Commentary

A response to W. and the Democrats- by Greg Strid

I watched President Bush tell the nation, without the
slightest hint of emotion, that we should all just give
General Petraeus some more time to complete his
mission.  He did seem to acquiesce a bit to public
sentiment by announcing that he planned to return
close to 6,000 troops by the end of the year, and he
mentioned the possibility of sending up to five more
combat brigades home by the middle of next summer.
But, this would only bring troop levels to where they
were before the surge began.

The most important part of the speech was his call for
the construction of an “enduring relationship” with Iraq,
one that would require forces to stay long after he leaves
office. He also seasoned his speech with fanciful notions
of progress, and implied that Iraqis were much better off
due to the implementation of the surge. Supposedly,
many more streets and neighborhoods in Baghdad are
now safe for commerce and casual strolls.

What was not mentioned is the fact that Baghdad is
partitioned along sectarian lines, with many sections
completely cleansed of either Sunnis or Shias. He also
failed to mention that his bungled Iraqi adventure has
created 2 million refugees- with 60,000 added each
month. Power and water supplies are at alarmingly low
levels, and the price of gasoline is sky high- this in a nation
with the second largest oil reserves in the world. Iraq,
under an errant U.S. eye, has been transformed into the
Democratic Republic of Congo; a nation ruled by militias
and criminal gangs, with meddling neighbors on all sides
vying for influence.

This speech was just Bush’s public declaration that this
mess will not stain his legacy. Even he must know that
the surge is only a temporary solution, and that it is
unsustainable even without the threat of the removal of
funds by a hostile Congress. Bush does not want history
to assign sole ownership of this disaster to him.

As for the ones he is truly at war with- the Democrats-
they want a clean slate in 2008. Actually, they want the
troops out before the election. This was evident in Senator
Jack Reed’s response; only demands for complete
withdrawal and an end to the war were made. Not a syllable
was expended on voicing a possible solution that would
actually help anyone living, fighting or dying in Iraq.

The president’s selfish speech, and the Democrats
parsimonious response spoke volumes about this nation.
It does not matter who started this mess, what does
matter is that it is ours. We are letting an entire nation
tear itself apart, while we casually escort an already
volatile region closer to the abyss. The fact that we are
led by squabbling, spoiled children does not absolve
us of our responsibilities. A real solution must be
developed and implemented- it is as simple, yet
painful, as that!

© Greg Strid 2007

© 2007 Splendid Marbles.