This means they can come home now, right?

Al-Qaida in Iraq 75 percent destroyed.

Oh, but Gen Petraeus states the gains are, "tenous... and could be reversed".

And so the cycle of almost success continues. The cycle of just another six months and We're makin' progress which will keep us in Iraq for... 50 years?

Is it worth it?

Is Iraq worth what we are paying? No.

Does leaving cheapen the sacrifices of those who have served and those who gave the final full measure? Maybe...

But it's a vulgar gambler's fallacy of irrational escalation used by Chickenhawk Warmongers to tap into the raw emotions of those who have lost loved ones or those who have served and want to, need to believe their government didn't send them into a war for profit.

But, as everyone who's worn the uniform can tell you the goals of the military are:
1) Mission Accomplishment.
2) Troop Welfare.

The US government doesn't "Support the Troops". To politicians sitting in a Corinthian leather chair in DC, you the soldier, are a blip on a power point presentation. If you're ground into hamburger to accomplish the mission, oh well.

Take a look at the graphic above. Notice anything? The last 4 years have all been statistically the same. And that's it. Each of those 3900 killed is nothing but a number to Washington, a statistic.

I hope next year will be different. I hope at the end of 2008, we won't add another 850 and 6000 to the those grim totals. We have purchased a fragile peace by throwing money at the Anbar Sheikhs and right now Moqtada al-Sadr is just bidding his time. Many things could lead an upsurge in violence; the death of Sayyid Ali Husaini al-Sistani, a broader Kurdish-Turkish War, a revival of the Anbar insurgency.

And then there is the money. Only a fool or a madman would continue to throw money into a losing proposition.

We are currently paying 15 Billion a month for Iraq and Afghanistan. That doesn't include the 440 Billion set aside at the beginning of the fiscal year for the War Department.

Unfortunately, what's worse Iraq isn't a losing proposition, to some. Vast amounts of US money have simply been wasted, to the point where, We the People will never know what happened to billions of dollars of hard currency in Iraq.

But, it's been a windfall for Ahmad Chalabi, Blackwater, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and many more tied into the sick and twisted Waltz of Death.

Ron Paul loses some Luster

Well, I'm in an unevinable position when it comes to Ron Paul.

On a positive note the NYTimes did print a follow-up stating they should not have run a string of allegations and assertions without allowing a response from Paul's campaign. Not that it has stopped the racist meme from being adopted as "Internet Fact" by the likes of Democratic Underground.

But, Ed Brayton of Dispatches from the Culture Wars has a video of Ron Paul rejecting evolution, stating "it's a theory... theory of evolution. No one has absolute proof on either side."

Uugh.

I can't vote for someone who could reject the mountains of evidence for Evolution. And I can not in good conscience, rationalize his statments by telling myself Paul played to the audience and is trying to garner votes. Because if I am to vote for Paul, he has to be above that kind of pandering. Otherwise I am as guilty as everyone else who ignores the ugliness of their favorite candidate...

The problem is, Ron Paul's stated position on the Occupation of Iraq, understanding the root causes of 9/11 (It's Blowback not because they hate us for our freedom or because women drive cars unescorted), and ending the Imperial American Empire are a strong siren's call for me.

But, I can not ignore these repeated warnings .

Update (12/27):
Ironically, it seems, being caught up in the Paul Revolution caused me to lose sight of the title of my own blog...

Do you know what USMC stands for?

U
Suckers
Missed
Christmas

To all the Devil Dogs and Servicemembers overseas away from Hearth & Home, Friends & Family, Have a Safe and Merry Christmas.

One day hopefully, We The People, will understand the True Spirit of Christmas take command of our lives and not allow a bureaucracy to send our children into War for the advancement of the careers or stock portfolios of the Few...

The Anti-War 110th Congress!

Yes, I'm so glad the democratically controlled congress is saying no to giving the Warmongers money!

Wait, this post reads the senate just approved another 70 Billion in war funding?!? And now Iraq/Afghanistan have surpassed Vietnam in War Profiteering...

