Thursday, February 22, 2007

Thinkin' Politics

Its enormously tempting to give in to the desire to say Well DAMMIT George, if you hadn't... but that doesn't matter now. Short of an impeachment, he can't be recalled. And recalled or not, we are where we are. We have to figure out what we do now, and what will happen if we do whatever that is. Storming about what got us here would only be helpful if it helped figure out the answer to those questions.

If we stay, more of our people will die; if we leave, the region might, probably will, degenerate further into an civil war coupled with a pseudo-war with Iran. (Pseudo because I don't think they'd invade, but I do think they'd subvert.) At times, I think Well fine, LET them dissolve into chaos, they're all murderers and malcontents (which I know isn't true, but thats sure how it feels) -- and then I think So its okay with you for oil to go to five bucks a gallon? Not to mention, devastate all those lives? (I'm a 'Murrican; I think of the oil first. ) Ah, geez...

George would say that we have to stay because its the Right Thing To Do. For us, maybe, but I can't see where that's been a guiding principle for people who run things in that country or that region, many of whom are no more fond of us being there, regardless of the nobility of our intentions, than we would be if they came here and started running the place. (Do they all feel that way? Probably not. We really are doing good there. But those who disagree, do so explosively.) Dick says we have to stay because its the Right Thing To Do. Which is exactly what George says; odd that George can talk while Dick is drinking a glass of water, isn't it? Gotta be careful, there; Dick's one of those guys who'll shoot first, ask questions -- never. As for Condi, she'd would say we have to stay because otherwise, the region degenerates into chaos. I think So? And the so appears to be a nasty regime comes into play in IraqIran, capable of, at the least, sending out bombers to the rest of the world, namely, us, and at the worst , developing those WMDs George couldn't find before. (Yah see? he crows. Ah KNEW they was there somewhere!) The killer is, she's probably right.

Is there any upside? I suppose its not completely out of the question that peace and tranquility will come to the region, but I wouldn't bet on it. The people running the place -- who are not the established political order -- don't seem to be headed that way. Could it happen, eventually? The far side of a conflagration, yeah, probably. The peace and tranquility of the graveyard and the severely controlled.

DAMMIT, George.....

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