Bush: Declares Victory, Brings the Boys Home
George W. Bush is scheduled to give a speech Wednesday morning at the Naval Academy in Annapolis in which he will tout the rapidly increasing readiness of the Iraqi defense forces. Many inside the administration have made this the pre-condition of withdrawing our own troops from the region ("As they stand up, we will stand down.")
Similarly, yesterday in a Pentagon briefing, Donald Rumsfeld made these comments:
In less than six months, we've gone from zero Iraqis providing security to their country ... to close to 100,000 Iraqis currently under arms.Hmmm. Did I say Rumsfeld made those comments yesterday? Well, it only seems like yesterday.Indeed, the progress has been so swift that Iraq is already the second largest of the security forces in the coalition. It will not be long before they will be the largest and outnumber the U.S. forces. And it shouldn't be too long thereafter that they will outnumber all coalition forces combined.
Some have suggested that any statement that raises awareness of these successes is putting an optimistic face on a difficult security situation. Not so. Every time we've discussed progress in Iraq, I have made clear that the situation in the country remains dangerous, and that there will be setbacks.
Rumsfeld made those comments October 30, 2003.
But I digress...
After branding Jack Murtha a coward, Bush is now following Murtha's plan. How cynical can you get?
Bottom line: Bush is practicing smart politics. He knows that any politician rides a seesaw. Sometimes you're up and sometimes you're down. The smart politician knows when to get off.
This little kabuki play has been transparent and disgusting to watch unfold.
Anyone paying attention could see this coming and knew the plagiarized victory dance would be the message de jure.
What sux is we know this will actually work, that Bush will get a bump in the polls and the conservatives will gloat, call us partisan whiners and tell us we should be happy because we're getting what we wanted, even though not one damn thing has changed.
All because they know nobody is really paying attention except their opposition, because anyone really paying attention knows what BS it is.
I am so exhausted watching them play on the fear, ignorance and ambivalence of the public.
And when we have the balls to speak out and call them on their BS, we're painted as partisans. If we're really noisy and effective, we're whackos.
This speach today by Bush, for which Rummy and Condi have been laying the groundwork for days now, is being billed as a freaking blueprint for "Victory." But dammit, it's just the same old shit in book report form -- a pie-in-the-sky wish list full of excuses for the apologists to hit the public over the head with, tell what it all means, but shirk any accountability not only for previous failures, but failures yet to come.
[Sigh]
I'm going to do my due diligence and read Bush's little term paper. I but first I think I need a beer or five.
Ack! I cheated, jumped to the end, saw the 8 pillars for victory in the appendix, went straight to pillar 8, a doosey.
Orwell would be proud.
More nice stories about anything except how dangerous Iraq has become since our arrival and the seriousness of the political divides across the nation which fuels the violence.Do this, write feel good stories, or you are a fascist propagandist.
Feh!
Ironically, the same thing that dictated the timing of the invasion always dictated our withdrawal timeframe: congressional elections. Combined with the consequence of our politically timed launch, a lack of international participation leading to a US occupation, Republicans have absolutely no choice but to be (at least) out of sight and out of the line of fire by next summer. “Immediate withdrawal”, “victory” “stand-up, stand-down”, etc., is nothing but atmospherics.
The conditions in Iraq after we beat our basic retreat will determine whether Bush gets to claim victory. And whether we’re still sending in troops to attack insurgents try to stave off widespread civil war.
As others have said, perhaps the best thing to unify the country would be for the next Iraqi government to tell us to get the hell out and for us to act like we’re being evicted. Not that Republicans are likely to start to worry about what’s best for Iraq when their political careers are on the line.