Speaking to the press, President Bush said his invasion of Iraq did not “stir up a hornet’s nest.” The terrorists, he said, killed 3000 of our citizens “before we started the freedom agenda” in the Middle East. Is that what’s going on? A freedom agenda? No, this is just another in a long list of euphemisms, trying to bog down logical thinking in reasonable minds.
He also said that “nobody’s ever suggested in this administration that Saddam Hussein ordered the attack” (9/11). The rest of us have known this for several years. When did he discover it? Additionally he reassured those who wanted to hear him say it: we’re not leaving Iraq as long as he’s our president, which means, I suppose, ‘til January 2009 or until he’s impeached for misleading his country.
While the Brits did splendid work in closing down the awful bomb plot, Bush having been kept informed by Blair, was able to exploit this event early on, while Karl Rove worked overtime on how to spin the terror angle to Bush’s advantage. i.e. Dems want to cut and run. Elect them in November and be overrun by Al Quaeda terrorists.
Right.
The administration shifted the message from Iraq to global terror, in high gear. Bush in Wisconsin said, the latest threat is a "stark reminder that the nation is at war with Islamic fascists." Tony Snow said that the Dems want to raise "a white flag in the war on terror," getting the jump in advance of the release of the Brit bomb plot news which he was well aware of, while the Press at the time knew nothing. Meanwhile Michael Churnoff tried to vaguely and ineffectively claim some of the credit for the “plot’ shutdown by implying our NSA spying made a contribution to the Brits’ boots-on-the-ground police work.
Anyway, keep it in perspective. The Democrats are not responsible for the terror and the Mid East mess. But of course VP Cheney is already wallowing in scare tactics by suggesting that Lieberman’s loss to Lamont will signify to terrorists that Americans are losing their will to fight. Fight where? Iraq, naturally, while ignoring the fact that Iraq is his war and it has attracted and become a haven for terrorists.
Continued here.... But what history will tell us is already before us:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during a recent television interview, referred to the incipient civil war in Iraq as “sectarian differences,” disagreements which are now responsible for an average of one-hundred dead per day. I realize you know your math but that’s 3000 per month, and at that rate 36,000 per year. Condi’s interpretation is only a part of the new spin which in essence is telling us that no one is perfect, that they too (the administration) can make mistakes, and have, but that they’ll keep moving forward no matter how long it takes and it will take long. Democratization is not easy to accomplish, for pete’s sake. And “it’s hard,” Condi said.
Article comments
1 - Victor Plenty
There's nothing new about "asymmetric warfare." Pentagon types have been using that term since at least the 1980s.
The rest of your screed is filled with similar inaccuracies which undermine your ability to persuade any reader who didn't already agree with your basic point of view.
But perhaps persuasion is not your plan.
2 - Peter J
Unc,
It looks as though more and more people are becoming like minded. This administration is reckless to the point of endangerment, not to mention just plain irritating.
There's not even anything negative left to say that hasn't been said and obviously agreed upon by the majority. Now it's a moot point and the only thing left is to begin impeachment proceedings and get 'W' and his flock out of office before the do any more damage. They have already caused enough death and destruction here and abroad. I suppose since he has Tony Blair to validate his every move he imagines another 'mandate'.
The Bush administration has only three things on their agenda since year 2000, that is
1; to make 'W' the King (dictator)
2; to make all of their cronies
rich and powerful beyond their
wildest imagination
3; 'W' to beat the Guinness Book of
Records for the 'longest
vacation ever taken by any human
ever
I believe that their mission has already been accomplished. It's time to go home now!
3 - Dean
Right.
Mission Accomplished.
4 - Bob Jones
So Bush should play down the threat of terrorism, until what? 9/11 2?
He and Tony Blair have to be as serious as the threat to their citizens is.
I'm sorry if Bush doesn't provide a happy enough picture for your little world, you might want to take a glass of Reality with your Kool Aid.
5 - Dean
How much of the Baghdad Reality and the Iraq Kool-Aid do we have to drink before we are happy?
Which slogan tastes better in the Kool-Aid?
"Mission Accomplished" or "Stay the Course?"
"Waiter -- bring another round?"
6 - Peter J
Bush doesn't provide us with anything other than aggravation anymore. Even if you love the song you get tired of it being played over and over. If you never liked the song in the first place, well, you figure it out.
It's like when Clinton kept saying "I did not have sex with that woman" over and over except that was because fuckin Republicans just wouldn't get off of it!
W's obviously going to stay the course, so just shut up about it until he finally gets impeached for lying to the country. We're all just sick of him.
7 - RJ Elliott
BUSH IS HITLER!!!
8 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
I'd introduce y'all to a friend of mine who has plenty to say about "terrorist roundups" - real ones - but I do not want to interrupt the Kool-Aid wars.
Another pitcher waiter! Put it on Dean's bill!
9 - uncle sammy says
Victor Plenty-- Frankly I didn't know about the history of the Pentagon's use of "asymmetric warfare." But to set the record straight, I was referring to the administration's NEW use of the term for their own purposes, to go along with my "similar inaccuries."
