perfidy

I'm going to invite a withering barrage of return fire now.

1) Now that Saddam Hussein has been captured (sweet!), can we please return to the war on terrorism? I've never quite understood what the value was of libervading Iraq instead of Syria or some such overt state sponsor of terrorism. To make a movie analogy, was going into Iraq like Han Solo walking into the Mos Eisley Cantina and shooting the dude nearest the door, just to scare the shit out of the other scum and villains?

Please understand. My saying this does NOT imply that I am an "idiotarian". It does NOT imply I am an America-hater. It does NOT imply I am pro-Saddam. It does NOT imply I am pro-totalitarian. 5) Its does NOT imply that Mullah Misha needs to issue a fatwa on my ass. I'm just asking that the Taliban be beaten soundly over the head, Iraq's infrastructure stabilized, Israel and Palestine made to sit quietly and work shit out (...yeah....), and the rest of the actual America-haters in the region dealt with. I think some of these goals have been neglected of late.

2) Let's not forget that Hussein's capture, sweet as it is, was never the reason for invading in the first place. Remember the imminent threat from Weapons of Mass Destruction? Where the hell are those things, anyway?

3) Did you know that the US's reserve of troops is now down to a few National Guardsmen? Jeeeeesus.

4) Why exclude Germany, France, Canada, etc. from bidding on contracts in Iraq and invite Rwanda to the table? And why do it on the same day that James "The Fixer" Baker is working to get Germany and France to forgive debts to Iraq. It's called synergy, George. It's a business buzzword. Or did you fall asleep during Org-Management class?

5) If the economy's so hot, why is Wal-Mart selling so many gift cards this holiday season, and so much less actual merchandise than expected? Is it because the full-time job market still sucks ass and because most people have burned their savings and run up credit card debt?

[wik] A commenter at Pandagon has framed the Bush's line on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction beautifully. Taking a cue from Bush's intimation that not having found wmd's yet is evidence of their existence, they are going to tell their daughter this Christmas that "wanting a pony is the same as having one." Zing!