Friday, June 29, 2007
cat no longer in bag...again
President Bush held up Israel as a model for defining success in Iraq on Thursday...
...
In Israel, Bush said, "terrorists have taken innocent human life for years in suicide attacks. The difference is that Israel is a functioning democracy and it's not prevented from carrying out its responsibilities. And that's a good indicator of success that we're looking for in Iraq."
Juan Cole criticizes this statement on the grounds that it will lead the Iraqis to believe they are slated to play the role of Palestinians and thus they will resist US occupation more violently.
Cole is right as far as he goes. Revealing your true intentions to your enemy is certainly stupid. However I think the good Professor could be more evenhanded in his critique. Surely Bush deserves some credit for his honesty?
Although perhaps we could further criticize Bush on grounds of expediency. Countering the perception that the US wants to colonize Iraq would be a very difficult thing to do since the perception is in fact accurate. Bush has, yet again, taken the easy way out by just admitting it. Certainly more strenuous efforts at deception will be required if the Iraqi population is to be made docile enough to accept external rule.
How pathetic that these pampered scions of the wealthy, never having worked a day in their lives, can't even be bothered lift a finger to lie properly. What is the world coming to?
posted by Scats : 6/29/2007 01:38:00 PM
