Comments on: Andrew Bacevich, Meet David Petraeus.

By: kirk murphy

kirk murphy — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:46:01 +0000

After all, wouldn’t want to all the English-speaking folks’ experience exterminating the locals go to waste, would one?

Our Pilgrim Fathers came to set an example and by gum we’ve stuck to it - though the BIA was a tad slow eradicating the cultures.

Oh well - diabetes will finish the task.

Tally Ho!

By: wigwam

wigwam — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:34:25 +0000

The problem with hanging around in Iraq to win is that there’s nothing to win. No national interest of the U.S.A. is at stake, unless we want to steal their oil. And if getting their oil at the lowest possile price, let’s say so and look at the bottom line. But, nobody ever does that.

By: wigwam

wigwam — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:30:19 +0000

I’ve made that analogy more than once, but it’s so obvious that I’m sure others have made it too.

By: GregB

GregB — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:29:55 +0000

For instance, does it occur to these anti-Muslim zealots that the schools in Iraq that they boast about being built every day are Muslim schools?

-G

By: wigwam

wigwam — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:27:56 +0000

Poor British - so many obligations to “help”. So fortunate for our sorry planet they’ve let Americans pick up the greatest share of the White Man’s Burden.

Rape, pillage, and plunder is dirty work, but somebody’s got to step up to the task. And who but the White Man to step forward to accomplish that dirty deed?

By: GregB

GregB — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:27:39 +0000

Yeah, apparently the man who wrote that piece doesn’t see the absolute absurdity of talking about helping his Iraq friend leave Iraq in the very first sentence and then using that friend to make the guilt laden reason for the US stating in Iraq.

It is mind boggling.

-G

By: pastfedup

pastfedup — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:24:14 +0000

Ian Welsh had a good post today at the agonist. The USA and insanity.

By: Hugh

Hugh — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:23:20 +0000

I agree about the cognitive dissonance. There is a complete failure to draw any conclusions from the facts that are staring him in the face. You see this a lot on the Right. They buy into a narrative and once that happens no many how many facts you produce they never give it up.

By: wigwam

wigwam — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:21:39 +0000

Success in Iraq is not possible without a revised constitution (as detailed by the Iraqi scholar Kanan Makiya). Only a strong central government can control the ambitions of regional politicians and ward off civil war.

Exactly! And, per the contrapositive, no strong central government implies no success in Iraq. But, there is no reasonable prospect of a strong central government in Iraq despite our best efforts. So, by modus ponens, there will be no success in Iraq, i.e., we have been defeated in Iraq. Q.E.D.

By: GregB

GregB — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:18:54 +0000

I can’t remember who it was who likened the desire to stay there in order to ‘fix’ things to a rapist helping the victim recover.

-G