Let's read what hillary had to say about Funding the Iraq War 7 months ago:
"Well, today we're talking about this very important immigration issue, there'll be time to talk about that later." ~ hillary clinton

Well of course you have time hillary, you don't have to worry about chelsea getting her Tits blown off by an IED! But, of course chelsea is special she's been groomed for leadership and has just started a $150000 job in New York. Can, We the People really ask such a special young woman to put that all on hold and endanger her health, life and sanity?

Unbelievable. Can anyone continue to delude themselves a democratic president will pull the troops out before 2012? Let alone any of the Insane republicans... This is one of the wages of the Warfare/Welfare State...

Vote for Ron Paul.

Religious/Military Indoctrination

So, you are a squad leader and you have to take:
Tarawa defended by the Japanese or
The Fort Douaumont during the Battle of Verdun or
Pork Chop Hill in Korea or the
Russian Guns in redoubt at Balaclava...

How do you convince the men you aren't just ordering them to a wasted death? Why convince them they are in the service of a Glorious Sky Daddy and will be rewarded in their next life! And if any parents question the death of their loved one? Why just ask Lt. Col. Ralph Kauzlarich what to say! You see, the truth is, if the parents are upset their son is dead it's probably because they are Evil Non-Religious people and stupidly they believe their son is "wormdirt" and not enjoying the Big Reward. A sort of heartless Pascal's Wager.

And what better time to pound in the indoctrination than when the young men are under the stress of Boot Camp? You could even title your Religious Brain-washing 'God's Basic Training'! The First Strategic Objective being: Evangelize and Disciple All Enlisted Members of the US Military.

The ignorance on display here is disgusting. And once again this can be attributed to a lack of knowledge of history. Instead of distrubting copies of a book containing bronze age myths why not let military recruits read The War Prayer by Mark Twain?

Oh... Well I know why because the State doesn't want it's cogs to question the decisions of the State. The State has enjoyed a cozy relationship with Religious Authority. Everyone knew their Country was the Just Country, the Righteous Country because religious "leaders" said so.

Fortunately, a man of great courage, Michael L. Weinstein, is standing up, speaking out and leading the fight against those using their Military Rank to coerce and force their religious beliefs upon the troops under their control.

President Ron Paul

Ron Paul is going to win the Presidency. The question is whether the Gatekeepers of Society (Members of the Media, Corporate Interests, The Supreme Court, Controllers of the Voting System) will attempt to steal the election from Ron Paul.

You see it is not in the interests of the Establishment to have someone who would reduce the scope and power of the State by minimizing overseas forays, respecting the rule of law and adhering to the Constitution.

So the only thing, We the People can do is to overwhelm the system so as to not allow them to place another ignorant puppet in power. Support for President Paul by the People is on the verge of being overwhelming even as the ideologically driven dead tree media forces it's views on society.

Vote for Ron Paul. Give America and the World a chance.

A Closer Look at the Ron Paul Revolution.

Update (12/20):
A white supremacist, Don Black gave Ron Paul $500. Paul is not giving the money back. A Paul spokesman stated, "And that's $500 less that this guy has to do whatever it is that he does."

Some of the back and forthers at Wonkette apparently believe this to be the greatest political scandal E-V-A-R. I wonder if they have the morals to decline their tax refunds, paychecks, social security check, or pell grant money. I guess the $500 is worse than waterboarding or "Shock & Awe" and the 2 Trillion Dollar Price Tag for Iraq...

Waterboarding: An American Tradition since 1901!

The US used waterboarding in the Phillipines back in 1901. Of course back in 1903, they called it the "Water Cure":

The commonest form of torture was known as the "water cure," and it was so common that, on Bohol, toward the end of the war, people joked about getting it -- and then got it. It became, as its nickname suggests, a kind of liquid panacea, a cure for whatever you couldn't kill -- a cure for disloyalty, a cure for native "insolence," a cure for the insurrection -- that the army doled out like the shots for the small pox it also dispensed. Ostensibly, the "water cure" was used to elicit information. But the information it obtained was always suspect. And people died from it.

