Friday, March 10, 2006

Smiley Picture Iraqi Civil War?

Here we go again. Can you see another inquiry, another commission, another giant report, more inadequate apologies to the world, and more dislike for the US? When we've already seen the backlash for no WMD in Iraq, for the 9/11 commission and report, for the federal government "forgetting" to budget the promised money for Afghanistan, for Paul Bremer screwing it up in Iraq, for Hurricane Katrina response, for the general state of New Orleans and surrounding areas--the poverty and the racial inequalities, for the VP shooting a guy and not fessing up, for the electronic spying, etc, etc. Hey, even going back an administration, people, duh, you can't even get away with getting a BJ. What makes them think they can lie about this not being a civil war, at the least the beginnings of a civil war?

"It is not a great smiley picture nor is it a disaster," Pace[Peter Pace, Marine General, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] said. "What is [sic] it is a very tough environment that still has a lot of work to be done but one in which we're making very, very good progress."("Top general touts progress in Iraq, disputes assessments on civil war" Kuhnhenn and Youssef).

Yikes, these people are even sounding alike. How many times have we heard this line from Bush in regard to Iraq "It's tough. Really tough." The kindergarten-speak and the reliance on simple-minded acceptance of whatever they tell us is showing here, and it needs to show us how very disrespectful and manipulative some of these elected officials and cronies can be. In political school, do they teach these people that people in the US are dumb? That we watch so much TV and believe in cartoons that we will believe anything if we hear it enough? This is how I feel, and more than anything, I feel shamed that I get treated this way. How many people have been killed, and this man has the gall to say "it's not a great smiley picture?" Lay off the emoticons and get real, General Pace.

Right now, you (and anyone else who tries to sweep this under the carpet with head-patting and platitudes: "It's okay, go back to watching "Desperate Housewives") are under scrutiny, and you deserve every minute of it. Iraq is on the verge of civil war or already there. Say it and start taking action. Let's, FOR ONCE, speak the truth, because, unfortunately, you speak for us, and make some realistic plans. We went to war (both Afghanistan AND Iraq) without a cogent plan (reasons aside for now) or even a few back up plans, and that showed a lack of concern, maturity, and responsibility. It also proved a point that many have leveled on the US--they are out for their own benefit, and they will take down anyone who gets in the way. Okay, it's passed, and let's not do the same kind of mistake. Call it a civil war and call in the experts, the people who know how to budget, to make plans, to consider the people at risk, to consider the options, and to make back up plans. A hint, they probably didn't go to political school.

1 comment:

Caran said...

Check out this Molly Ivins column. She takes the cake with making this point. Her usage of the word "horsepoop" is the icing on the cake. I love you, Molly!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/03/09/ivins.iraq/