10 - uncle sammy says
R.J. Elliott-- I really wouldn't go that far. In fact there's no comparison.
11 - uncle sammy says
Bob Jones-- Never play down terrorism. It scares me as much as anyone else. Just don't equate it with Saddam & Iraq, & don't try to connect dots that don't truly relate. And I have no illusions about my little world since I've never seen it as a truly happy place. I've lived through the Depression, WWII, Korea, the Israeli wars, Viet Nam, Bush Senior's valid war, an imcomplete Afghanistan, and now this--Iraq. Plus a few genocides here and there. And I'm sure I missed sonething.... Bosnia?
12 - Victor Plenty
Terrorism doesn't scare me nearly so much as the over-reactions and miscalculations caused by people's irrationally exaggerated fear of terrorism.
13 - uncle sammy says
Peter J.-- Sorry, I can't shut up about it, because the administration's out there virtually every day uttering misleading statements. And if they have a public voice, why can't I, even if very few people are reading what I have to say. Certainly right of center people are voicing their opinions as much or more than me. Anyway, that's what America is supposed to be about--speaking up. Dissent is as importsnt as going along.
14 - Peter J
Hey Unc,
I certainly would not want you to shut-up. I wish more people would speak-up and take action.
We are in need of dissent more than I've ever seen in my life.
PLEASE, keep speaking!
15 - uncle sammy says
Peter J- Thanks, I will.
Hi Ruvy-- Shows you how behind the times I am. Had to google Kool-Aid (as in Kool-Aid wars) to understand the term.
Was wondering how it applied to me, though, since I don't believe I "blindly" (one interpretation) acccept any point of view or philosophy, having always considered myself a skeptic about most things, especially about politicians both sides of the aisle, and in particular these past 6 years with the condescending B.S. Bush/Cheney has been dishing out to us, we the great unwashed.
Regarding terrorist roundups, you being an Israeli, I don't doubt for a second that you have boots-on-the-ground knowledge, or experience, of
the subject, not to mention all the recent incoming hardware. I on the other hand, only know what I read. No contest.
16 - David Flanagan
Some good news regarding Iraq. ABC News reports that due to a new anti-insurgent program in Baghdad, there has been a 22 percent drop in violence.
ABC News says that, "one of the most dramatic changes has occurred in the Dora neighborhood. In July up to 20 people were killed in the area every day. As part of this new military effort, U.S. and Iraqi troops have been searching thousands of buildings in an effort to stop car bombs. . . .
And there are signs it's working. During 14 days of patrols in Dora, there has been just one killing."
My point here is that assuming that the high daily death ratio will continue is a false assumption. There is definitely quite a lot of sectarian strife, but that will settle with time.
And lets not forget that here in the US during our own Civil War, our own daily death totals dwarfed the numbers we are currently getting from Iraq. Over the course of the US Civil War, over 600,000 Americans died.
Just thought a little perspective might help you there.
Thanks.
17 - uncle sammy says
David Flanagan-- I'm aware of the terrible 600,000 number (Amricans killing Americans) which I've used along with other war totals. Hatred can be astonishing. I can tell you, as much as I dislike Bush/Cheney and pals, I would be happy to be wrong, to see their non-plan in Iraq become a success, to bring home our guys, to end the suffering of the Iraqi people, to let them have a democracy.
The recent problem our soldiers have had is that when they clean out an area and leave, the bad guys return. Maybe Dora will be different, maybe
the Iraqi forces will be better trained and will maintain order when our guys step down from Dora, maybe the militias will cease producing death squads, maybe the Shiites will allow the Sunnis a share of oil and the sunnis will stop resenting their loss of power, maybe everyone will run out of ammunition. Plus a lot of maybes I haven't named.
A major problem: Iraq was created, with various peoples forced to live together. Saddam, the cement, was removed by us. Now we expect to impose a democracy and have it work with such a fractured society. We were able to do this with Germany and Japan because in each case they had totally surrendered, and in each case they were ONE people, culturally and ethnically joined. They were not fighting amongst themselves, but were working to survive as a single unit and came to welcome the intrinsic value of a democratic system.
I appreciate what you are saying and I hope you are right. Those people are living in hell. Imagine their daily death totals in any American city. Imagine a badly crippled infrastructure in our country. Katrina would pale by comparison.
Thanks.
18 - Baronius
Sam, do you like Cheney?
19 - uncle sammy says
Baronius-- Your question seems unserious, but I'll answer anyway: Nope, which should be obvious
to anyone who has actually read my anti-administration opinions. Okay?
20 - Dave Nalle
Some good news regarding Iraq. ABC News reports that due to a new anti-insurgent program in Baghdad, there has been a 22 percent drop in violence.
It's up to 27% now, David. And the Al Bura sector appears to have been pretty thoroughly cleaned up. Some very positive news coming out of Iraq in the last few weeks - not that it's gotten any coverage at all in the news.
Dave
21 - uncle sammy says
David & Dave-- I truly hope you guys are right.