Assumptions: GWB followed his heart against the advice of Congressional and Pentagon leaders and instituted the troop surge in Iraq on his own advice and volition because of the 2006 GOP losses in Congress. Even the GWB believers were astonished and wondered if he was sane.
Facts: GWB has consistently fought against setting a timetable for troop withdrawals from Iraq because it forecast us leaving the battle unfinished and gave the enemy comfort and a timetable for resurgence of their own. The November election for US President is November 4th.
Today: GWB announces a timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq. Some troops by November, others by February.
Conclusion: Even GWB can change colors to keep the war going and the party in power.
Timeliness of this announcement can only be interpreted as political.
No announcement was needed. It would have been "Country First" to forego the announcement and simply remove the troops without giving the enemy notice. Now the enemy can reserve strength until their opposition is diminished. This is exactly the argument GWB used against the advanced troop withdrawal plans and, hence, is so politically hypocritical.
A possible result, some US citizens will be happier, have a reason to believe they have spent their money wisely, feel that 'maybe we really did win the war', and will mitigate their views of GWB (and subsequently and inherently, McBush) as a successful military leader(s).
Connections: This allows the "I am qualified to be President because I was POW and I do not want you to forget it in a war we lost" hero, now John McChange and his leashed pitbull, to continue the war and fight for the USA using the weapons with which he is familiar.
Opinion: Since this is my first diary, I want to take a moment to explain why, I, a conservative Republican, am voting for Obama.
On September 11, 2001, I was amazed by the visual facts that there were people who hated the USA so much that they could be indoctrinated to cause this level of indiscrimant destruction. It was an awakening for me. I wanted to know who hated this much and why. I have spent the last 7 years learning.
My conclusions are
- there has been a cultivated, uneducated lack of communication and understanding between the US and other world countries about what role the US should play in the rest of the world. The attitude of 'holier than thou', 'better than thou', and 'we don't need to be part of the rest of the world' has been exasperated by the Bushs' and, to some degree, the Clinton administrations, and;
- I watched Obama address 200,000 Europeans', freely shouting approval and hope at the Berlin gate. Then, at approximately the same time, I watched the water cannons blasting anti-USA protesters in Bangkok when GWB was visiting on his way to the Olympic games (and criticizing China for it's internal policies), it was a historic moment for me.
- Obama offered me the hope that we could make a 'change' in the way the USA is perceived. It is obvious to me that you can not kill an idea with a bullet; yet, GWB has been trying so hard. We have sent so much of our needed resources over to a country who will eventually turn on us, probably in my life time. We needed those resources to shore up our own defenses and economy. We will need that strength to withstand the coming conflicts with countries who allow religious leaders to be in political power.
- A better idea can overcome another idea if it is presented creditably. Obama assumes that the rest of the world does not grasp that our idea of civilization is better than theirs. He knows that to convince them is to show them by example. John Mc'Change and his hipshooting mama assumes that the other countries should get in line and will kick butt if they don't. Assumptions are very important.