It is not a surge. It was an escalation of our occupation.

[Warren Stupidity]

<rant>
I understand that the Bullshit Media System regurgitates their framing. It is part of their revised post watergate job description. What I do not understand is why we here at DU also mindlessly regurgitate their framing.

The escalation of the occupation in Iraq was not and is not a 'surge'. That term was introduced by Karl Rove's marketing experts to obfuscate the fact that the revised new more of the same only worse plan from the cabal (operation run out the clock) was simply to escalate the war. In response to an embarassing electoral defeat primarily over the Iraq war and ongoing occupation, and an embarassing report from the Iraq Study Group that clearly stated that the war and occupation could not be won militarily, the criminal cabal simply dug in and plowed forward.

In order to confuse the issue they invented 'the surge' to pretend that they were in fact changing policies in Iraq. There has been no policy change. We are continuing to stay the course. The course is the permanent occupation of Iraq. The course is control over the mesopotamian oil fields through a land, sea, and air based military force that is based in Iraq and in the gulf.

Everytime I see a post here referring to 'the surge' I start getting itchy. We need to resist their bullshit framing. It starts by NOT USING THEIR TERMINOLOGY.
</rant>

[Dhalgren]

1. Recommended! You are so right. The "Surge" is a lie and a fraud.

The Bush dictatorship has simple escalated the violence in the Iraqi Occupation by increasing the occupation forces. US occupation forces are stepping up the killing of Iraqi citizens and in the process are incurring more casualties and loss of equipment. The escalation has even given the anti-occupation fighters more and better opportunities to capture US and allied soldiers. This is not just a bad plan, it is no plan, at all. The Bush dictatorship isn't "running out the clock", it is trying to establish a permanent occupation that cannot be ended within our lifetimes. We still occupy Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, and Britain (to name just a few), so why not Iraq, as well? Because the Iraqis are killing US soldiers and are willing to die to put an end to the occupation. I can foresee a time, at some point, when "insurgencies" will spring up in other occupied countries. Then what will the American dictatorship do?

[Warren Stupidity]

4. And yet we mindlessly buy into their bullshit.

Count the posts here that use 'surge'. Can anyone recall any of our 'spokespeople' on the bullshit media system challenging 'the surge' for the total lie that it is?

The level of corruption and collusion is astounding. From secret backroom corporate trade deals, postal rate legislation written by the large publixhing houses to shut out the independents, to the goddman criminal occupation of Iraq we the people get nothing but bullshit and the proverbial shaft. From medicare plan D and prescription drug follies to student loan graft it is nothing but shennanigans. What level of crackup is it going to take to flush the crap out of Washington?

[Philosoraptor]

2. Framing is everything.

It's not hard to do, it doesn't take a genius, simply twist and repeat. Cut and run, surrender, defeat, victory, success, failure, framing ideas to fit on bumper stickers or buttons works very well.

In the repub's case, simply say the opposite of what a thing really is, and the R voters react robotically.

[spanone]

3. It's a slaughter not a surge. How many will die for bu$h*s' oil & ego?

[H2O Man]

5. I would agree that

the White House "experts" use the word "surge" to try to put the best face on the policy of increasing the occupation forces. I would disagree with your belief that DUers "mindlessly regurgitate their framing." The word "surge" can indeed be used accurately to describe the Bush-Cheney policy; indeed, most of the American public seems aware that there has been a "surge" in violence, including a "surge" in the deaths of US soldiers in April. And there is no evidence that I am aware of the the use of the word "surge" has increased public support for the failed policies of the administration. I don't recall anyone on DU expressing a change of opinion due to the use of the word "surge." Hence, I would suggest that it might be beneficial to consider using the word against the administration.

[TahitiNut]

10. I'll quibble with you, my friend.

I'll quibble about the 'accuracy' in the use of that term in that it clearly implies a short-term increase in troops - an increase followed quickly by a comparable decrease. Thus, it accepts a postulate that's not at all assured: that we'll see a comparable decrease in just a couple of months. Moreover, the magnitude of the increase was deliberately understated as "20,000" when it's clear that a far larger overall increase in in-country troop levels (and contractor support) was intended.

