Subject to Change

Do those come with a massage and a mud mask? I was insulted by the term, until I realized that conservatives can take a page from this playbook.

From here on out, Iraq shall be refered to as a “therapeutic invasion.” It was necessary for the nation’s mental health.

DEBATE OVER!

Just a random thought: if America does manage to switch to gasoline-free transportation it may not be a good thing.

Gasoline is only one use for oil, and it’s not the most significant one. But, is the gauge that we monitor at the pump on a daily basis.

Without the constant reminder, we could easily lose sight of the fact that we’re still buying our resources from crappy countries full of people who suck very much. Better to solve that problem first.

There’s some gun camera video posted at Mitchieville. You don’t usually get to see human targets being taken out. I imagine this will get pulled eventually.

They ought to load this video onto IPods and drop them into terrorist neighborhoods.

Clint has some photos of US Troops committing atrocities in Iraq.

The one of a soldier using an Iraqi child as body armor is particularly horrifying.

P.S. Don’t tell Mike Mathias about this! He’ll go ballistic, which is hard to do when you don’t believe in bullets.

Capper at Folkbum’s Rambles and Rants asks:

Will the conservatives demand the same respect and adherence to the words of retired Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez, as they demanded for General David Petraeus?

I’m certain that he’ll be given all the respect he deserves. It’s not like there’s a conservative group out there, similar to MoveOn.org, that’s going to play off the guy’s name in order to discredit him. I can’t even imagine the horrible nickname they might come up with…

Incidentally, Jib says the press is already cherry picking Sanchez’ remarks. I guess there’s just no reporting the whole story anymore.

… Kill a terrorist.

(This message brought to you in honor of Iraq Moratorium Day)

… at least nobody tries to label me a liar, shill, or traitor for doing the tasks that are assigned to me. 

Yes, this is the obligatory 9-11 post. I had a conversation today, which reminded me why it’s important to remember.

It’s important to remember, because we’ll never forget. It’s even more important to remember because there are some who want you to forget.

They want you to forget that terrorism does not begin and end with 9-11 or Osama Bin Laden. The attacks were so traumatic to the world that even the IRA had second thoughts about its tactics.

They want you to forget that we didn’t invade Iraq right away after 9-11. We invaded Afghanistan first. Can you still locate Afghanistan on a map? It’s right next to Iran.

They want you to forget that Saddam did have WMDs. He used them. Nobody has accounted for them. The fact that they weren’t found should be very disturbing to anyone who doesn’t enjoy breathing poison gas.

They want you to forget that the invasion of Iraq was not about oil. One stated goal of the White House, which has been conveniently swept under the rug, was to establish Iraq and Afghanistan as strongholds of democracy in the Middle East. Pretty, yes. Sappy, yes. Dreamy, too. Yet, the idea had a purpose. Can you locate Iraq on a map? It’s right there, next to Iran.

They want you to forget that we went over there to keep the fight at arm’s length. Maybe you don’t believe the terrorists were in Iraq before we got there. I think it’s highly likely that there were at least a few. But, they’re there now, in droves. If your choice is to pack up and come home, perhaps you’d like to be on the return flight, sitting next to the terrorist who inevitably follows our retreat?

They want you to forget that the axis of evil was Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. Admittedly, this is the Cliff’s Notes guide to the War on Terror. There’s no mention of our activities in the Philippines. Yet, one down, two more to go. The others’ day is coming through one means or another.

Can you locate Iran on a map? It’s right there, between Iraq and Afghanistan.

If I were on the wrong side of the War on Terror, I wouldn’t want to be between Iraq and Afghanistan right now. 

Army suicide rates are the highest the’ve been in 26 years. Could it be that our soldiers are tired of hearing liberals calling them murders? Might that wear on a person’s mind after a while?

Failed personal relationships, legal and financial problems and the stress of their jobs were factors motivating the soldiers to commit suicide, according to the report.

And, frustration with feeling like half the country that sent them to Iraq wants them to fail their mission.

And, frustration from knowing that they’re fighting terrorism and liberating the oppressed while congress debates a withdrawal timetable.

And, frustration over being stuck in a war zone with terrorists while the president begs to send a measly 20,000 additional troops to help shore up our position.

Oh, and one more thing:

Firearms were the most common method of suicide. Those who attempted suicide but didn’t succeed tended more often to take overdoses and cut themselves.

I hear-by volunteer to conduct the study as to why firearms are the preferred vehicle for army suicide. My fee is $20 million and I’ll have the report finished in an hour. I’ll even submit it electronically to save trees.

Many other blogs are reporting the good news: the surge is working, we’re winning in Iraq. It has also been reported that July was the least deadliest month since last year.

Is anyone wondering why we’re winning? Why wasn’t it news when November of last year was the least deadliest month of the Iraq war? Hmmm… Maybe the surge was just that successful.

I doubt it.

At the risk of being too political on an otherwise pointless blog, I think there’s an easy answer. The democrats need Iraq to be off the table by November 2008. They’ve backed themselves into a corner over Iraq policy, because they misread the results of the 2006 midterms. Instead of interpreting the results as simply frustration with the course of the war, they decided that the American people supported a complete withdrawal. They’ve been hammering that point so hard that they have no credibility on seeing the war through to a successful conclusion.

What they are discovering now is that only a minority of Americans want to pack up our toys and go home. The rest of us want to see freedom succeed in Iraq. It would appear that the 2006 election was a call for action, rather than a call for surrender. The battle lines have been drawn and the democrat mainstream is clearly on the wrong side. They need Iraq to go away. The failure of the withdrawal movement means that they’ll have to resort to Plan B.

I expect the outlook in Iraq to begin looking rosier and rosier over the next few months. By next November you’ll have forgotten all about Iraq because the war will be going swimmingly. American soldiers may even be rising from the grave by then. Iraq will be a shining pillar of democracy, and wouldn’t it be great if a Democrat president(ette) could usher in the new era of peace in the Middle East?

Cross posted: BBA