Well, that was predictable
2003
Build-up to Iraq War, GOP, President Bush, Kenneth Pollack, Me: "Saddam Hussein poses a threat to our continued safety! We have to invade!"
Democrats, including leading presidential candidates John Edwards and Hillary Clinton: "Ok! We're too afraid to question you because of 9/11! Here's the authority to go to war!"
[Pause]
2006
[After four years of disaster in Iraq, the country kicks the Republicans out of power in Congress.]
Iraq War supporters and President Bush, immediately after national mandate for ending the war: "We need more troops, not less! Time to SURGE!"
Democrats generally: "Well ok, just this once, but if it doesn't work, we're done!"
Bush: "Well, you'll have to wait for the report from Gen. Petraeus in September to judge the surge!"
Democrats: "Ok, we'll wait until September!"
September
Indepedent analysis by Government Accounting Office: "Surge isn't working -- and in fact cannot work -- because we have hope of reaching a political solution, which everyone agrees is the only possible solution in Iraq."
Administration: "GAO report full of lies! Trust us instead! Listen to Petreaus!"
Democrats: "Ok! We're still scared of being labelled soft on terrorism! So let's stick with the surge!"
Petreaus: "Sweet."
Bush: "Word."
Me: "Are you fucking kidding me?"
Build-up to Iraq War, GOP, President Bush, Kenneth Pollack, Me: "Saddam Hussein poses a threat to our continued safety! We have to invade!"
Democrats, including leading presidential candidates John Edwards and Hillary Clinton: "Ok! We're too afraid to question you because of 9/11! Here's the authority to go to war!"
[Pause]
2006
[After four years of disaster in Iraq, the country kicks the Republicans out of power in Congress.]
Iraq War supporters and President Bush, immediately after national mandate for ending the war: "We need more troops, not less! Time to SURGE!"
Democrats generally: "Well ok, just this once, but if it doesn't work, we're done!"
Bush: "Well, you'll have to wait for the report from Gen. Petraeus in September to judge the surge!"
Democrats: "Ok, we'll wait until September!"
September
Indepedent analysis by Government Accounting Office: "Surge isn't working -- and in fact cannot work -- because we have hope of reaching a political solution, which everyone agrees is the only possible solution in Iraq."
Administration: "GAO report full of lies! Trust us instead! Listen to Petreaus!"
Democrats: "Ok! We're still scared of being labelled soft on terrorism! So let's stick with the surge!"
Petreaus: "Sweet."
Bush: "Word."
Me: "Are you fucking kidding me?"
posted by Ben at 11:13 AM
6 Comments:
There is a national campaign (by Mothers Actino Up, but don't let that stop you) to make a phone call to both our senators and our Rep EVERY DAY from the 14th-21st. Ask our leaders (sigh) to NOT approve the admin request for increased funding. They are requesting somewhere between 145 BILLION and 190 BILLION. I believe that words aren't effective, and as Ben points out, our leaders aren't leading. Control of the money is what will bring these senseless deaths to a stop, at least for our soldiers. The Iraqis... death and tragedy are likely still going to part of their daily life, apparently forever, but maybe the withdrawal of the invading force will lessen the devastation.
Ppetraeus' reduction of the number of surge troops is not enough. We can help our reps by calling and vocalizing any one of the reasons why we should not approve more increases in money. My favorite is that it is FOR NOTHING. God. How stupid can we continue to be?
~momther
The only surprise is that anyone could be surprised. Anyone who doesn’t see that the whole Petraeus Report scenario was planned from the start by the WH to maintain maximum force levels is a fool.
Tragically, just as the occupation didn’t have to go the way it did, the results in Iraq will be worse than they might have been. It would take a genuine bipartisan commitment to forge a workable long-term plan but it won’t happen because this administration can’t be trusted – except to be the criminally insane fanatics that they are.
As much as I dislike and disagree with a simplistic “get out, now,” there seems to be little chance that there’s any middle ground.
-- Big Daddy
“History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.” – James Joyce
PS This is worth a watch (link is long but you can find it at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ -- then go to MSNBC TV then Hardball)
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?f=00&g=96a557b0-0add-4cd0-a538-d01bafc7308e&p=Source_Hardball&t=m5&rf=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/&fg=
Way to go, Joe....
-- Big Daddy
PPS Shorter link
http://www.panhala.net/Hardball_Biden_on_Petraeus.asf
Editor cuts off links:
Should be ".asf" as in
Hardball_Biden_on_Petraeus.asf
Biden was very moving; he was close to tears, as we all are I think. Maybe we need to take to the streets again like during Vietnam. There isn't a draft to protest against, and the college kids don't seem particularly outraged, but maybe it could be organized by the Grey Hippie Agitators. ~momther
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