Testifying before Congress in 1903, Lt. Grover Flint gave a sanitized but still vivid account of the way that it worked:

A man is thrown down on his back and three or four men sit or stand on his arms and legs and hold him down; ...a carbine barrel or a stick as big as a belaying pin... is simply thrust into his jaws and his jaws are thrust back, and, if possible, a wooden log or stone is put under his head or neck, so he can be held more firmly. In the case of very old men I have seen their teeth fall out, -- and I mean when it was done a little roughly. He is simply held down and then water is poured onto his face down his throat and nose from a jar; and that is kept up until the man gives some sign or becomes unconscious. And then... he is simply... rolled aside rudely, so that water is expelled. A man suffers tremendously, there is no doubt about it. [S. Doc. 331, 57 Cong., 1 Sess. (1903), pp. 1767-1768]

Waterboarding is torture.

And it's frightening to read "Americans" (in reality FREEpers) support the practice. Or US Senator Kit Bond equate torture by drowning with swimming.

Hey Kit, would you have been happy if your son Sam had, "learned" to swim this way at Quantico? Or would it be okay if insurgents in Iraq used waterboarding on your son in Iraq? Because I don't think so, but I guess you would be fine with the insurgent freestyle...

Update:

Sam Stein at The Huffington Post exposes 30 Anti-American cowards against waterboarding. Strangely they all have General or Admiral before their name...

Chicken Hawk Defense

So, a standard defense by Chicken hawk Warmongers is, "Does one need to have been in the military to have an opinion on the military?"

This comment is usually left anomynously on blogs by those who feel it's some how a trump card.

The answer is: Of course not. But, I'll question everyone and anyone, who is willing to send Men off to war, with no intention of placing their own precious lives at risk, interrupting their own dreams and pacing their own aspirations on hold to fight "Islamo-fascism", and who have never "seen the elephant".

For the problem is one of perspective. If you have never seen a person bleed to death, be blown apart, or seen friends return from in-country and watch them drown themselves in booze or broads, expose themselves to X-Game like activities so the adrenline rush breaks through the dull ache of "normal" life or just let the melancholy overwhelm them so they slip away...

Well...

When I hear Warmongers talk about the need to stay in Iraq, I know you have no idea what you are talking about. Or you simply don't care because it won't be your friends and family in harm's way...

True Cowardice

Tomorrow, 12/12/07 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst brave Warrior Jonah Goldberg will give a lecture, All I am Saying is Give War a Chance.

You can (if space is available): "Join the UMass Republican Club for yet another lively and edifying political discussion on the costs, necessities, consequences, and benefits of war." (emphasis mine)

There is something especially twisted about enlistment age Men sitting around extolling the virtues of War while never entertaining the notion they themselves would have to pick up a rifle and fight.

Of course, I can understand the UMass Republican Club members trepidation. Who wants to go to MCRD San Diego or Parris Island to receive cruelty and maltreatment? As Sgt Glass stated, "I think it has to do with the Marine Corps not wanting to admit to the public what it takes to train somebody ... to go to war." (emphasis mine)

But, to those being trained as Captains of Industry and Leaders in Government the evils being visited upon others (home or abroad) matter little.

To them, War is a wonderful device to stifle dissent, unify the public under a hyper-patriotic Just War Banner and transfer vast amounts of wealth to those in charge of Government and Industry.

Destroy All Chimps!

Chimps have better memories than Humans!

A Chimp Killing Pogrom must be enacted! For it is an insult to Christians everywhere God's Special Creation, MAN, should be humbled by Chimpanezes! Also those damn immoral Bonobos use sex to diffuse situations instead of solving problems with genocidal murder sprees as is expressly stated by GOD in the Bible

If the facts of the world do not agree with Religion, the World must be changed! And the destruction of every Chimp in the world will change the facts of this report for ever!

Uh oh, there is an angle I did not consider. Instead of being bad for Christianity this may be the long-awaited proof of reincarnation...

Quickly O'Reilly Man the Guns! Evil America Haters are trying to Stop War with Iran!

From the nine-page summary of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program.

"The good news is that U.S. intelligence now believes Iran stopped trying to develop a nuclear weapon a few years ago. So if that's true, it takes some of the urgency away from a confrontation with the Iranian mullahs." - Bill O'Reilly, Faux News

Takes some of the urgency away? So even if Iran doesn't have nuclear weapons or an active program we still have to go to war with Iran?

