Bush’s troop surge already shows signs of failure

According to this article, Bush’s troop surge, which was aimed at reducing violence in Baghdad, already shows signs of failure.  While violence has fallen inside Baghdad, as you might expect following an influx of U.S. troops, insurgents have simply moved elsewhere, killing American troops and other people in areas not affected by the surge. 

Bush, not surprisingly, focuses on Baghdad, claiming there are “some encouraging signs.” But by far my favorite quote comes from White House spokesperson Dana Perino, who gives us this insipid tautology:  “You’re going to have days where it looks like the violence has ebbed, and there are going to be other days when you have violence in which our service members or innocent Iraqis or Iraqi soldiers are killed.”  Seriously, our tax dollars are actually paying for her to tell us this self-evident tripe.

What will Bush’s troop surge ultimately achive?  Only time will tell.  But it looks like Bush is merely playing yet another game of whack-a-mole, an activity he seems to find endlessly amusing, despite the fact that it wastes staggering amounts of lives and money, both in America and in Iraq.

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grumpypilgrim

Grumpypilgrim is a writer and management consultant living in Madison, WI. He has several scientific degrees, including a recent master’s degree from MIT. He has also held several professional career positions, none of which has been in a field in which he ever took a university course. Grumps is an avid cyclist and, for many years now, has traveled more annual miles by bicycle than by car…and he wishes more people (for the health of both themselves and our planet) would do the same. Grumps is an enthusiastic advocate of life-long learning, healthy living and political awareness. He is single, and provides a loving home for abused and abandoned bicycles. Grumpy’s email: grumpypilgrim(AT)@gmail(DOT).com [Erich’s note: Grumpy asked that his email be encrypted this way to deter spam. If you want to write to him, drop out the parentheticals in the above address].

This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. Avatar of Erich Vieth
    Erich Vieth

    Whack-a-mole? Absolutely. Check out this footage of a Congressional hearing involving John McCain and several high-placed military leaders. Whack-a-mole, indeed. I can't believe how the expressions on the faces of these military leaders betray their every word. http://youtube.com/watch?v=2TFVP5ZEejM

  2. Avatar of Erich Vieth
    Erich Vieth

    Grumpy: maybe we are in those last desperate months of this war. Check out the ranting of this Bush apologist. After watching this, it's hard to know (as the C&L commentator notes) where to begin in making one's response.  View the video here.

  3. Avatar of grumpypilgrim
    grumpypilgrim

    Mr. Beck is indeed unhinged. I could only watch half of that guy's bloviating before my BS meter blew a gasket. What's scary is not just that there are people as obtuse as Mr. Beck, but that there rich folk who pay fat salaries so that people like Mr. Beck can have a public forum.

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