Bush, in his 2004 Re-election speech, made reference to his "political capital".
Like everything else, he's spent that and tried to borrow some more, but now it looks like the drums of war in regard to Iran might be a command exodus, according to the Times Online:
“'There are four or five generals and admirals we know of who would resign if Bush ordered an attack on Iran', a source with close ties to British intelligence said. 'There is simply no stomach for it in the Pentagon, and a lot of people question whether such an attack would be effective or even possible'.”
Needless to say, this would be a disaster: The loss the best and most experienced commanders would strategically cripple our ability to address threats. Bush has stretched the troops beyond the breaking point in order to carry on his bullshit war in Iraq, and it would seem that the people who know best are telling King George that such a move on Iran would be suicide. We are in no position to do anything except rain hell on the heads of the people King George claims to "protect": We The People. To engage Iran would be hubris of epic proportion, and a biblical level folly.
All of this may be to no avail, because everybody knows what happened to the others, including Colin Powell, who disagreed with the imperial talking point.
To any thinking, reasonable person, it has to now be crystal clear that Bush, Cheney and their minions are contemptuous of any reality beyond their ideological construct.
You put your finger on a subtle yet critical pulse of our "democracy's" self-preservation, Wizard: the delicate balance between commissioned (and thus ostensibily volunteer) officers' willingness to continue to support The Command-in-Chief and, in turn, to continue to exercise mauvaise foi versus their willingness to take responsibility for their actions by resigning forthwith from the fiction that has become this "war."
ReplyDelete"To any thinking, reasonable person, it has to now be crystal clear that Bush, Cheney and their minions are contemptuous of any reality beyond their ideological construct."
Well, yes. Unfortunately, apart from existing in a state where Emperor George wears no clothes--as scary as that might be--it appears what we have is the bullied playground child who is now in a position to show up the bullies in his spectral mind by not admitting defeat even though he has clearly failed to everyone else on the playground. (I know, bad analogy: the geo-political war zone is anything but a playground.)
Carry on.
I'll be in the area all day.
Though produced over a 1/4 of a century ago, currently listening and roaring to an "apropos" tune...
Long as I remember
The rain been comin' down.
Clouds of myst'ry pourin'
Confusion on the ground.
Good men through the ages,
Tryin' to find the sun;
And I wonder,
Still I wonder,
Who'll stop the rain.
I went down Virginia,
Seekin' shelter from the storm.
Caught up in the fable,
I watched the tower grow.
Five year plans and new deals,
Wrapped in golden chains.
And I wonder,
Still I wonder
Who'll stop the rain.
Heard the singers playin',
How we cheered for more.
The crowd had rushed together,
Tryin' to keep warm.
Still the rain kept pourin',
Fallin' on my ears.
And I wonder,
Still I wonder
Who'll stop the rain.