Oh, of course, War is always the answer. Especially, when your bald splocthy head wont have to sweat spending more than 3 days in country, distributing your merchandise.

What the fuck is with the coverage of Iran? The Iranian people are not a single block all working feverishly towards the destruction of the world. Is it laziness or ignorance which drives reporters to speak in terms of Iran as driven solely by the will of Ahmadinejad?

Ahmadinejad is not Hitler, but he must be Napoleon Bonaparte, because he obvious has the power to send the Iranian Military into war at will. And keep them at War for a 15 year plus span!

The Iranians have a strategic choice to make," Most Glorious Leader Bush said, "They Can Come Clean..." It is, of course, the words of a Despot Authoritarian Statist controlling the US. A "man" who was told in August 2007 Iran may have suspended their weapons program. A "man" who has never come clean about Iraq, but instead makes jokes about the Search...

The Bush Regime is not America, nor is the Iranian Regime Iran.

Hopefully, the People will not allow themselves to be lead into another War in which The Warmongers hide in safety at home while Americans die for gold and glory.

xoxoxox Bush and Abdullah BFFE xoxoxox

Crooks and Liars has a video link of Ed Henry asking President Bush if Bush asked his Busom Buddy King Abdullah about the barbaric treatment the 19 year Saudi girl rape victim has endured.

President Stumble Bush replied, "I don't remember if that subject came up."

Jonathan Miller interview by Bill Moyers

Bill Moyers Journal Interview with Jonathan Miller "A Brief History of Disbelief".

The interview is from May of 2007, but Dr. Miller is such a reasoned voice and the mini-series was so well done, it needs to be referenced.

It is thanks to Dr. Miller, Professor PZ Myers, Professor Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Philosopher/Marine Mark I. Vuletic and many other intelligent, well-spoken, brave individuals I can express my ideas without fear of facing the attacks from close minded zealots or the outright bigoted attacks from ignorant fanatics which plagued the eminent men (e.g. the infamous Crusade against Bertrand Russell) of early generations.

Fund The Troops, Support the War Profiteers

So, the inarticulate Criminal-in-Chief is hiding behind the troops again.

"Pentagon officials have warned Congress that the continued delay in funding our troops will soon begin to have a damaging impact on the operations of this department," Bush said Thursday.

Everytime there is a threat to the War, the Support the Troops canard is played. But, a damaging impact on the operations of the department doesn't mean Gunny from S1 would have to tell Sgt Disaffected, 'Sorry we can't pay you this month', it means the billions of dollars going to the War Profiteers (CACI, Lockheed Martin, Halliburton, Blackwater, Triple Canopy) is in jeopardy.

And That is Something The Pentagon can not allow!

It does appear violence is down in Iraq, of course the problem is the War Mongers are pushing the Surge as the key reason violence is down. They are wrong. One of the main reasons violence is down is the split between the Sunni Tribal Leadership of Al Anbar province and the foreign insurgents fighting US there.

The foreign fighters (usually all lumped together as Al Qaeda in Iraq) have been targeting and murdering Iraqis indiscriminately. The foreign fighters overstepped and killed some of the clan leaders.

The Sunnis realize they are going to be fighting a civil war with the Shia for a long time to come and have decided to save their strength get control of the foreign militant groups in Anbar and not kill as many Americans. They aren't our "allies" as Petraeus or Crocker have announced so Bush can crassly proclaim success and push the continued occupation.

So, Bush still hides behind the skirts of others (The Pentagon, The Troops staged as props at his scripted teleconferences) to continue the theft of blood and treasure.

Sean Taylor and Media Focus

A man named Sean Taylor was shot and killed. I am not happy about his untimely death.

I think the accounts which have chalked this murder up to a random burglary are discounting several key pieces of potential evidence. Taylor's father is an ex-police chief, which could easily provide motive for someone and the previous break-in at Taylor's home when a knife was left on his bed (a knife on the pillow was the warning of the Society of Assassins). Additionally, Taylor did have a criminal past including several incidents involving guns.

