Conflicting views in Baghdad

[leftchick]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/front/10435423.htm


<snip>
BAGHDAD - Deep within the Green Zone, the fortified home of Iraq's interim administration, U.S. officials are offering an upbeat assessment of their multibillion-dollar efforts to rebuild the country.

At briefings there and in Washington, Bush administration officials say a tidal wave of U.S. aid is finally having an impact on everything from health care and oil production to restoring the marshes of southern Iraq. Some of these behind-the-scenes, long-term improvements will benefit lives for decades, they say.

On the streets beyond the Green Zone, there are Iraqis who would disagree, saying that little, if any, progress is being made and that the overall quality of life remains unremittingly grim.

"The Americans keep saying that they are making things better and better," said Ali Ayad, a 17-year-old school dropout. "If things are getting better, why did I have to leave school to support my family?"

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. why did I have to leave school to support my family?"

than having to go off to a foreign land and die to support your family.

[UpInArms]

2. the disconnected pep-talks

occur on both sides of the Atlantic - here we are doing "better and better" - there we are doing "better and better" -

reality is it sucks :puke:

[steely]

3. Would be nice if we could get an in-depth report by the numbers

comparing actual accomplishments to goals/plans, rather than these global generalizations from some spokesperson who saw a power point presentation once.

Where is the plan? If Rummy/Bushco got the vehicle armor situation wrong, what else are they missing the boat on? Can on the Bushco side talk directly to the contrary reports?

[Sara Beverley]

4. Hey, we destroyed the country. How can we expect accolades for this?

Is there any journalist out there who will ask the hard questions of this administration? There is nothing to be proud of here. We destroy a nation's historic and beautiful infrastructure over a 16-year period and want some credit for rebuilding it? Gimme-a-break!!

[jmcgowanjm]

5. The city's electricity supply has now been cut.

http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/5LAJTE

And it hasn't been the same since.

Something happened between April 3-7 2003
to the electric grid in Iraq. One day we'll
know.

I know this is BS:
"But the existing plants were in such bad shape that Iraqi
officials decided to do maintenance on those plants with
a capacity of 1,400 megawatts, taking them off-line -
and temporarily erasing the gains from new plants. Most
Iraqis still have power for only a few hours a
day."

Watching April 1 2003, from the roof of the
Palestine Hotel(something that is not allowed
now), one could easily see the "existing plants
in bad shape" putting out all kinds of electricity.