Jason Isbell, Dress Blues. Sombre. Why are we still in Iraq?
-- Badtux the Grim Penguin
2 days ago
Sunday, August 30, 2009
9 comments:
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I'd like to offer a few "off the top of my head" answers to your question. We're still in Iraq because: 1) some entity is making big money because of it; 2) our politicians find it a lot easier to get into a problem than to get out of one; 3) no one likes to admit defeat; however, sometimes one has to do so for the greater good; 4) Americans have always put machismo and bluster over diplomacy and the exercise of thoughtful, mutually beneficial influence around the world; 5) we're still fighting (flailing and failing with) Bush's disastrous "war on terror."
ReplyDeleteThe people who are making (and will make a lot more) money.
ReplyDeleteThe US became just another country to make money off of in the late '90s.
S
And I notice that Dick Cheney has emerged from whatever lightless bunker he currently calls "home" in yet another attempt to undercut the current administration's foreign policy. "Blargh, still not safe, terrorists could kill your mother tomorrow, not safe, 9/11, torture's good, not safe, bomb Iran, not safe, 9/11, blargh, snort (pauses to drink blood of Iraqi toddler for sustenance) snort, slobber, not safe, 9/11, 9/11, 9/11..."
ReplyDeleteOr something like that.
Obama deserves a lot of justifiable criticism for many of his foreign policy decisions. He does NOT deserve, however, to hear criticism from one of the monsters who created this nightmarish clusterfuck in the first place.
I agree with all of the above.
ReplyDeleteSlightly nuanced correction to Susan - It goes back at least to Nixon.
This is the horror of the Military-Industrial Complex that the last good* Republican President warned us about.
Cheers, if you can manage them
JzB the Republicans-are-always-wrong
trombonist.
__________________________
* Good - for a Republican, that is
Yea , it was Ike who first warned us of the 'Military Industrial Complex' wasn't it ? Almost forgot that litle fact . Our last war/leader/General president wasn't he ? A man who had been to combat and led thousands of men under fire and ordered what could be their death on a mass scale if he misscalculated . Not that Kennedy didn't serve but a PT boat is not the Normandy invasion . A man willing to accept his failings (didn't he write an apology if D day failed ?)
ReplyDeleteTher was a man that saw what money was doing to our then Great country . He did try to warn us about what was comming , on his way out of office , too bad we didn't listen more closely .
a saddened w3ski
Sad to say, I agree with pretty much everything you guys have said. Good thing I don't drink, or I'd be hitting the booze bottle pretty hard right now :(.
ReplyDelete- Badtux the Depression Penguin
I got some cold (in the freezer) Gin at my place . I'll have one for you .
ReplyDeleteI am too young to remember Ike as a leader , I grew up with Kennedy .
Was Ike considered a good president ? Can't say I ever heard about anything he did as President , except for his going away speech . Thinking back , that one chills me to the bone . He predicted the crappy Government we have now .
Maybe I'll have another one for you , after I finish thisss one for me , and it will all become crystal clear .
a still saddened w3ski
I'll have to agree with BenCot and Suzan, and thank Aaron for the amusement.
ReplyDeleteUh Badtux, I have to go on the base this week, that didn't help.
Nov 02 the base was really empty, except for one kid who looked like he was about 16. They're just babies.
It. Sucked.
I just listened to the song - with tears in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteEven George Fucking Will now says we should bring the troops home, citing an example very much like the one in this song.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/31/AR2009083102912.html
I wonder if he would be doing this if we had a Repugnicant Prez.
JzB the having-a-martini-when-the-hour-is-right trombonist