As an tribute the NFL has announced every player in the league will wear a #21 decal on their helmet.

However, I am puzzled and dismayed by the coverage from the news media. Could anyone at ESPN or the Washington Redskins name a soldier or marine who has died in Iraq? Do they even care?

Another 40 troops dead in November? Oh well.

Another 12 Iraqis killed by a rocket attack? Oh well.

But, the death of a man who can run fast and tackle people, who has been arrested for agravated assault with a firearm? Hell we need non-stop coverage!

Sin

So, everyone knows about the poor Saudi who is going to get 200 lashes and 6 months in jail for being raped and then having the temerity to speak out about the case.

Well, that's what happens when you all bronze age thinking to dominate your society. According to the Saudi Rulers and the clerics, she committed a SIN.

The sad thing is SIN does not exist. Religious leaders and others in authority have used SIN for centuries to control the masses. SIN should be defined as something Those in Power dislike.

The problem arises because throughout all ures some behaviors, and Theft for example, are universally prohibited. While others, eating pork or refraining from using a high, luxurious bed are not. That is because basic morality preceeded religion by thousands of years.

This is why Authoritarians have always flocked (groan) to religion. Religion allows them to impose their views upon others and to deflect all criticism by pointing to a holy book or tablet.

But, what do I know? As the Next United Statesian President Mike Huckabee keenly pointed out, "Science changes with every generation and with new discoveries and GOD doesn't."

Update:

Thinkprogress is so awesome I have to link the phone call from God, Mike Huckabee received in 2004. There is no stronger evidence GOD is on the side of the Republicans. If anyone out there is thinking of not voting for Huckabee you'd better reconsider voting against GOD!

Suicide

Morbid thoughts and death surround so many service members these days that the CBS news revelation veterans are killing themselves is not surprising to me. It comes down to how vets are treated. The criminal Cheney/Bush Regime knows so little of war, paying bills, real life, sacrifice, hardships and honor. Service members are nothing to them but faceless, soul less little wooden tokens from a game of RISK.

In there minds as long as we have more tokens in play in Iraq than the "bad guys" we are winning.

And if you have to remove a few thousand tokens as Killed In Action. Big deal! There are thousands more to replace them. No need to visit any funerals no need to show any compassion to the families you've destroyed, just give'em a coin for the son's life.

Redirection

So, due to starting a new job, which required out-of-town training, I've been unable to give my blog any real attention.

And while I'm going to continue to point out the evils of the War in Iraq, the blatant war profiteering by this criminal Administration and the ignorance, pure hypocrisy, insanity and cowardice of the Chickenhawk War Supporters I plan to add some other topics which interest me.

Adopt-a-sniper

To begin with I'm not mad an organization like American Snipers exist, men in harms way do need equipment. But, doesn't it strike anyone as odd that members of the military, in an MOS which would be key to winning the "War on Terror" need civilians to buy them gear?

Couldn't some of the $100 Billion the Warfare Government acquired from the American taxpayer have gone for that equipment?

Oh that's right those monies need to go to the coffers of Erik Prince and his happy-go-lucky band called Blackwater!

When are the American people going to realize the War on Iraq is about money? Since the beginning of the Reign of Bush II, Trillions have been funnelled to the coffers of those invested in the Warfare State.

What's worse is the Warfare State has deluded enough people into thinking the money being paid to them via government bases and weapons manufacturing is somehow mana from heaven.

For example: Joe Lieberman ran ads for his 2006 re-election campaign based on the fact he saved the New London sub base from BRAC.

Because everyone knows if there's one thing Al Qaeda fears it's our Los Angeles Class attack submarines...

Operation Everyones Al Qaeda

The propaganda continues unabatted from the Bush Regime. Everyone in Iraq is a Member of Al Qaeda.

But, don't worry because the Surge is working and Al Qaeda in Iraq is being isolated and destroyed.

Except AQI are still a danger and we need to stay...

But, rest assured, "We're kicking ass."

