When the going gets tough, Iraqi leaders go on vacation

by David Grand
August 1, 2007

Unconscionable, is the politest word I could come up with to describe my reaction in reading that Iraqi's Parliament is, as of today, starting a month's vacation. With that much time off, why they could go to Fantasy Island.

And when criticized by U.S. officials and congressmen for hanging a "closed" sign on its door, while our troops are sweating their butts off in the torrid heat, and dying at an average of 100 a month, the Deputy Prime Minister responded: "Iraqi leaders will do things their way and don't take kindly of U.S. officials telling us when to recess."

If that isn't enough to cause the most ardent supporters of the war to reconsider their position, then I don't what if anything would change their minds, aside from a divine message.
Now, it would be one thing if our continuing occupation met with the approval of the majority of its population. But just the opposite is the case, what with 8 of 10 Iraqis wanting us out of there pronto.

And that sentiment was echoed by the parliament, when a majority of its members signed a draft bill on May 10 that would require a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and a requirement for it to approve any further extensions of the mandate for allowing foreign troops there, which expires at the end of 2007.

Isn't it ironic, that while that nation's legislative body was able take that big step with a minimum of sound and fury, our lawmakers fought like they were fighting for their birthrights over doing much the same thing?

But no matter how hard the Democrats in the Senate tried to get enough Republicans to cut the umbilical cord with the White House on that issue, they might as well have attempted to get them to agree to forego their annual pay raise for all the good it did.

And that all night session accomplished nothing more than to give the senators a sampling of what it's like living in an army barracks, sleeping as they did when not on the Senate Floor on cots, alongside those snoring like a diesel truck and with little or no privacy. Given that the vast majority of 'em never served in the military, it must've been a traumatic experience that took them days to recover from, and a lot of Ben Gay to relieve their sore, aching muscles.

Forgive me for closing on a sour note. But I thought you might find it of interest, if not upsetting, to know that American workers are at the bottom of the list showing the average number of vacation days around the world per year. They only get a measly 13 vacation days, with Italy topping the list at 42 days and with France, Germany and Brazil not far behind with 37, 35 and 34 days, respectively.

If you're so irate by that huge disparity, you might consider telling your boss that you demand the same amount of vacation time those countries give their workers, and will settle for nothing lower than the 28 days workers in the United Kingdom receive, or an absolute minimum of 25 days off like in Japan.

But don't be surprised, if the next line you find yourself in isn't at a store's check-out counter but at the state's unemployment office.