saddam and Iraq. Whether or not we would admit it at the time, somewhere deep down we all knew it was just a matter of time. As long as we have all those troops over there we might as well keep the guy who sent them there in office. It's not his fault that Abu Ghraib prison was not much better than the Japanese internment camps in the states during WW2.