Of course, Al Qaeda in Iraq is nothing more than the latest smoke-screen/boogeyman used by the Bush Regime to keep forces in Iraq. Even my old boss Corps Commandant James Jones admitted 98% of the violence in Iraq is done by Iraqis.

In the end it doesn't really matter, Bush is merely attempting to keep the clock ticking. I await the already infamous PETRAEUS REPORT in a few days, which Bush will use to bludgeon the nation into keeping 150,000+ troops in Iraq until he is safely ensconced in his retirement castle doing his daily power hours.

The Romney Boys are the New Sullivan Brothers!

All honors belong to Operation Yellow Elephant and Rawstory for covering the story and for biting commentary (here and here) and the video links of Jon Stewart of The Daily Show unleashing his sardonic ridicule.

Which is fortunate, because I think I'd give Mitt Romney an open hand slap to his "aqua velva" soaked face for this line, "One of the ways my sons are showing support for the nation is helping me get elected. Because they think I'd make a great President."

Can anyone honestly allow Mitt to equate his sons work on his campaign to soldiers getting their legs blown off in Iraq?

The "Surge" isn't working but it doesn't matter.

Because we aren't leaving Iraq, ever.

The blitz is on, to convince you some way anyway the Surge is working and we are "winning" in Iraq. Winning is, of course, left as nebulous as ever by the Bush Regime.

But, that won't stop the War proponents from claiming, after some have spent as much as a whole week themselves in Iraq, the tide has turned. Bill Kristol is the latest. When he was asked if the Surge was working, "Yes. No one there thinks it’s not..."

Really, Bill? By all of the measure ables; violence is up, security is down, the infrastructure is in shambles, the political situation is as dysfunctional as ever, things don't seem to have improved. But I guess saying it is makes it so.

However, from time to time the Generals on the ground slip up and reveal, no matter what happens with the Surge, the US isn't leaving Iraq anytime soon.

General David Petraeus, "We're going to be engaged in Iraq for some foreseeable future." And "I don't know whether this will be decades, but the average counter insurgency is somewhere around a nine or a 10 year endeavour."

The Top Marine Corps General, Commandant James Conway, The U.S. military needs more time in Iraq than the American public is willing to invest and that difference is "troubling."

General Raymond Odierno endorses a 50 year+ model ala the US presence in South Korea.

All this back and forth over the Surge is a game of 3 Card Monte, with the true goal being the swindling of billions from the American people.

Chapter 3 : Offensive Strategy

To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence.

Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy. Next best is to disrupt his alliances by diplomacy. The next best is to attack his army. And the worst policy is to attack cities. Sun Tzu.

So, due to the intractable "bravery" of the Mighty War Leader, the US is using the 2 worst strategies and Al Qaeda is employing the 2 best.

WE WILL STAY THE COURSE.

The Surge! The Surge! We are Winning!

August 2nd addendum: It seems Mr. O'Hanlon can't backpeddle fast enough from his joyous war piece.

August 1st addendum: Well, it appears, Two fine Warmongers are citing this piece of writing as "evidence" we need to stay in Iraq...

Golly, I wish I could type faster! But, two fine gentlemen, Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack have stunning news from Iraq! according to their latest article, We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq.

And they would know, because they were there for a WHOLE EIGHT DAYS! Interestingly, they list several cities where they visited after landing in Baghdad; Ramadi, Tal Afar and Mosul.

So, while I don't have their itinerary, they can't have spent more than a few days in each. Tell you what fellas try spending 15 months in one of those cities and then you tell me, "things look much better than before."

But Mr. O'Hanlon and Mr. Pollack how did you come to these conclusions? On what metrics?

US KIA and WIA? 691 and 3801 since Jan. 2007.

Civilian deaths? These numbers don't strike me as positive signs.

Perhaps overall attacks are down? At over 5000 attacks per month?

Perhaps Baghdad has reliable power for longer hours now? Oops, once Baghdad's amount of electricity dropped under 6 hours per day, the State Department decided to stop reporting it.

Maybe the political situation is improving? Mr. O'Hanlon's own words belie any hope of that, "there is nonetheless little good to report on the political front..."

