Reality bites Rich Lowry

[Cocoa]

http://thinkprogress.org/index.php?p=920

National Review editor Rich Lowry, who wrote the cover story above, pontificated from his desk in Washington: “It is time to say it unequivocally: We are winning in Iraq.”

Unfortunately for Iraqis and the U.S. troops on the ground, they cannot live in the same delusional world as Lowry. Today in the New York Times, American commanders provide a reality-based perspective on Iraq:

“American military commanders in Baghdad and Washington gave a sobering new assessment on Wednesday of the war in Iraq, adding to the mood of anxiety that prompted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to come to Baghdad last weekend to consult with the new government….

More…

[understandinglife]

1. "21 car bombings in Baghdad so far this month almost matched the total ..

... of 25 IN ALL OF LAST YEAR.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/19/international/middleeast/19cnd-iraq.html

Peace.


www.missionnotaccomplished.us - Be it MNA Day 3 or 8 or 15 or .... the day will come when 10s of millions of Americans and others stop their typical activities for 24 hours and urge 10 times that many to join should another MNA Day be required. On that glorious day what we once called "America" will emerge.

[Arugula Latte]

2. This magazine story is the equivalent

of a three year old putting his fingers in his ears: "I can't hear you nyah nyah nyah I'm right nyah nyah nyah"

[oasis]

3. "Mission Accomplished" Lowry style. Tongue-in-cheek declarations by

the right have a tendency to boomerang.

[realFedUp]

4. What exactly are we "winning"?

Huge costs both in lives and money,
renewed energy and commitment by those who hate what
we are doing in the name of "democracy".

Yeah, we win as the biggest military bully
on the block. Keep your medals.

[BurtWorm]

5. Maybe if Lowry took a leave of absence to risk his ass on the ground

he'd find out what "winning" in Iraq is really like.

[oasis]

6. He'd get the tour Condi got. Sneak in unannounced, put on the flack vest

and take a stroll around the green zone.

[Corgigal]

7. I'll try to pick up this mag

for the next box of stuff I'm mailing to my daughters friend who stationed over there. He works in mortuary service and ah, gets the bodies ready for the ride home. I'm sure that article will make him feel so much better.

[Javaman]

8. We can't win...

I read a great article about a year ago, stating all the reasons why we really have to "loose" this war. (personally, I don't see a winning or loosing in this whole mess).

Like someone stated on this post, what are we exactly winning? If we defeat the rebels, that just pisses off the population more. And if winning is rebuilding the country, it appears to me that that is falling miserably.

We have to loose. We walk away with our tail between our legs and this gives the Iraqi people a sense of self.

Right now all we are doing is emasculating the nation. With 60+% of unemployment, how are we helping these people help themselves? How are we giving them a sense of identity? How are we helping them heal the wounds of 30 years of Saddam?

We fucked up early on and we continue to fuck up to today. As long as corporations control the oil and building industry over there, as long as they continue to hire foreign workers to do the basic jobs, as long as we continue to kill civilians, they will fight us tooth and nail.

We are the 200 billion pound gorilla sitting in Iraq's living room. Until we leave, nothing will ever be "won".

One of the most important pieces of advice was given to me years ago, it went like this, "just walk away". Meaning, sometimes there is no use in arguing, fighting or trying to unfuck something. The best thing is just to walk away.

Let the Iraqi's determine their future. If it turns out to be something that the U.S. doesn't like, well that's just tough shit. We have fucked these people over many times, it's time we ate a big shit sandwich and kept smiling.