While I tend to agree that there's no clear indication that the use of this term has fooled anyone, it does make implications that are not demonstrably accurate.

[H2O Man]

11. Good point.

"Surge" definitely implies a short-term increase in troops. And as there is no evidence that the administration intends to make this a short-term increase, I stand corrected. Even if the Congress acts in a manner that does result in this being (relatively) short-termed, the administration's use of the word is indeed dishonest and misleading.

[TahitiNut]

18. I hesitate to say this ...

... not only because it's in response to a like-minded agreement and I'm not usually inclined to kiss male butts ... but because a personally-directed remark is technically as invalid when positive as it is when negative. Nonetheless ...
You are (IMHO!) truly one of DU's exemplary gentlemen and scholars, Dan. Your civil, well-reasoned, and well-supported posts - in both agreement and disagreement - are a model for any forum. Even more, your (somewhat dry) sense of humor is precious ... and apparently overlooked by many. I love a good sense of humor - as a symptom of both intellect and mental health. Let's clone you!?! OK?

:silly:

[Warren Stupidity]

14. Precisely: clearly implies a short-term increase

The framing deliberately obfuscates the fact that this is not temporary at all. It is in fact permanent. This is why I break out in hives when I see it used here. Damn that rash. It is permanently surging all over my body.

[sheerjoy]

6. EXACTLY!!!!!

...and it appears we are powerless to stop * from sendng more and more troops....amazing...

[TahitiNut]

12. "We" are powerless only when we accept defeat without trying ... or trying enough.

This is the very essence of "Pink Tutuism" - having no taste for the conflict that is unavoidable in the face of predatory global corporatism (i.e. contemporary fascism).

I give an example of "not trying enough" at http://journals.democraticunderground.com/TahitiNut/385

[sheerjoy]

13. Oh I have fought

him for over six years now... I vowed to stay on his arse every day of his tumultuous reign of terror... the Repugnants stayed on Clinton for 8 years.... * deserves no less...

[Jacobin]

7. Yep there's a graph of the troops strength over the last four years

and there are ups and downs. The current situation is simply an uptick utterly and completely in line with and exactly like similar upticks in troops levels which have happened in the past years.

Its nothing but a meaningless new moniker for the same old shiite.

[Cronus Protagonist]

8. It's as if we're being sold a product, isn't it?

[Igel]

15. As soon as you talk about 'framing', you're talking sales.

Marketing folk have known about 'framing' for a century or so. They know that it's an important part of the game, but it's far from "everything".

[Warren Stupidity]

16. Yup: It is so much rosy the riveter updated to the 00's

And it is so not the nazi peril we were warring against 60 years ago. Heck we are not even at war, at least not in the modern industrial age meaning of that term. Instead we are at plunder. Internal and external plunder, sold with the clearly too good to be coincidence terra of 9-11, plunder so conveniently timed to coincide with the planetary crisis of peak oil.

It is all so bloody obvious to anyone with half a brain paying the slightest attention, and yet 90% of the population still has not figured it out. One has to admire the sheer technical prowess of what used to be called Madison Avenue.

[KharmaTrain]

9. You Hang 'Em By That Same Framing...

I've never subscribed to the talking points unless it's in a pejorative fashion...as it's so simple and satisfying to bring up one hypocrisy after another and use the same lexicon to debunk and ridicule it.

It's terms like "Surge" that will resonate a year from now with cringes and scorn and be firmly tatooed with a "GOOP" brand on it. So will "Mission Accomplished" and many other decades-old chestnuts that now have not only fallen but are being burried by reality.

This occupation, just like Vietnam, is wrapped in its own double-speak and their effectiveness weaken as the "facts on the ground" say different. The framing you rightfully rant about was used against us in '02 and '04, but now those same words are causing the Repugnicans to choke. They've done such a "wonderful job" in screwing things up, let's continue to use their words to hammer 'em.

Cheers...

[truedelphi]

17. I agree! I am impressed.

I also want people like commentators who are on our side whining that they don't know how to frame things.

When the Right wing media and talking heads say "The Democrats with their spending bill are offering to surrender"
We don't argue that.

We just say, as Reagan did "There you go again!"
If necessary "There you Fuc*&j&" go again!"

You don't argue with the criminally insane.