Time is about as mainstream as it gets, but the cover story in the January 15, 2007 issue by Michael Duffy with reporting by Mike Allen, Sally B. Donnelly, Massimo Calebresi and Mark Kukis on "the Surge" idea for the Iraq War provides a blistering analysis of "What a Surge Really Means." Among many perceptive, biting remarks, there is this: "Bush's real exit strategy in Iraq may just be to exit the presidency first."
The article cites the main source for the latest round of strategic genius (sarcasm here), so anyone reading this can read the plan for themselves via The American Enterprise Institute.
It shows all the sophistication one might expect from the mentally deficient.
"This approach requires a national commitment to victory in Iraq," the AEI authors declare before crucifying American soldiers: "The ground forces must accept longer tours for several years. National Guard units will have to accept increased deployments during this period. . ."
It also declares with the surety of a Village Idiot: "Other courses of action have been proposed. All will fail."
And, like a cartoon think bubble: "Failure in Iraq today will require far greater sacrifices tomorrow in far more desperate circumstances."
Whereas, of course (latter day American Mussolinism?): "Committing to victory now will demonstrate America’s strength to our friends and enemies around the world."
Don't take my word for it -- check it out directly if you'd like.
Or, if you can stomach it, listen to the President of the United States, a Yale-educated man who cannot even pronounce the word "nuclear" but who had no problem declaring "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq nearly three years ago, and then, more tauntingly, "Bring it On;" indeed, listen to him stumble through his "rationales" at 9 p.m.
Today's Rune: Protection.
Adieu.
12 comments:
Oh my god-- that is almost word for word the rationale for staying in Vietnam 40 years ago.
The phrase "another Vietnam" has been bandied about a little too easily since that war, but this one might be apt. An intractable war with no lines or clear objectives. Unlimited support from outside the country. Looks apt to me.
Things are getting worse. What is the public reading concerning this? Is there much opposition surfacing?
It's obvious that the shrub is not the source of all this.
In the news we are just misled - the masses need to awaken fully.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6245851.stm
Echoes Mr. Yen's comment...
things are downright terrible. I just hope this matter is resolved soon and our men and women can come back to us safely. What the hell are we still doing their anyway?
The plan in Iraq has never been to create a democracy. Saddam and Bin Laden are equally guilty for 9-11. The plan in Iraq has been to create hell on earth. We have succeeded.
I think that there were some poor assholes who actually believed the shit that was shovelled-- that it was to institute a democracy. You know what they say about the path to hell. The rest just salivated over the thought of controlling, through a puppet government, a good chunk of the world's oil supply. That hasn't happened-- oil doesn't flow in quanitity from a country that has no political, economic, social or even military order. Some thought we were going to establish a big, safe base there. Our soldiers aren't even safe on their bases. Poor deluded Thomas Friedman even thought it would somehow help Israel, though I was never sure how. All rationale, good and bad, have been abject failures.
BTW, Oswald, even the CIA has concluded that Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11, unless you count not completely wiping the Al Queda out to be a fault-- he considered them a threat to his regime.
Thanks for the heads up on the article Danny.
Grand Strategy at Its Worst
Stalingrad on the Tigris
By FRANKLIN C. SPINNEY
Sun Tzu said avoid protracted war and attack cities as a last resort.
President Bush has managed to do the opposite in Iraq.
http://www.counterpunch.org/
Johnny, instituting democracy was only the 2nd or 3rd reason given for invading Iraq. I think it was behind WMD and Al Qaeda.
Gen. Petraeus, a truly bright guy who recently overhauled the Army's counterinsurgency manual. I remember reading an article about him a few months ago, and if Bush followed the Army's own counterinsurgency manual, we'd have to ship another 100,000 troops over there just to start to keep a lid on things.
Nice blog, Eric! This is my first visit.
We are on the 'road to hell' and we are paving our own way . . . as Johnny Yen paraphrased.
Where to even begin? You are so right, Erik - we need to wake up! But in order to do that we need to get off the mass social drugs . . . TV, the little purple, pink or blue pills, internet sex and other destructive addictions, and government hypnotizing. We need to REALLY SEE what's happening - but that seems nearly impossible for a people who have become so brainwashed and are now too busy arguing amongst them selves.
Protection . . . we need it! But we need to be in agreement as to who or what we need protection from!
Thank you all for the insightful comments! Also, Pythia, right on re: mass brainwashing/addiction. Here's something gleefully written by Edward L. Bernays (Freud's Americanized nephew), the "Father of PR," in his little 1928 book, Propaganda:
"If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it? The recent practice of propaganda [in the Great War of 1914-1918] has proved that it is possible, at least up to a certain point and within certain limits."
He saw, correctly, no operational difference between methods of corporate and government control. Cheery, that ;)
Hey Erik,
I believe the Shrub wants the next president to solve this mess; to him, it's better than admitting that he might be wrong.
The current administration has handed the world such a mess and on such a grand scale. I worry the magnitude of it all leaves people completely overwhelmed and sometimes when we're overwhelmed we do nothing and allow ourselves to tumble further into the abyss.
I was completely dumbfounded when I heard Americans have entered into Somalia. Where is it going to end?
Somalia has been getting a lot of attention in the Canadian press. Has it in the States?
Thanks for the secound round of comments! Toccata, Somalia is in the US news, but so far only with a US govt.-fed lead. I'm keeping track and did a 12/25/06 post on the opening setup.
Cheers,
E'
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