Army Gen. David Petraeus can’t be ignorant, so he must be an idiot. Or he thinks we’re idiots.
The so-called “surge” was supposed to give Iraq “breathing room” to get its political act together. Obviously, the troop build-up had nothing to do with the reduction in violence, as proven by what happened in Basra. It could happen again at any time, and there’s nothing the American military can do to prevent it.
There’s a power struggle in Iraq. The latest example happened to be between two Shiite factions, one of which is the alleged ruling government. Prime Minister al-Maliki took military action in an attempt to assert his political control over Muqtada al-Sadr, and even with our help he didn’t exactly win. Hey Petraeus, you know what this is called?? CIVIL WAR!
Petraeus knows that if he says a single word that isn’t in keeping with what George Bush wants to hear, his career is over. Bush says he listens to the generals and not politicians, but the generals who tried to speak the truth are gone. But ya know what Petraeus needs to think about? If McCain isn’t elected president, his career is over anyway.
The Bush-Cheney apologists are now reduced to making two weak and sorry points justifying our continued presence in Iraq:
- There was less mayhem for a while
- We broke it, so we have to fix it
BUT WE CAN’T FIX IT! The mess over there will play itself out whether or not we’re there. The first order of business for the next president must be to get us out of Iraq.
Hi! Just a quick comment that as more soldiers die-our friends at KBR have made $98 MILLION off Iraq contracts in the first quarter of 2008. Must be nice not to have a conscience and make money from death.
Way to go, Edna! Now there’s an old person’s name. I suspect “Douglas” won’t age very well.
Hi Doug! One more comment then I’ll shut me gobstopper for a rest-I agree with your last sentence about presidential qualifications! On April 20, Edna Parker of Shelbyville, IN turned 115 [oldest living supercentenarian worldwide] and when she turned 114 she got a letter from Dubya. Her grandson said she was less than thrilled. When interviewed and asked if she voted for him, she emphatically said, “NO!”. 🙂 YAY, EDNA!
If the FBI is making calls like that, I’m sure it’s a rather perfunctory response. Personally, I see no point in uttering such reckless remarks, but hey, maybe when I’m 80 like my father is I won’t care.
My father is another reformed Republican. He remains defensive of Nixon to this day, but he can’t abide Dubya. His primary complaint when Bush was selected by the Supreme Court was that George lacks the IQ the job calls for. But hey, that’s what the country gets for wanting somebody they felt they could sit down with and have a beer. I hope we never hear that “qualification” again mentioned in a Presidential election.
Hi! Yes, it’s me-with a case of incontinent brain! I was thinking of the 80-year-old man who lives not far from me who wrote a letter to the editor saying if Saddam had to be hung–Bush should be too! Right away he got a visit from the F.B.I. They said they questioned him and felt he presented no threat to Bush…Oy vey! When interviewed by the media he said he was using the freedom the soldiers are fighting and dying for. In PA thousands of people changed their registration from Repub. to Democrat-including many seniors, God bless ’em!
There’s a fine line between dissent and treason, Joan. Actually, no, there isn’t! Not in a true democracy.
Hi! About KBR-Cheney’s friends-euthanizing cats and dogs in Iraq-like China did-supposedly to save our soldiers–my sister and I have humanely trapped, gotten vet care for, including the important SPAY and NEUTER, kept and also adopted out many stray cats all on our own and never got a disease. Surprisingly KBR’s web site has a comment area and I blasted with both barrels. Especially about them “making money from death in Bush and Cheney’s war.” Funny-their helping soldiers list on the site didn’t include killing thousands of cats and dogs-including 4 cats a soldier was going to rescue upon his return. If I don’t write for a while-it’s because I was arrested for treason! 🙂
Hi! Just saw our soldier death toll is rising–surprise, surprise! Then read yesterday that a “former subsidiary of Halliburton”–KBR–is catching cats and dogs-that many soldiers, private citizens, and other companies are trying to save-in humane traps [which are safe]–but KBR is then euthanizing them… thanks to a contract from the Army, supposedly to protect the troops. These bastards claim it’s because strays spread illness to humans–well, yeah if you’re pregnant and improperly work with a litter box-which if pregnant you have someone else clean due to risk of Toxoplasmosis. But are our soldiers playing with dog and cat poo-when alot of Iraqi’s don’t even have proper sanitation! And rabies is easy to identify in an animal- plus it’s cheaper to immunize than euthanize a healthy animal. People helping Iraq’s animals go thru lots of BS red tape, and with the mental stress on especially the children, no thanks to the good ‘ol USA, pets could help them alot. Sorry so long-but on a roll!
Monte, does Cheney DRINK? Oh, yeah, the hunting incident … “Dick’s shooting! Everybody DUCK!”
Good video. He did understand at least some of the problems 16 years ago. I wonder how he managed to “forget” so much.
That Cheney video is amazing. I forgot how clever he can be in defense of any position he holds at any time. I wonder when he saw that last. I imagine him saying, “Gee, I actually said that? I must’ve been drinking.”
Rumsfeld deserved to be fired, but Bush and Cheney likewise should be gone. There was, as you point out, ample warning. In fact, Bush’s own father wrote in his memoirs that invading Iraq would end in the very situation we have. A quagmire. Dick Cheney is on video from 1994, agreeing with Bush Sr.’s position! Click here to see!
You are so right Doug.
Of course if the US and the UK (tiny contingent of troops, I know) leave now, it does look like, we broke it, but we don’t know how to fix it , so you’ll have to fix it yoursleves…. buh bye . As indeed it is.
But we can’t make it better. We can’t sort it out. We don’t know how. So we should leave, and let them sort it out. It will be embarrassing, and of course Bush won’t do it, but whoever gets into the White House next has to do it. Tout de suite.
I’m reminded that King Abdullah of Jordan warned Bush that, if he went into Iraq, he would open Pandora’s Box. I just think it’s a pity that either that went way above Bush’s head, or he disgarded it as being the ramblings of a foreigner with a tea towel round his head.
If it is McCain that makes it to the White House, could he please take note before he bombs Iran. Go ask King Abdullah what might happen, and if he uses big words you don’t understand…. ask someone.