Let me verbalize my latest burst of paranoia

[Goldmund]

What if it's all a plan?

What if the mess in Iraq was projected, and will be let to fester and grow until it's at a level that can justify a drastic move otherwise impossible -- such as, invasions of Syria and Iran (both jammed between Iraq on one side and Israel and Pakistan on respectively on the other, all countries which the US would be able to use as springboards)? Also, are you noticing how Trent Lott's "mow them down" comment isn't getting much play or public outrage, or at least a pretense to outrage? If soldiers keep dying, and they will if the status quo remains, I think they will try to channel the outrage into "we have to stop being 'PC' (it disgusts me to even think about how to the r-Thugs trying to minimize civilian deaths amounts to political correctness) and clean that joint up!". If another terrorist attack happens, there is no doubt they would be succesful in justifying a major all-out war in the ME. I'm sure they have plenty of tools at their disposal to bring in other countries into the conflict.

I ramble... The jist of it is, this mess wasn't very hard to predict (and those in charge of deciding have much more raw information then we do to help them decide), and I just don't buy that they were "ideologically driven" and clueless. "Aaaaw shucks! seems I fucked up again!" is one of the main methods of neocon posturing. Now think if the intensity keeps growing, and it will, what will be the reaction of the administration? How will they silence the critics? By withdrawing?

I doubt it.

[flamingyouth]

1. Either they're completely evil, or completely inept

I tend to think the real truth is somewhere inbetween. Not that I discount your theory, mind you.

[Leados]

2. That's an interesting

theory on the current events. Surely the PNAC'ers aren't THAT stupid, so indeed, it could be a plan for world domination. But I doubt the rest of the world will go for it, and the US Empire will crumble just like all the others in the past.

The funny thing is that Bush* is a history major, and should know better to avoid blunders like Iraq.

[liberalmuse]

3. Sheeit...

It would be really, REALLY hard to be too paranoid where these people are concerned. Think of how many of your paranoid thoughts about this administration have already come true? However, their tactics have more to do with using simple, neanderthal thuggery than them having any kind of brilliant plot up their sleeves.

[Goldmund]

4. I don't know about "brilliant" --

-- didn't literally millions of people in the world think that this is exactly what was going to happen?

I predicted that Iraq was going to turn into a quagmire before they ever went in. And by no means do I consider that prediction "brilliant". After all, that same prediction was made by at least 100 other people I personally know, 90% of people on this very forum, and literally millions around the world.

So, I don't think they needed to be brilliant to plan something like this. All they had to do was plan more than a single move in advance. Being that the neocons have been slowly, consistently and succesfully chipping away at our country for several decades now, I have no reason to believe they just play it by ear.

[KoKo]

6. Well, they are in a corner now, and like a trapped animal they need an out

It's not like Bush and the rest of the Bully Boys to just sit and have approval ratings tick down and a few of their Repugs are getting upset with the deaths, some print press is getting more vocal...so they just might feel they have to do SOMETHING. And, since they have a "blank check from Congress" to wage war wherever they see it, makes sense that they might just decide to bomb Syria on the Israeli border and claim it was because their "intelligence" told them there was a plot to attack Israel. Or they could bomb the border between Iraq and Syria claiming they were taking out "terrorist camps."

It's probably a likely scenario, given they way they operate. And, as I said given that they are "boxed in" and the ramping up of the violence is probably annoying the hell out of them.

They just got their money today on a "voice vote" in the Senate, so to them there's no viable opposition to their War whever we see it mentality.....so why not "Go For It!"

I hope not, but the worse with them has a way of coming true. :-(

[Goldmund]

7. I think they may not be "in a corner".

They've engineered a situation that looks that way. Their propaganda machine is multi-layered, and one of its aspects is that they make the people who disagree with them think that they (the Thugs) are dumb and they just keep fumbling.

I don't think they're fumbling now. I can't but think they've counted on this all along; after all, as I said, people with much less access to intelligence and geostrategic information projected this exactly as it is.

I hope I'm wrong, but in the words of Charles Barkley, I doubt it.

[sable302]

8. ok, I'm a bit slow catching on

Why would the Republicans want us to think that they are dumb and fumbling? How would the image that the administration is dumb at war pave the way for them to start other wars?

If stinking up the war in Iraq is part of their plan, how does this help them?

I mean, if this is some super brilliant plan by the Repubs to confuse the crap out of me, it's working.

[david_vincent]

5. Welcome to DU, Leados

I happen to agree with you.
As for how they'll silence critics, I don't think they'll have to do anything themselves. Power always attracts sycophants. All that will be necessary on their part is to keep calling opponents "unpatriotic traitors" and there will be plenty of Floyd Turbo types who will do the dirty work of harassment, intimidation, and assault for them.
It's high time for us to start calling the pointless sacrifice of our troops for objectives that have nothing to do with domestic security "unpatriotic"; after all, that's what it is.