AT LEAST 13 of 18 Benchmarks Not Met - G.A.O.

[Michael Tee]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070830/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq

This story is hilarious.  The G.A.O. has determined that AT LEAST 13 of 18 benchmarks in Iraq have not been met.  Recording an almost total failure.  How Michael Yon will rationalize his way out of this one is not hard to imagine - - hel'll just churn out another of his little "reports from nowhere" just brimming over with optimism and good tidings.  With journalists like these, how can we lose? 

Of course, the more serious Republican strategy immediately focuses on the benchmarks.  They were "too strict."  They were "set up for failure."  (Why would anyone set up benchmarks for their own failure?)

But what's really hilarious in all this is the complete and utter contempt that Bush and his adminstration have for the U.S. Congress.  Well-deserved contempt, I have to say, because there has been no serious effort by the Democratic leadership in Congress to turn off the tap.  They don't have the guts. 

The "benchmarks" are the excuses that Bush gives in return for the forbearance of Congress.  They remind me of the promises of a junkie to stay clean, given to indulgent parents or guardians, who accept each new promise as if all the others had never been made and broken in their turn, each new lie is a new beginning, until ultimately the promises are so devalued as to have lost any meaning whatsoever, but are given pro forma, because to abandon them completely would be to admit the painfully obvious: the total abdication of Congressional authority and the abandonment of any kind of system of checks and balances over an out-of-control executive.

Pathetic?  It's beyond pathetic.  Way beyond.

[Richpo64]

And if anybody know s pathetic ...

 

[Mr_Perceptive]

It is apparently true that they have not been met and that is because we are not treating this conflict as real WAR with no holds barred. We should kick all the reporters out and do what is necessary to root out the infection. By whatever means is necessary. And then leave.

But, before we leave, we should restore the electical grid, install water purficiaton plants in all major population centers, properly train and outfit police and fire forces, install suitable methods for sustainable farming, assure the oil infrastructure is up and running, be sure the roads are repaired and up to at least West Virigina standards and so on. Powell was correct: "We broke it, so we'd better fix it!"

[Michael Tee]

<<It is apparently true that they have not been met and that is because we are not treating this conflict as real WAR with no holds barred. >>

If it's a real WAR then who is the enemy?  Specifically, is the general population of Iraq an enemy population?  By which I mean, if they don't produce positive signs of friendship are they to be treated as citizens of an enemy country?

What exactly is "no holds barred?"  Are you advocating torture or not?  Specifically, does "no holds barred" mean you can torture prisoners with a blowtorch?  Gouge out their eyes?  Put phosphorus in their vaginas, as was done in Viet Nam?  How far are you prepared to take this "no holds barred?"

Do you advocate the bombing of civilian populations?  Taking civilian hostages and executing them if Americans are attacked?  Would this include women?  Children?

How about raping children in front of their parents to make the parents talk?  How about torturing the kids while they are being raped?

Do you know what you are talking about when you say "no holds barred" or is this just some phrase that you think sounds tough?

<<We should kick all the reporters out and do what is necessary to root out the infection.>>

If you are such good guys and your intentions are so pure, why would you want to hide what you are doing from the whole world?  Wouldn't other people in the world recognize how wonderful it was of you to take such pains to build a better Iraq, or are they all too stupid (including your fellow Americans) to appreciate this the way that you and others of like intelligence and foresight will appreciate it?

<<But, before we leave, we should restore the electical grid, install water purficiaton plants in all major population centers, properly train and outfit police and fire forces, install suitable methods for sustainable farming, assure the oil infrastructure is up and running, be sure the roads are repaired and up to at least West Virigina standards and so on. >>

Huh?  If you torture and kill hundreds of thousands of these people, what the fuck do you care if the survivors (assuming there are any) have running water and electricity?  They don't deserve to live, but if they survive they deserve to have electric power?  Something here isn't making sense.

<<Powell was correct: "We broke it, so we'd better fix it!">>

What about all the people you're going to have to "break" in your "no holds barred" war?  Are you gonna fix them too?

[Mr_Perceptive]

Michael Tee: "If it's a real WAR then who is the enemy?  Specifically, is the general population of Iraq an enemy population?  By which I mean, if they don't produce positive signs of friendship are they to be treated as citizens of an enemy country?

What exactly is "no holds barred?"  Are you advocating torture or not?  Specifically, does "no holds barred" mean you can torture prisoners with a blowtorch?  Gouge out their eyes?  Put phosphorus in their vaginas, as was done in Viet Nam?  How far are you prepared to take this "no holds barred?"

Do you advocate the bombing of civilian populations?  Taking civilian hostages and executing them if Americans are attacked?  Would this include women?  Children?

How about raping children in front of their parents to make the parents talk?  How about torturing the kids while they are being raped?"

I advocate killing whoever is responsible for the current instability and if that means some others get caught in the crossfire, so beit. Truly unfortunate, but sometimes a few must be sacrificed for the greater good. I'll weep at their graces and hand 'em over to God or Odin or Allah or whatever the hell they think their god's name is to sort out. That's right, they're Muslims. Oh well. Hell, I'll lay an asbestos suit on their grave. Don't be a naive.


Michael Tee: "If you are such good guys and your intentions are so pure, why would you want to hide what you are doing from the whole world?  Wouldn't other people in the world recognize how wonderful it was of you to take such pains to build a better Iraq, or are they all too stupid (including your fellow Americans) to appreciate this the way that you and others of like intelligence and foresight will appreciate it?"