Maybe Iraqi forces are ready to take over in the Al Anbar province? Well, Marine Major General Walter Gaskin in Al Anbar says the Iraqi forces won't be ready for 'a couple of years'?

"But there is enough good happening on the battlefields of Iraq today that Congress should plan on sustaining the effort at least into 2008." Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack.

Ah and that's the key isn't it, the Surge should go on for another year, despite everything to the contrary, the troops have to stay, the money has to keep flowing, the anti-war loonies have to be marginalized and the blood of Americans and Iraqis has to keep flowing because you spent a week in the desert.

Let's talk Credibilty

"I'm credible because I read the intelligence," stated the Mighty War Leader (watch it here).

The classic Appeal to Authority or an argumentum ad verecundiam. However, as it is understood by the Glorious Commander Guy, "Because I say so"!

Hmmm, let's see how many times the authority has been correct:

A big claim was an Al Qaida/Saddam link in Iraq prior to the US invasion? Nope.

Will it be a short war? Donald Rumsfeld -"Five days or five weeks or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last any longer than that." Nope.

Okay so it's going to take longer than expected. But, how much will it cost, 20 or 25 billion? Paul Wolfowitz - "We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively soon.” Nope.

Hmm, so it's more expensive than we were lead to believe. How many troops need to go into Iraq? Eric Shinseki stated several hundred thousand, but Mr. Wolfowitz retorted that was "wildly off the mark". Hmmm, I guess more were needed if the army has been extending tours and rotating troops in multiple times.

But, those troops must not be in much danger How are the troops being treated? Dick Cheney -"My belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators." And again nope.

Okay, so on every major facet of the war the "Authority" has been wrong. Tell me again why I should believe you, trust you, listen to you or even respect you Mister Mighty Glorious War Decider? Because when it comes to credibility you have NONE.

Whine-The-War

Well, a blog called Win-The-War has been garnering much of my attention lately. The writer of said blog is very much interested in winning the war. Unfortunately, he does not react very well to being asked if he will consider joining the Super Important Generational War on Terror.

Asking the 'do you plan to enlist' question is sure to get one banned from his site, consequently I am now banned. However, prior to my banning I also asked several other questions which I believed were salient to his quest.

These questions ranged from tactical scenarios to overall strategic goals:

Do you feel the 500 billion spent in Iraq has been well allocated? What about the other 2.5 TRILLION spent by the DoD in the last 6 years? Could this money have been better spent?

Do you feel agencies such as Blackwater, Triple Canopy, and DynCorp add to the security of Americans in Iraq or hinder them? Do you feel it is proper for men working for those agencies to make 150K to 180K during their deployment while a US soldier makes 1/5th to 1/6th that
amount?

Do you feel the spending of that money on Los Angeles class attack subs and DDG Destroyers is the best way to fight the generational War on Terror?

Do you feel increasing airstrikes "In the first 4 1/2 months of 2007, American aircraft dropped 237 bombs and missiles in support of ground forces in Iraq, already surpassing the 229 expended in all of 2006, according to Air Force figures obtained by The Associated Press," is going to gain us allies amongst the Iraqi populace?

Do you think it is fair that marines and soldiers should have multiple deployments into Iraq? Is this just the price of serving one's country?

Do you think military operations can eliminate guerrilla presence in the next 2 years in Iraq? If yes to this one, what historical guerrilla war do you base this upon? The Boer War, the Malaysia Insurrection, the Spanish Guerrilla War against Napoleon, the war in Sri Lanka, The Philippine Insurrection, Vietnam?

To whom does the decision to leave Iraq rest? The President, Congress, the American People, none of the above?

I don't expect any real replies to my queries. Mr Win-The-War, like so many others, is not interested in the truth of war. And like so many others all he can do is rage and shout, "We must defeat the Terrorists!" but never at the risk to themselves or their family members or the reducing of their own base desires.

And that is the real sorrow, so many are unwilling to think and are unwilling to face the consequences of their decisions and instead allow the Glorious Leadership to do their thinking for them. And when Bush proclaims the latest banal platitude, The Warmongers intone it as their latest mantra...

