bushface.jpgIt comes in handy, it really does. When you just don’t give a shit about anyone but yourself, it’s very empowering. There’s almost nothing you can’t – won’t – do. I’m not speaking from experience, just from observation of Dubya and his inner circle for the past 6.5 years. I exaggerate a bit, but they have demonstrated time and again that they care nothing for the little people outside their cozy bubble, and that they are perfectly willing to sacrifice anyone and anything in their pursuit of power, money, and delusions of grandeurosity.

This is all old news, of course. It’s why BushCo. had no interest in acting on the “Bin Laden Determined To Strike In US” PDB; it’s why it never even occurred to them to do anything before or after New Orleans drowned; it’s why they’re dedicated to demolishing democracy; and it’s why they were perfectly willing to throw our troops into the flaming tarpit of Iraq even after UN inspectors confirmed that Saddam was not a threat.

Here’s what worries me about the Sociopath-In-Chief now: We already know that our soldiers’ lives mean nothing to him, and that he’s perfectly willing to sacrifice them for political gain, or just to get a hard-on. We also know, as Atrios reminds us repeatedly, that in Dubya’s crazed, macho brain Leaving = Losing. So if the Democrats and perhaps some fed-up Republicans finally do manage to pull the plug on the war while he’s still in office, what’s his incentive not to botch the withdrawal and then blame the carnage on the congressional surrender-monkeys?

As the late lamented Gilliard pointed out, withdrawal from Iraq is going to be very difficult unless Sadr rolls out the red carpet to the exit. What if the withdrawal is as poorly planned and executed as the occupation? What if there’s a botched assassination attempt on Sadr just as we’re starting to withdraw? Sure, no sane president would endanger our troops so needlessly… but we don’t have a sane president.

Please tell me that Petraeus or whatever poor sap Dubya appoints as “Withdrawal Czar” will find some sneaky, back-channel way to ensure that the withdrawal doesn’t turn into a bloodbath.

(Please note: I am fully in favor of withdrawing the troops as quickly as possible – I’m just hoping that the Democrats and military can somehow protect the troops from death by hissy fit…)

UPDATE: Dover Bitch beat me to it.

Related posts:

  1. Pride And Petulance
  2. Changing of the Guard: US Troops Withdraw from Iraqi Cities; Maliki Declares “Sovereignty Day”
  3. Torture: Obama Heeded Maliki on Abuse Photos, Says McClatchy; What That Says for Our Occupation
  4. The End of the Delusion in Iraq
  5. Looking Forward, Moving Backward