Category: Politics, Policy & Culture

Tim over at ChariOtaku has found a picture of a leaflet dropped by US forces on cities and towns in Japan during WWII. It’s what you might call “truth in advertising.”

It’s surely not a good sign, especially so early in the war, for the generals and the secretary of defense to already be laying the groundwork for passing blame. Is there any better way to tell when a war is going badly?
First, anonymous Pentagon officials spread disparaging comments about Rumsfeld:
Report: Rumseld Ignored Pentagon Advice on Iraq
Reuters (via Yahoo! News)

“He thought he knew better. He was the decision-maker at every turn,” the article quoted an unidentified senior Pentagon planner as saying. “This is the mess Rummy put himself in because he didn’t want a heavy footprint on the ground.” It also said Rumsfeld had overruled advice from war commander Gen. Tommy Franks to delay the invasion until troops denied access through Turkey could be brought in by another route and miscalculated the level of Iraqi resistance.

Then, Rumsfeld drops a subtle comment during a news briefing, shifting responsibility for the war back onto General Tommy Franks.
Pentagon News Briefing Transcript
New York Times Online (reg. required)

Rumsfeld: “Well, we’re one week into this and it seems to me it’s a bit early for history to be written, one would think. The war plan is Tom Franks’ war plan. It was carefully prepared over many months.”

Ultimate responsibility, of course, lies with neither man, but with the commander-in-chief.

Muckraker and Bowling For Columbine director Michael Moore has written a letter to President Bush that sounds like it was written by an angry adolescent girl who’s just been dumped by a boyfriend she never had and who can’t contain her rage.
Really, one would hope Moore could do better than this sorry tirade.

These days, Americans of shallow mind and feeble perspective are having a grand old time bashing the French as if they detest and distrust America any more than the rest of the world. Fat chance.
As usual, Americans look for enemies where our leaders tell us to look for them. The Wizard says, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”
Here’s a hint for those who are happily gorging on “freedom” fries: Look behind the curtain.

Nothing like a good war to unhinge delicately balanced geo-political relationships. Let’s look at Turkey for a moment.
First, the Turkish government (apparently reacting to the wishes of their own citizens — damn that democracy!), refused entry to the American war machine. Even a generous investment package (cough, cough — multi-billion dollar bribe) wasn’t enough to sway the Turks.
In the aftermath of that giant “NO!,” the U.S. and Turkey were talking trash towards each other like cross-town cheerleading squads. At one point, following a speech by Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Turkish official commented that his country didn’t appreciate being threatened by America.
The Bush administration continues to put the screws on Turkey, hoping for a follow-up vote just in case some Turkish legislators mistakenly hit the wrong button during the first vote.
Meanwhile, the “market” is further punishing Turkey for it’s intransigence. You can’t say no to America these days without some financial repercussions (Russia and France will not be found in the oil fields of post-war Iraq).
As the U.S. tries to figure out exactly what it will take to convince Turkey to allow U.S. forces on its soil, the Kurds in Northern Iraq are looking around nervously, wondering if they will get screwed once again.
In our brave, new world, America will increasingly maintain alliances based on financial rather than legal, democratic or humanitarian values.

Democratic leaders strongly criticized President Bush’s handling of foreign affairs the other day. It’s a little fucking late, you worthless idiots!
Last fall, in a calculated strategy to win votes in the fall elections, Democrats were falling over themselves to support Bush’s plans to go to war. They got stomped by the Republicans, who should have sent thank you cards to Democratic strategists.
And now, days before the bombing begins, congressional Democrats think some tough talk is going to change anything? They’re just going to piss off swing voters who are more likely to fall for the whole “rally round the President” crap. And they’re sending yet another message to all but the most fanatic of Democratic supporters that the party is in shambles, unable to provide leadership when America is desperately in need of some.
Already — following President Bush’s speech yesterday — Democrats have backed off, saying they now need to give their support to their Commander-in-Chief. Wow. They gave us 24 hours of tough talk seven months late. Worthless.
Get ready for a second Bush administration.