adventures in disaster

Iraq

I was over reading the Dilbert blog. I can't help myself. Yes, sometimes Scott comes across as the most misogynistic person alive but sometimes he says something that resonates.
Today he offered up one way to end the war in Iraq. Get people to stop enlisting.
It sounds like a good idea but it's actually dumb.
The never ending myth that poverty stricken teenagers are the only enlistees is false. Most who serve are well educated, experienced men and women. There are pilots, engineers, mechanics, nurses and doctors. Computer experts, intelligence officers, professional drivers....how about the service people who manage aircraft carriers?
People choose the military because the boats and jets are there. The cool computer applications live there. Some of the best trauma surgeons in the world learned their craft in the military.
Enlisting is what some people have dreamed of since they were little.

Solving the Iraq mess is not something anyone is really all that interested in doing. Sure there is some whining and muttering but no one is all that upset are they?
They cheerfully re-elected Bush right?

I am not a fan of conspiracy theories but I read an interesting essay a little while back. I wish I could remember the author but my memory is shoddy. Anyway, this author thought that we have been completely hoodwinked over Iraq. He states that Bush has no intention of "winning" in Iraq. In fact it is the hope of this group that the war never ends. The theory is as long as Iraq is fighting itself and the Americans the extremists have a place to go and die. The theory is Iran, Syria and eventually Saudi will get drawn into the conflict and then they will all be fighting each other. This creates even more opportunity for the extremists to die. Really Iraq is a sacrifice to keep terrorism off American soil.
The other benefit of this battle in the middle east is it will force other countries to take up the fight freeing the Americans to leave.

America could, if it wanted to, end the fighting in Iraq. It would take the full force to do it but it could be done. But why stop it? Better to keep the fighting "over there".

I predict that in a years time America will have dropped the troop level and will be encouraging all parties to jump in and end the violence. In two years time the troop level will drop again and they will be called advisors. In three years time all but a handful will be out of Iraq.
The war wont change, the fatalities wont change but I can bet the message will change to "Iraq is standing up so we are standing down". Of course there will be no evidence to support any of that but the American public will lap it up. Americans are incredibly stupid and the majority will believe anything the media tells them to believe.
If Fox news tells them the war is over and America won they will celebrate despite every other news channel showing car bombs exploding all over Iraq.

In fact that is the only way to get out of Iraq. Declare victory and dare anyone to say they lost.
The medium is the message.

posted by adventures in disaster @ 9:29 PM