Surge is a focus-group word, designed to sell an escalation of the war. The strategy is to deflect the incoming Democrats' argument for winding down the war by offering the opposite. And look what we are all discussing. This places "stay the course" as the reasonable middle ground.
It is ALWAYS about appearances and political strategies not reality or the good of the country with this crowd.
EVERYone said from the start that 250-500,000 troops would be needed to occupy Iraq. Bush didn't do this because sending that many troops would undermine political support for the Republican Party. With enough troops there could have been a peaceful Iraq following our illegal invasion. The Iraqi people have paid the real price for this - not us. Yes, we have lost over 3,000 troops dead and how many injured and how many "contractors" and how much money? But the Iraqi people have suffered the loss of hundreds of thousands and of the possibility of going on with their lives in peace - and are instead entering into a horrible civil war because of Bush's choices.
Bush has not asked for tax increases to pay for the war, either. Because it would undermine political support for the party. Instead he offered candy - tax cuts.
Party over country.
Bush and his surrogates say we are fighting "Islamofascism" and it is the worst threat America has ever faced - and then says "go shopping." Fight the worst threat the nation has ever faced by going shopping? Because any kind of sacrifice would undermine support for the Republican Party. Meanwhile fear changes the way people think, and leads much of the population to more easily accept the authoritarian agenda of the right.
Party over country.
In the face of the worst threat the nation has ever faced, and declining readiness of our military - "stretched too thin" - Bush does not ask for a draft to protect the country. Because that would be politically unpopular and undermine support for the Republican Party.
No draft to protect the country. No taxes to pay for the war. No lowering of oil use to cut finding to terrorists states. Nothing that might undermine support for the Republican Party.
Party over country at every turn.
http://seeingtheforest.com
Dave Johnson is a leading participant in the progressive blogging community. He is a featured contributor at Huffington Post and writes at many other sites including AlterNet, DailyKos, MyDD, OpEd News and Common Dreams. In September, 2006 Dave was among a group of bloggers invited to meet with former President Bill Clinton, and then was invited to cover the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative conference, and covered it again this year.
"Dave Johnson is a fantastic grandfather of the blogosphere." – Mike Stark, BraveNewFilms.com
Mr. Johnson is on the Boards of Directors of Media Transparency and The People Choose 2006, is an advisor to The Philanthropy Network and is a member of the Netroots Advisory Council of the Drum Major Institute.
As a Senior Fellow with the Institute for the Renewal of the California Dream Dave works on progressive messaging. As a Commonweal Institute Fellow, Mr. Johnson researches and writes about the activities of the conservative movement and their influence on American society. He has investigated and reported on the Right's ongoing attacks on public education and teacher unions, university professors and trial attorneys and the tort legal system.
During the 06 campaign President Bush frequently made the statement that his Iraqi policies were correct and did not require change.
President Bush's deceit on the campaign trail cannot be allowed to go unchallenged.
In light of the his lies, President Bush's denunciation of Congress as irresponsible in his 1/13/07 radio address is grossly inappropriate.
Due to the President's clear contempt for truthful communication with the American people,any change in policy must come as the result of full debate in Congress.
Robert Chapman
Lansing, NY
by
Robert Chapman (28 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 557 comments)
on Saturday, January 13, 2007 at 2:28:58 PM
