The "disconnect" is a helluva lot bigger than just between bush & reality!

[LynnTheDem]

"The disconnect between Rose Garden optimism and Baghdad pessimism, according to government officials and independent analysts, stems not only from Bush's focus on tentative signs of long-term progress but also from the shrinking range of policy options available to him if he is wrong. Having set out on a course of trying to stand up a new constitutional, elected government with the security firepower to defend itself, Bush finds himself locked into a strategy that, even if it proves successful, foreshadows many more deadly months to come first, analysts said."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/04/AR2005060401506.html

Do so many Americans think this is a FIRST for Iraq??? Do they truly believe there's been no previous "course of trying to stand up a new constitutional, elected government with the security firepower to defend itself"?

Apparently America's motto is, 'whatever fails by force the first time, keep on trying by force until it fails again.' This is not some bright new idea of bush's; this is a previously attempted and utterly failed idea...one that the US media doesn't bother mentioning.

Iraqis have lived this lie before

On April 28 1920, Britain was awarded a mandate over Iraq by the League of Nations to legitimise its occupation of the country. A decision was taken to replace the occupation with a provisional Iraqi government, assisted by British advisers under the authority of the high commissioner of Iraq.

-Sound familiar? It should.

Any protest against the British-imposed monarchy was regarded as the work of "extremists". The British retained their power, through military bases, advisers and control of oil.

-Sound familiar? It should.

Elections were managed, corruption was widespread, bombing and military force was used against popular uprisings...

-Sound familiar? It should.

Popular uprisings followed in 1930, 1941 1948, 1952 and 1956.

-Sound familiar? It WILL.

Occupation has always been perceived as a process by which to rob us of our identity and dignity. The British, in the past, failed to understand the depth of the feeling among Iraqis both against occupation and towards the Palestinian issue. Now, in their partnership with the US, they are repeating the same mistakes.

As in the past, Iraqis are denied their natural right to resist the occupier and its imposed form of government. The "extremists" of our history are now called "terrorists".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1249508,00.html

They came as liberators but were met by fierce resistance outside Baghdad. Humiliating treatment of prisoners and heavy-handed action in Najaf and Fallujah further alienated the local population.

*Some quotes:

-"Our armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators..."

-"we should be received in Baghdad with the same cordiality as in southern Iraq and the Turkish troops would offer little if any opposition"

-"Is it not for the benefit of the people of that country that it should be governed so as to enable them to develop this land which has been withered and shrivelled up by oppression? What would happen if we withdrew?"

*Iraq, 1917; Britain's first attempt to "spread democracy by gunpoint".

2003-present; Same donkey, different blanket.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/story.jsp?story=532136

non-registered re-print;

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article6337.htm

Collection of articles;

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/history/britishindex.htm

[barbaraann]

1. A Report on Mesopotamia by Lawrence of Arabia:

The people of England have been led in Mesopotamia into a trap from which it will be hard to escape with dignity and honour. They have been tricked into it by a steady withholding of information. The Baghdad communiques are belated, insincere, incomplete. Things have been far worse than we have been told, our administration more bloody and inefficient than the public knows. It is a disgrace to our imperial record, and may soon be too inflamed for any ordinary cure. We are to-day not far from a disaster.
...
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/lawrence.php

[ninkasi]

2. Incredible, isn't it?

The situations are so alike, that it's like remaking an old movie,
only using new actors. It's hard to believe that nobody in the Bush administration seems to have any concept of history.

Sad, really, that we have been brought to this misery, in Iraq and here in the US, by the greed and corruption of a few lunatics. I feel such humiliation, knowing that we can be so much better than this, yet placidly accept leaders who are the very dregs of humanity.