Good guys? Hell, whoever said we were THAT? Naive and intellectually dishonest. The problem lately is that we are not EFFECTIVE. We as a nation worry too damn much about what the world thinks of you. Do your job; if the world doesn't like it, tough. Get a life. Nope, you rebuild it because you broke it; not because some namby-pamby nation who really doesn't give a rat's ass about you thinks you should. Reports? Oh, THOSE guys/gals; the ones who IQs near the bottom of the gene pool. Oh, okay; now I REALLY care what they think and report.

Michael Tee: "Huh?  If you torture and kill hundreds of thousands of these people, what the fuck do you care if the survivors (assuming there are any) have running water and electricity?  They don't deserve to live, but if they survive they deserve to have electric power?  Something here isn't making sense...What about all the people you're going to have to "break" in your "no holds barred" war?  Are you gonna fix them too?"

I don't care for them per se, only that we do what we said we were going to. You go into a country and conduct war, you OWE it to them to fix the shit you leave behind. Not because they will LOVE you for it or because France, those fuckin' wimps, will APPRECIATE it. You do it because ti should be done. Period. I put in many years as a Devilgod and being effective is where it is at; not winning popularity medals.

Do you know what you are talking about when you say "no holds barred" or is this just some phrase that you think sounds tough?

I put in many years in the Serfice\, did you? I've seen shit that would make you shit yellow. So, don't give me this high and might crap. I got out, went back and got my two Master's degrees, all on my own., Didn't need YOUR help ,that's for sure, either. I just call, as I see 'em. BTE, spent some time reviewing your posts. You are form Canada, eh? I can say with all honesty that I have rarely seen such a smallish fighting force so damned professional in my career. Damn glad to have 'em there in a few exercises. One we had in Germany backed us up and did a damn fine job. Perceptive, bright, canny, trustworthy and EFFECTIVE. They keep their gear in th best shape I have ever seen. Told my boys to emulate them, I did.

The French, however, went to lunch, damnit, right in the middle of the exercise!

[Michael Tee]

<<I advocate killing whoever is responsible for the current instability and if that means some others get caught in the crossfire, so beit. >>

So you're advocating pretty much what they're already doing.  Tens of thousands have been "caught in the crossfire" in various ways already.   That is not exactly "no holds barred."  "No holds barred" is more Nazi-like - - nothing is ruled out of bounds.

<<Good guys? Hell, whoever said we were THAT? Naive and intellectually dishonest. The problem lately is that we are not EFFECTIVE. We as a nation worry too damn much about what the world thinks of you. Do your job; if the world doesn't like it, tough.>>

Wel, after you've blown all the good-will - - and perhaps lost a few satellite Arab countries as a result of it - - what do you actually GET that makes the loss of the world's good opinion worthwhile?  Also:  if it's not important to have the world thinking well of you, aren't you wasting an awful lot of money on diplomacy, ambassadors, embassies, Voice of America, etc. around the world?

<<Reports? Oh, THOSE guys/gals; the ones who IQs near the bottom of the gene pool. Oh, okay; now I REALLY care what they think and report.>>

LOL.  One of them, my daughter, has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.  She's not at the bottom of anyone's gene pool.  Speaks 4 European languages besides English.  And she wasn't even the first in her class.  There were plenty of bright kids in that group and I'd trust any one of them to get out the story with no BS a lot more than I'd trust any uniformed killer who can't even subdue a country of 23 million Arabs in more time than the U.S. spent in all of WWII.  I don't know that the genetic makeup of the average G.I.  is somehow at the TOP of anyone's gene pool, but I can think of very few groups which I'd place any lower.

<<I don't care for them per se, only that we do what we said we were going to. You go into a country and conduct war, you OWE it to them to fix the shit you leave behind. Not because they will LOVE you for it or because France, those fuckin' wimps, will APPRECIATE it. You do it because ti should be done. Period. I put in many years as a Devilgod and being effective is where it is at; not winning popularity medals.>>

As a matter of fact they were running their own country a lot more effectively BEFORE the Americans got there than after.  Free education and medical care for everyone and a Westernized life style.  The most "effective" thing you could do for them right now is to haul your sorry asses off their lands as fast as humanly possible.  You've already done enough damage.  Most of which can never be repaired.

<<I put in many years in the Serfice\, did you?>>

No, but I don't think it takes anything special to get in, in fact I understand now that they're not insisting on high school diplomas any more and are waiving some criminal records as well.   It isn't exactly M.I.T., you know, and I'm not impressed by anyone's boasting about his military service.  WWII vets excepted.

<<I've seen shit that would make you shit yellow.>>

Yeah, I can just feel the pride.  Personally, I think every fucking war criminal deserves to be executed and if I had anything to do with it, they would be.

<< So, don't give me this high and might crap. I got out, went back and got my two Master's degrees, all on my own., Didn't need YOUR help ,that's for sure, either. I just call, as I see 'em.>>

Well, I'm not gonna dispute EVERYTHING you write.  That's impressive and you've got a right to be proud of it.

<< BTE, spent some time reviewing your posts. You are form Canada, eh? I can say with all honesty that I have rarely seen such a smallish fighting force so damned professional in my career. Damn glad to have 'em there in a few exercises. One we had in Germany backed us up and did a damn fine job. Perceptive, bright, canny, trustworthy and EFFECTIVE. They keep their gear in th best shape I have ever seen. Told my boys to emulate them, I did.>>

Thank you.  We're proud of them.

<<The French, however, went to lunch, damnit, right in the middle of the exercise!>>

Probably had much better food and drink waiting for them.  You should learn to appreciate their culture.  It stands in the same relation to yours as a cathedral does to a tarpaper shack.  I've often tried to figure out this American hostility towards France, and the only thing I can think of is that, at bottom, they are jealous.  They know the French are superior to them in every way, but there is no way on earth that they can allow themselves to admit it.