The State of Stay the Course
As you may have noticed, everyone's favorite Iraq War Motto (Stay the Course!) has been consigned to the ash heap of history.
It's unclear what the new motto will be (Adapt to Win or Adapt and Change or something has been around, but nothing seems to be sticking) or even if there will be time to get a new motto before the election. Because the important thing, I hope you realize, is that the war have the correct motto.
If we can't sum up the strategy and goals of processes that will cost over a trillion dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives with a one sentence (and ideally, three word) motto, it WILL embolden the terrorists. And yes, you read that right, it needs to get done in the next 13 days!
Because all of this bullshit is about the election, not Iraq.
Doncha think it's interesting that after one, two, ninety (how long have we been in Iraq?) years, now that the war is irrefutably unpopular and is working against the GOP, we get this lame acknowledgement from the Administration that everything might not be going swimmingly.
On the face of it, this looks like a disaster for the 'pugs. Their whole W Cult of Personality seemed to be designed around his steadfastness. To be false or swerve a hair from truth would appear to be politically dicey. I know that's what those smarmy jerks at The Note think (link over on the right - they annoyed me too much today to link again). This school of thought says "stay the hell away from discussing Iraq at all costs." But I think it is rather clever and cynical. Follow me here:
The only people for whom Bush's unwavering devotion to more of the same was a sign of strength are morons. They're voting for the shitbag anyway (ok, for their GOP candidate - I realize Bush isn't himself up for re-election, really I do). They're part of that unwavering 30% support that he never loses. So he's not gonna lose them now by talking a little bit of re-evaluation.
The people that this new push is aimed at are the more moderate/normal/sane republicans and maybe some of the actually religious evangelicals. Folks who have some tether in reality and see what is happening in Iraq. People for whom the cognitive dissonance between what they hear from the Administration and what they see everywhere else causes them to question. I'm not talking about you and me, I'm talking about the marginal ones who would support the GOP, who always vote Republican, but are disgusted by the war and the way it's being carried out. So this is a bone in their direction. This is to give them just enough breathing room to be able to say, "Yeah, the shit has been fucked up, but look, they finally realize it and they're gonna get it back on track. I can now go back to voting Republican with a clear conscience."
Needless to say the joke of this all is that there is no new plan, there never was a plan, and all the talk of change is bs. There's only one god damned thing that would make a difference and that's getting the fuck out of there yesterday.
It's unclear what the new motto will be (Adapt to Win or Adapt and Change or something has been around, but nothing seems to be sticking) or even if there will be time to get a new motto before the election. Because the important thing, I hope you realize, is that the war have the correct motto.
If we can't sum up the strategy and goals of processes that will cost over a trillion dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives with a one sentence (and ideally, three word) motto, it WILL embolden the terrorists. And yes, you read that right, it needs to get done in the next 13 days!
Because all of this bullshit is about the election, not Iraq.
Doncha think it's interesting that after one, two, ninety (how long have we been in Iraq?) years, now that the war is irrefutably unpopular and is working against the GOP, we get this lame acknowledgement from the Administration that everything might not be going swimmingly.
On the face of it, this looks like a disaster for the 'pugs. Their whole W Cult of Personality seemed to be designed around his steadfastness. To be false or swerve a hair from truth would appear to be politically dicey. I know that's what those smarmy jerks at The Note think (link over on the right - they annoyed me too much today to link again). This school of thought says "stay the hell away from discussing Iraq at all costs." But I think it is rather clever and cynical. Follow me here:
The only people for whom Bush's unwavering devotion to more of the same was a sign of strength are morons. They're voting for the shitbag anyway (ok, for their GOP candidate - I realize Bush isn't himself up for re-election, really I do). They're part of that unwavering 30% support that he never loses. So he's not gonna lose them now by talking a little bit of re-evaluation.
The people that this new push is aimed at are the more moderate/normal/sane republicans and maybe some of the actually religious evangelicals. Folks who have some tether in reality and see what is happening in Iraq. People for whom the cognitive dissonance between what they hear from the Administration and what they see everywhere else causes them to question. I'm not talking about you and me, I'm talking about the marginal ones who would support the GOP, who always vote Republican, but are disgusted by the war and the way it's being carried out. So this is a bone in their direction. This is to give them just enough breathing room to be able to say, "Yeah, the shit has been fucked up, but look, they finally realize it and they're gonna get it back on track. I can now go back to voting Republican with a clear conscience."
Needless to say the joke of this all is that there is no new plan, there never was a plan, and all the talk of change is bs. There's only one god damned thing that would make a difference and that's getting the fuck out of there yesterday.
posted by chiniqua at 2:20 PM
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