I think the fight over "the surge" is a deflection

[Rosemary2205]

I got caught up into it like everyone else. I saw a blurb on World News on ABC last week that showed how the troop levels have changed over the last 4 years. Troop levels have swung up and down as much as 50,000 soldiers at least once a year, sometimes more and there has never been any public discussion about troop levels by the Bush admin.

Now we have all this hype over 20,000. Like I said, I got caught up in it too. But after seeing that chart I am convinced the whole hype over the troop levels is a ploy of some sort. It is either a distraction so the media spends all it's time on that instead of what Bush is doing to F*ck us up on the quiet -- or else it's deliberate cover for Republican lawmakers to "look" like mavericks.

But it's hype. IMHO.

[Lerkfish]

1. its a distraction from the real purpose: attacking Iran.

[patricia92243]

2. I think we are getting ready to bomb Iran. n/t

[NoAmericanTaliban]

3. You may be right.

The attack on the 'augmentation' is a way the dems can complain about Iraq now, when they should have done it before the war. But it is also a way to rally the anti-Iraq war movement. Repukes are now jumping on the band wagon as well.

I like the Braves myself. Not sure how they will do this year with their cheap owners. Wish we had Ted Turner back.

[Avalux]

4. Yep - it's not a change in policy, it's stay the course.

Putting 20K more troops in the meat grinder is not going to change the situation in any way. The goal of the Bush Administration is to deceive the American people into thinking they're working toward an end - while maintaining the status quo indefinitely. We are going to be pummeled by propoganda over the next six months by the Pentagon's lie machine.

The goal of Bushco is not to stabilize Iraq and withdraw our troops - it's not beneficial to them and their big oil buddies. They are there for the long haul and as imperialists, certainly do hope to expand the war - the "long war" as stated many times by Bushco officials - throughout the region. The sacrifice of our troops for their greedy wants is an acceptable loss for them.

We have to remember the real reason we invaded Iraq. This is all just smoke and mirrors.

[Bruce McAuley]

5. In my opinion, it buys us about 1 month.

Just about long enough to get the Iraqi Legislature to pass the PSA's so Exxon can get a sweetheart deal on Iraqi oil for the next 30 years.
Included will be a provision that the oil will ALWAYS be sold in dollars.
It props up the dollar for that length of time.
They ALL knew that at the SOTU.
Nobody came right out and said it, but from their actions, they all knew they had to shut up until the legislation gets passed screwing the Iraqi people for the next 30 years, and also props us up for a while economically.
It's what we wanted from the start.
If Iran pisses us off, for a start we'll just occupy Kuzestan, and take most of their oil too.
Damned whores.
To get along, you gotta go along.

Bruce