Bush, Howard, and Vietraq
You know what, let's just call it a draw and say fuck it.
John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia and staunch US ally in Iraq seems to be willing to do that in Iraq.
The Iraq invasion has been an interesting and painful lesson in the real-world effects of bafflegab and bullshit at the highest levels. Initially it was Saddam Hussein's relationship with al Qaeda and 911 (lie). Then it was the famously elusive weapons of mass destruction (a good gamble, but ultimately a lie). And for the last two years it has been establishing democracy in Iraq (fable, bullshit, and lie). In what undoubtedly signals a shift in the argument from justifying the rationale for going to war to manufacturing a means of declaring victory and leaving, Howard has suggested that we can leave:
Relatively stable...
Reasonable chance...
If that is the wish...
Where the fuck was the wish of the Iraqi people three and a half years ago, fucknut? George? Tony? If this really was about the wishes of the Iraqi people, don't you think it could have been handled a little differently?
The United States government, those that elected it, the coalition nations that lent their support or at least tacit approval, and those that didn't fight this war hard enough before it got started, have painted themselves into a very dire corner. Hundreds of thousands have died, hundreds of billions of dollars wasted, and the only thing to show for it is an ever-expanding hatred of the West (now in easier-to-justify blood flavour!), spriralling debt and a handful of troubled leaders around the world trying to backpedal out of their membership in the Coalition of the Duped.
With mid-terms looking to shift at least one house toward the Democrats, the next few months are going to be crucial. If the Democrats get some power and do not start the move to ending this stupid war, they will get part-ownership of it in 2008. And by that time it will be very hard indeed for them to bring it to an end. The Republicans have done everything they possibly can do to guarantee a Democrat victory next month, if the Democrats do not take this opportunity to not only revitalize this idiotic government but also bring this war to an end, it will drag on for years.
Oh yeah, even George is now admitting to some similarity to the debacle that shall not be named. Once that one got passed from Democrat to Republican, it poisoned everyone, too. And we know how well that one turned out.
John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia and staunch US ally in Iraq seems to be willing to do that in Iraq.
The Iraq invasion has been an interesting and painful lesson in the real-world effects of bafflegab and bullshit at the highest levels. Initially it was Saddam Hussein's relationship with al Qaeda and 911 (lie). Then it was the famously elusive weapons of mass destruction (a good gamble, but ultimately a lie). And for the last two years it has been establishing democracy in Iraq (fable, bullshit, and lie). In what undoubtedly signals a shift in the argument from justifying the rationale for going to war to manufacturing a means of declaring victory and leaving, Howard has suggested that we can leave:
When we are satisfied that what we leave behind will be relatively stable and democracy has a reasonable chance, if that is the wish of the Iraqi people, of surviving and developing.Mealy-mouth bullshit and back-pedalling of the highest order. It would be funny if it wasn't for the fact that people were dying and billions that could have been spent on something useful was instead being pissed away down a deep, dark hole.
Relatively stable...
Reasonable chance...
If that is the wish...
Where the fuck was the wish of the Iraqi people three and a half years ago, fucknut? George? Tony? If this really was about the wishes of the Iraqi people, don't you think it could have been handled a little differently?
The United States government, those that elected it, the coalition nations that lent their support or at least tacit approval, and those that didn't fight this war hard enough before it got started, have painted themselves into a very dire corner. Hundreds of thousands have died, hundreds of billions of dollars wasted, and the only thing to show for it is an ever-expanding hatred of the West (now in easier-to-justify blood flavour!), spriralling debt and a handful of troubled leaders around the world trying to backpedal out of their membership in the Coalition of the Duped.
With mid-terms looking to shift at least one house toward the Democrats, the next few months are going to be crucial. If the Democrats get some power and do not start the move to ending this stupid war, they will get part-ownership of it in 2008. And by that time it will be very hard indeed for them to bring it to an end. The Republicans have done everything they possibly can do to guarantee a Democrat victory next month, if the Democrats do not take this opportunity to not only revitalize this idiotic government but also bring this war to an end, it will drag on for years.
Oh yeah, even George is now admitting to some similarity to the debacle that shall not be named. Once that one got passed from Democrat to Republican, it poisoned everyone, too. And we know how well that one turned out.
That's the spirit, Blevkog.
Posted by
Anonymous |
Thu Oct 19, 02:22:00 PM
Where the fuck was the wish of the Iraqi people three and a half years ago, fucknut?
Let's not pretend that the Iraqi's wishes were considered under Saddam, shall we?
The bottom line is the country has exploded into sectarian violence. If the country actually, as a whole, wanted to respect each other as equals and engage in some sort of peaceful dialogue and collective governance than Iraq would have been deemed a wild success.
The major mistake, in my opinion, made by the US/Britain/Australia, etc. was to profoundly overestimate the desire of Iraqis for some kind of western style democracy and freedom.
Posted by
Olaf |
Thu Oct 19, 10:51:00 PM
Olaf,
No, indeed the condition of the Iraqi people was not high on Hussein's list, however it was nowhere on the "coalition's" list until all other possible rationales for war were proven to be lies, bullshit, or just plain not thought through. Rumsfeld himself early in the war did not list "Spreading Democracy (TM)" as a reason - only terrorism and WMDs.
No, Bush, Blair, Howard and the rest have never once lost a wink of sleep thinking about the people whose lives they are taking or destroying. Every single one of them deserves far worse than banishment to the political wilderness, but they should at the very least get that.
Posted by
kevvyd |
Thu Oct 19, 11:45:00 PM
I want them tried, convicted, and executed. That's not enough either but it's a start. Do I think receiving the death penalty for being a sock puppet for arms manufacturers will act as an effective deterrant? I don't really care.
Posted by
Alison |
Sat Oct 21, 03:41:00 AM