The Insane War-Loving Minority

Yesterday Editor & Publisher said, “With Paul Krugman hitting the surge on Monday, this represents perhaps a first: all six regular (New York Times) opinion columnists (Brooks, Krugman, Friedman, Dowd, Kristof and Rich) are in agreement on a vital issue, all against the escalation.” E&P also noted that Oliver North had attacked the surge idea in his column on Friday, and on Sunday, George Will commented in his Washington Post article, “Surge, or Power Failure?” that the surge was too little, too late and only would prolong the war. Since I am unable to read any of the above-mentioned New York Times Op-Ed writers because I refuse to pay the extortionate membership fee required by the NYT TimesSelect club, I have not read Paul Krugman this morning. However, the teaser accompanying his article “Quagmire of the Vanities” is probably enough to catch his drift: “The only real question about the planned ‘surge’ in Iraq is whether its proponents are cynical or delusional.” Those proponents, who can rightly be called cynical AND delusional, have been quick to say that cutting off funds for the war would endanger the troops already in Iraq. Which is nonsense. Congress can and should cut off funds for any escalation (fatuously called a “surge”). Nearly three-quarters of the American public oppose the way George W. Bush is handling the war in Iraq. But the neocons claim that cutting off funds for the war in Iraq may endanger our troops. What hypocrisy! Our government has never properly equipped our fighting forces in Iraq; our government has unadvisedly and foolishly spent funds appropriated for the war in Iraq; our government did not properly evaluate this war or send enough troops in the very beginning; our government is penny-pinching and tight-fisted about adequately providing money for medical procedures and prescriptions to wounded veterans returning from Iraq. And now, our government is making plans to send 30,000 more troops to Iraq. This escalation cannot even pretend to be about fighting for freedom and democracy in Iraq. This escalation of troops will fight Iraq’s civil war. How hardhearted, un-American and unpatriotic does the Bush administration, the Pentagon and the Defense Department have to be before Congress pulls the plug on this insanity in Iraq? It’s interesting that two rumors are making the rounds about Dick Cheney. And these rumors, if they prove to be true, will show that Dick Cheney may be a rat but he is the only one in the Bush administration who is not insane. Rumor No. 1: Dick Cheney believes the war in Iraq has been lost. Rumor No. 2: Dick Cheney has plans to step down due to “ill health”.