Well, the Democrats have gotten the majority in the House of Representatives and are on the way to taking over the Senate if their slim lead in Virginia is confirmed.

So what does this mean? The country is obviously not too happy with the way Republicans have been leading the country (both domestically and externally) and the first casualty is Donald Rumsfeld who resigned yesterday.

As I am not an American, what I am concern about is their foreign policy; especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The question everyone will now ask is whether the Americans will stay put in Iraq or will they take the first plane out.

The way I see it, a withdrawal is impossible at the moment. The mess created there is almost impossible to sort out within a short period of time and there is no way for them to get out without having Iraq sinking deeper into chaos.

This is a quagmire that no one, not even the democrats can pull out of. More troops may have to be committed and more of them as well as ordinary Iraqis will have to die on a daily basis. Even a change in the presidency cannot reverse whatever has happened.

Of course if they do pull out, no more Americans will have to die. But if they do that, then the whole country will become a hellhole where hundreds of thousands more Iraqis will die. And in the end, become a black hole that will pull the US and the rest of the world in.

I think the Democrats are in a "damn if you do and damn if you don't" situation with regards to Iraq. I can't see how they are going to change things there and hopefully extricate the US while leaving a thriving democracy and peaceful country in its place. This is a problem that will need more than the leadership of both parties working in concert to solve. It may even require the complete cooperation and assistance of the international community.

Then again, that may not cut it either. If the US and the rest of the world haven't been able to solve the Israel-Palestine issue until now, what makes us so sure that they will be able to solve the new problem of Iraq?

Much as I do not want to say this, regardless of the fact that Saddam is a megalomaniacal dictator and mass-murderer, his iron fist was the thing that held the country together; no doubt at great cost to the Iraqis. But like the former Yugoslavia, after the iron fist is gone, the country fragments into a literally bloody mess that gets worse on a daily basis.

So does the resignation of Rumsfeld help? Nope. A new secretary of defence in the person of former CIA director Robert Gates may bring about a new direction, but I strongly doubt it will help much.

I hope I am wrong. I do hope that the US can solve the Iraq question and exit gracefully. And at the same time, bring new focus and direction to solving the long-running Israel-Palestine issue. If not, the new president after Bush's term ends in 2008 is going to have his or her (if Hilary gets the vote) hands full. And let's not forget about the nuclear ambition of Iran and North Korea as well as any new international shit that hits the fan in future.

But you know, regardless of which ever party wins, I think things are not going to change that much. I mean both of them are practically alike that they could be Siamese twins with slightly different temperament and perspective. The only hope may lie in the formation of a credible alternative third party. Ralph Nader, where are you? Even so, the Middle-East may still be beyond him.

Don't celebrate too much yet Dems, you've got a hell of a job ahead of you; a job that may even cost you the presidency and both houses of Congress when elections come round again.

Good luck boys. The ball is in your court. Play it well or you may lose the serve.

Labels: america, politics