Reluctance to Share Control in Iraq Leaves U.S. on Its Own

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10285-2003Sep27.html

NEW YORK -- To rebuild Iraq after the ouster of Saddam Hussein, the Bush administration wanted control and it wanted international help on U.S. terms. A difficult few days of personal diplomacy at the United Nations last week confirmed that President Bush cannot have both, so he has settled for control.

Neither the United Nations nor the Iraqi Governing Council will have much authority over events in Iraq anytime soon, the White House has decided. Policymakers consider the Iraqi overhaul too complex and the stakes too high to risk surrendering enough responsibility to win significant amounts of fresh international assistance.

That calculation, rooted in the politics of Iraq and Iowa alike, leaves Bush and his key aides largely where they were on the war's opening night: calling the shots, essentially alone.

"They're on their own," a U.N. official said. "It's just between them and the American taxpayer."

more

[gratuitous]

1. Like the boy in the fable

Reaching into a pitcher, he'd grabbed a huge handful of walnuts. Too big a handful, and he couldn't get his hand out of the narrow opening. The boy begins to cry, and his father tells him to let go of a few of the walnuts, and he'll be able to get his hand out.

Keep an eye on Lil George. He'll have a pitcher of walnuts on his hand, because he's never had to learn a simple childhood lesson.

[benfranklin1776]

6. Good analogy!

n/t

[underpants]

9. I'll have to remember that one

:thumbsup:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. I'm not a rocket scientist, but geez, even I thought it was a joke

when the Warhawks started asking for help from the people they told to fuck off.

Damn right, we're on our own. Thanks, Dubya.

[benfranklin1776]

4. Yep its a horridly absurdist exercise really if you think about it.

It takes real chutzpah to ask the very same people you so recently derided as "irrelevant" and "Old Europe" to send their money and their young men and women to die for an exercise in folly that they warned you against. What compounds that unbridled hubris is the expectation that they simply pony up a pile of money and their troops and leave the ultimate control of the occupation to Junior's cronies so as to preserve their uninterrupted corporate plunder of the countryside. This is of course consistent with Junior's attitude in that he views the rest of the world as "the hired help" who exist only to serve and who are expected to remain obedient and silent while so doing.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

7. Well said. The actions of this administration border on insanity.

It really is like typical alcoholic behaviour. I want it and I want it now with no regard for previous or future actions.

[benfranklin1776]

10. Good point.

And isn't it ironic that this same Bushian crew was always extolling the virtues of "taking personal responsibility?" HA. Here we see their true stripes which is when they screw up royally, as they so often do, they have others clean up their messes (think S and L bailout in the 1980's) or, if others balk at being used in this fashion, they simply pawn the costs off to future generations by borrowing the money and don't even think about asking them and their buddies to give back some of their tax cuts. Perish the thought. Yep it is alcoholic behavior alright, except its not a disease with them but a pathology. Unfortunately though we are the long suffering family who must cope with its effects.

[truthisfreedom]

3. duh.

friggin' nightmare.

[cliss]

5. That's been my hunch for a long time.

The decision was made behind closed doors, that to open up Iraq to UN peacekeeping forces was to admit defeat. They simply weren't willing to go there.

Instead, we are virtually alone, burning through $$billions of dollars to bolster that American Pride. Sending lots of money to various countries around the world to bribe them into joining. So far, no takers.

We have to assume that they have some sort of financial sense of what's going on. Can we afford to do this on our own? I've posted several times that this is the equivalent of 'Russian Roulette'.

They seem to feel that we can hang in there for the long haul. The Reagan Administration (which this administration is a copy of) racked up huge deficits in order to build up its military arsenal, and somehow the country made it through those years.

I work as a Senior Accountant, and my guts tell me this is fiscal insanity. It seems, every day we see a new headline, screeching Budget Deficit now at $600 billion.

How long can we keep this up?

[calimary]

17. Hate to be a nag, but have you called your congressmember yet?

Please do so! They need to hear that the people who employ them say "not another nickel for Iraq!" Especially when they can't account for about half of it every month.

Truly. Have you called your senators about this? Your congressman or congresswoman? You - meaning not just YOU, cliss, but EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD!?

If all we do is sit here and post our gripes about how rotten these thieves in the White House are, it'll go no farther than just right here. Our anger will go down a black hole. We have to extend it WAY beyond just this board for it to do any good at all, or have any impact, or have any hopes for effecting positive change!

Here are two toll-free numbers for the Capitol Hill switchboard:

1 (800) 839 - 5276

1 (800) 648 - 3516

You call these numbers, and they'll connect you to the office of your choice.

A good thing to do, also, is - beyond the three basic calls (yes, three. Three for both your senators and your individual congressmember) is to call even just ONE congressperson or senator from somewhere else. Spread the word just a tiny bit farther that way.

I know it seems like we already are shouting down a black hole. But we have to make our voices heard. Use the anger on these boards to motivate you into action! Our country needs it! Heck, our whole f-ing WORLD needs it at this point! We have GOT to turn the tide. Yes, they have the big campaign bucks, and FOR NOW all the marbles. But remember, nothing lasts forever, not even rethug supremacy. Cracks in the wall have already formed. Resistance is NOT futile. Even in "Star Trek" they finally vanquished the Borg.

[underpants]

8. "It's just between them and the American taxpayer."

That is one of the best things I've heard said about this buffoonery.

Remember what W loves to say "It's YOUR money".

[NNN0LHI]

11. He ain't been using that "It's YOUR money" line too much anymore n/t

[underpants]

14. That's because there is none of OUR money left

It's already in their cronies' pockets.

[benfranklin1776]

12. Indeed they often repeat that canard.

However as Senator Byrd is fond of reminding, much to their chagrin, its also "Your debt (and your children's and grandchildren's....."

[Nottingham]

13. Reluctance to share the oil and give outside contracts

is what has US go it alone!

[underpants]

16. As I've said before: More hands would mess up their whole business model

The profit margins just wouldn't be right. Unless of course they could have convinced the "Old" and "irrelevant" to not only provide troops but also kick in enough money to offset what W&Co. had to give away. It could have been a whole new revenue stream but alas not.

I wonder how that "Donors summit" is going. Or is that next weekend?

[bpilgrim]

15. In the end Rome preferred to DICTATE then go on with a republic

everything going according to plan i'm sure rummy and cheney are telling the EMPEROR.

peace

[cliss]

18. Calimary, thanks.

I will do it. (it helps to have numbers!) I'm going to call tomorrow when I get to the office. I have to assume their offices are closed on Sunday.

Also, I was so impressed by someone who posted here a few months ago; he wrote that he got busy and recruited 250 NEW DEMOCRATS!!! for the last election. I want to be a part of that.

I know lots of apathetic teenagers in our neighborhood, and I'm going to get in touch with them.