Letters to the Editor
Ijon Tichy
Published Letters: 452 Editor's Choice: 69
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What Rummy didn't get
[Read the article: Rumsfeld to voters: You just don't understand]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The lesson from the Soviet invasion of Afganistan; that it would take years and a large commitment of men and material to unify the warlords, fend off the Taliban once they've regrouped and rebuild the country. Much more time and resources than could afford a second war.
That Iraq was contained and militarily too weak to be a threat to anyone.
That his commanders were right when they said he needed more troops for the occupation.
That without a strong and well prepared new leadership, Iraq could descend into a bloodbath as Shia and Sunnis settle centuries long grudges.
That failing to protect the infrastructure would lead to widespread chaos and looting with long lasting repercussions in pacifying the country.
That firing the entire Baath party, the police and military would leave the country without trained goverment and business workers and add half a million armed and trained, but now insulted and unemployed, men to the insurgency.
That failing to seize arms depots would provide insurgents with weapons and explosives for years to come.
That allowing torture of prisoners would alienate the Iraqi people and further inflame the insurgency.
That all of this was predicted and planned years ago.
That when "stuff" happens heads often roll, including his.
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Another Florida?
[Read the article: Allen campaign death watch]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Will "Sore Macacca-man" bumperstickers be far behind?
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What's next?
[Read the article: Bush's presidential quagmire]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Not only has the GOP majority in Congress acted like a rubber stamp for Bush, but has spent the last four years building a huge dam against any investigation into this administrations activities; from Iraq to the environment to energy policy to just about every quiet policy enacted by the administration.
Come January, that dam will burst. It may start with "friendly" requests from the Dems, a trickle, but for the next two years the requests will accelerate and the trickle become a flood. I don't think we've seen the even the tip of the iceberg, yet. I do think that before Bush has any chance to "reconfigure" his remaining time in office, he and the current GOP leadership will be drowned under a flood of scandals that will leave the majority of voters unable to vote for any GOP presidential candidate, even if the alternative is Hillary Clinton.
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Today's Rose Garden Speech
[Read the article: The "thumpin'," unspun]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Bush, flanked by his cabinet - less Rummy - stated he asked his cabinet to brief the soon to be appointed new leadership. He then sent a clear message to the lame duck Congress that the GOP had less than two months to pass the following:
Domestic spying (not the exact words here)
make the tax cuts permanent
pass the oil company enriching, ANWAR drilling energy plan
pass the military commissions act and torture policy
let Vietnam join the WTO (how ironic).
No mention of minimum wage, election reform, health care reform or any of the bills the Dems will be proposing. And possibly a sign of the future (Congress, get my pet projects passed or to hell with you).
Luckily, I seriously doubt anyone in the GOP Congress will be interested in helping a President who did so "much" to help them. Besides, they've got less than two months to polish their resumes, pass the last of their earmarks and hide the bodies. They won't have time to pass even a National Widows, Orphans and Puppies Day act.
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Even that number is conservative
[Read the article: Iraqis estimate their death toll: 150,000]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]First, Bush was way off, but of course he was. He doesn't speak in objectivities but in "truths" necessary to tell people unable to understand the complexities of the Iraq war what they need to hear.
The 150,000 is definitely low since it is based exclusively on morgue reports. Many Iraqi's have disappeared without yet being found. Many are buried without being brought to the morgue due to the fact militias or insurgents often lay in wait at morgues to ambush family members. Many are buried before they can take them to the morgue due to Muslim law requiring burial within 48 hours.
These figures also do not include the number of Iraqis who have fled the country which can also be considered a casualty to Iraq.
And we still haven't received a realistic estimate of how many Iraqis are fighting as insurgents, militias or Al Quaida. That number could also give us a picture of how many more deaths to expect among both Iraqis and Coalition troops. And, of course, how truly complex this conflict really is.