When General Westmoreland Petraeus makes his Bush’s report to Congress on Monday, be sure we’ll hear more and more of the same mantra: Anbar, Anbar, Anbar.
Consider the Latin cautionary phrase:
From Senator Schumer (D-NY)[via]:
We’ve heard of success stories every six or eight months. This province, this town, this city. “They’re cleared, they’re safe.” And then because of the basic facts on the ground, we revert to the old situation. And let me be clear: the violence in Anbar has gone down despite the surge, not because of the surge.
The lack of protection for these tribes from al Qaeda made it clear to these tribes, “We have to fight al Qaeda ourselves.” It wasn’t that the surge brought peace here. It was that the warlords had to create a temporary peace here on their own. And that is because there was no one else there protecting them.
And as I said, Mr. President, we’ve heard about successes in the past. They’re temporary. They’re not based on any permanent structural change or any permanent change in the views of Iraqi citizens. We’ve heard about success in Baghdad and we’ve heard about success in Fallujah and they vanish like the wind.
If the Bushies say it again and again and again doesn’t necessarily make it true or untrue.
But again there is that attempted link by this administration. Like 9/11 to Saddam - Don’t believe it.
Just because Anbar is better, it is not a result of the “surge.”
Simply because something happens after another doesn’t mean it happened as a result.
Even more, uncertainty about that lack of causation is a strong reason to question the prudence of the continuation of this escalation.
No matter how many times Republicans say it, no matter how craftily the White House spinners have sewn it into a new bumper sticker, hawkish sound bite:
If that’s all you got – it’s nothin’.
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It's Time To Shut It Down...
Shut It Down October 17th, 2007
It seems that our pleas for an end to the Iraq war, universal health care, and trying to stop the permitting of Mexican truckers free reign of our nations highways has fallen on deaf ears. So what can we do? We can organize and start a nationwide work stoppage. It seems to work in other countries of the "free" world. It would require first the support of the Longshoremen's union and the Teamsters union and any other unions that would want to give support. Any others would be more than welcome to join the protest. No riots in the street. No civil disobedience. Just don't go to work. Call in sick if you must, but just don't be there.
Bill expanding the sCHIP program, which would have ensured health care for millions of America's less advantaged children; This Administration has let the Post-Katrina Gulf Coast, particularly New Orleans, to fend for itself and/or rot away; We asked for our ports and borders to be secure, and yet the President vetoed a bill that would fully fund the 9/11 Commission recommendations, and offered to sell our ports to Dubai; They oversaw the biggest Real Estate and Credit Scam in the History of the Free Market System, and have bankrupted the Country. The list goes on and on. It's time we put a stop to the insanity, and since they don't listen when we take to the streets by the millions on a weekend, we believe that it is time that we leave our workplaces on a Wednesday. If we stop the wheels of their Industry, maybe they'll start paying attention and listening to us.
...
We've marched by the millions across this country to stop the Iraq War since 2002, and the Administration and Congress will not listen; We've petitioned for universal health care, and yet our President vetoed a Bipartisan
This is one protest that truly requires no effort-- just call in sick and stay home. Truckers, Teachers, Professors, Garbage Men, Engineers, Stagehands, Electricians, Plumbers, Landscapers, Laborers, Welders, Autowokers, Government Servants, Cashiers, Housekeepers, Hospitality Workers, Grocery Employees, Security Officers, Linemen, Longshoremen, everyone.
Write letters to your Local Unions. Talk about it at your local bar/pub, at the gym, at the barbecue, anywhere and everywhere appropriate, and get buzz rolling. Organize. It starts down here with us, not some monied org with a sidebar agenda. We don't need to go anywhere. We don't need to spend anything. Just stay home. We believe that October 17th would be a great day. The 25th Anniversary of The Solidarity Movement protests and strikes that shut down Poland, and brought down Communist/Soviet rule. We all need a day off... why not take it off together?
--mf
From High Atop The Mighty Corrente Building... Comes Wisdom.
Ted Westhusing and Petraeus
Looks like Westhusing saw the Potemkin Surge coming.
We. Are. Going. To. Die. We must restore hope in the world. We must bring forth a new way of living that can sustain the world. Or else it is not just us who will die but everyone. What have we got to lose? Go forth and Fight!—Xan
Semper ubi sub ubi
Wouldn't it be nice if the Democrats gave the Bush/Petreaus/GOP confab a reason to wear underwear in the next few days?
A boy can dream....
"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead