Course correction

Often when politicians talk it is helpful to find and question the underlying assumptions of their speech. For instance, when president Bush says the United States will not "cut and run from Iraq" there are several assumptions that should be examined:

1. Are there any circumstances under which America can leave Iraq without "cutting and running", or must we stay there forever? If we aren't staying forever then why are we building permanent bases in Iraq?

2. Cutting and running is an intelligent strategy when you, say, find a ticking time-bomb tied to your leg. In that case you are only harmed when you don't cut and run.

Wouldn't we be intelligent to place some distance between our troops and the explosive situation that is Iraq?

3. Is our presence in Iraq having a stabilizing influence in Iraq, which withdrawal would jeopardize?

To answer this it is imperative to answer the following questions:

3a. Is security improving for average Iraqis? Nope.

3b. Are Iraqis access to jobs, electricity, water, and sewage improving? Nope.

3c. Is sectarian violence decreasing? Nope.

3d. Are the attacks on American GIs becoming less effective? Nope.

3e. Are Iraqis more and more, rather than less and less, welcoming of our presence? Nope.

4. Are we further along towards accomplishing our objectives, and will withdrawing our presence jeopardize them?

If our objective is to keep Iraqi oil in the ground and drive up profits for our enemies then we are "doing a heck of a job".

If our objective is to make Iraq a standard-bearer for democracy in the region and fund it's own reconstruction with an improved oil infrastructure, then we are further from our objective than when we started.


Continuing to do the same thing over and over and expecting different results is a textbook definition of insanity, but every time I consider the fact that some young kid is over in Iraq right now being asked to do the impossible by the incompetent I wonder how to help them. In my attempt to do something helpful I keep pointing out the Truth and each time hoping for different results.