Slap on A New & Improved Label and the People will love War

This is so disgusting. JFCOM pays $400,000 to commission a study on how to re-sell the war to the American people.

But since the U.S. military invaded Iraq in 2003, its "show of force" brand has proved to have limited appeal to Iraqi consumers, according to a recent study commissioned by the U.S. military.

The key to boosting the image and effectiveness of U.S. military operations around the world involves "shaping" both the product and the marketplace

Who writes this tripe? "Show of Force brand" has limited appeal to Iraqi consumers? I guess seeing your grandfather blown to bits by an errant GBU-31 or having your mother thrown to the ground, zip tied and bagged tends to irk people. Also the 655,000 who have been killed in this imperialist adventure no doubt have dampened the rose petals and liberation parades.

A few years back, as we prepared for OIF 2.5 in Ramadi, a good friend clearly articulated the selling of Iraq. The War on Terror (which chicken hawks like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh can shout for hours and hours and hours on their radio shows) is an easy to handle slogan, he stated, whereas the War to realign the Middle East to conform to American business and military interests, by simultaneously protecting Israel and Saudi Arabia, placing a puppet regime in Iraq with which to gain access to their oil reserves and possessing force projection ability towards both Syria and Iran just wouldn't be an easy sell.

But, hey Americans don't want to know the truth. The truth is brutal. Americans can't be bothered.

Fortunately there are some heroes bringing the truth for Americans to see: IVAW and Operation First Casualty.

If you Support the War, Enlist.

The title says it all. I don't care what your political leanings are, but if you believe the battle with "Islamo-Fascism" is the defining struggle of the 21st century you're under 42 and reasonably healthy, you had better put down your keyboard, grand latte, and high paying consultant job; take the Oath of Enlistment and pick up a rifle.

However, oddly, many who are pro-war have no intention of placing themselves at risk and the sad truth is those (here, here, here, here and here) calling for the continued Occupation of Iraq and even expanding the War (here and here) do so knowing full well it will not be their powdered asses, shitting into a hole in the desert or going 7 weeks without a shower, or washing in contaminated water.

I have to assume these people are suffering from Delusion; a false, persistent belief not supported by sensory or objective evidence.

Or...

Or... They realise this is a war for money and control of the Middle East and do not see it as worth their own blood.

As Dalton Trumbo wrote, "You can always hear the people who are willing to sacrifice somebody else's life. They're plenty loud and they talk all the time."

Opening Salvo

To start I'll use the words of Mark Twain:

I said to myself, here are a people who have suffered for three centuries. We can make them as free as ourselves, give them a government and country of their own, put a miniature of the American constitution afloat in the Pacific, start a brand new republic to take its place among the free nations of the world. It seemed to me a great task to which we had addressed ourselves.

But I have thought some more, since then... and I have seen that we do not intend to free, but to subjugate the people of the Philippines. We have gone there to conquer, not to redeem. ~ New York Herald [New York, 10/15/1900]

I wonder what Twain would make of the recent American Imperialist Adventure in Mesopotamia.

There are many parallels between Iraq and the Philippines:

Letters from soldiers documented the atrocities ("The howling wilderness of Samar"),

Between 250,000 and 1 million civilians were killed,

Water Torture was used on the Filipinos (this was eventually admitted to by future President William Howard Taft),

The only military strategy which could be imagined was to separate the civilian populace from the insurgents, this was accomplished by a scorched earth policy, ignoring the plight of the civilian population and the creation of concentration camps,

Journalists were heavily controlled and The War Department (since relabelled Department of Defense) issued reports asserting all manner of atrocities were being committed by the Filipinos in order to stem the growing anti-war sentiment of Americans,

Fighting continued until 1913 (even though as early as 1902 the War was considered won),

The Philippines gained their independence in 1946, but it wasn't until Nov. 24, 1992 the last US base closed at Subic Bay, a period of 94 years from the start of American involvement.

I think he would merely have quoted himself:
But now -- why, we have got into a mess, a quagmire from which each fresh step renders the difficulty of extrication immensely greater. I'm sure I wish I could see what we were getting out of it, and all it means to us as a nation. ~ Returning Home, New York World [London, 10/6/1900