THE SPINE NOVEMBER 26, 2007
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The Democrats do not grasp that they are in intellectual and moraltrouble. They can no longer say that more troops in Iraq will nothelp. They did. As Clive Crook wrote in this morning's FT (an anti-warcolumnist in an anti-war paper), "Up to now, Democrats have beenstinting in their recognition that the situation in Iraq hasimproved...That is the wrong posture They need to celebrate the success, aslong as it lasts, as enthusiastically as the Republicans. They also needto stop harrying the administration with symbolic war-funding measuresdemanding a timetable for rapid withdrawal, as though nothing has changed."
The last line in his column is devastating: "And suspicion that they arerooting for defeat in Iraq could sink them."
This article echoes my Spine from early this morning, "The Democrats,Hoping for Defeat."
9 comments
They must be stealing your work, Peretz.
And like I said before, security improvement =/= political reconciliation. As the Washington Post reported, American officials are growing angry at Iraqi Shi'a factions for not using the reduced violence to heal the rifts between them and the Sunnis. An Iraq with half as many suicide bombings as six months ago is not a success. They can absolutely claim that American troops will not force Iraqis to make political compromise.
As for the "rooting for defeat" thing, I agree with you. They need to not be Howard Dean and criticize the war in the same breath as celebrating Saddam Hussein's capture.
- rozenson
November 26, 2007 at 2:19pm
The Democrats can try this one out: "Yay, since we won let's begin to bring the troops home." The Republicans will have to admit that if we leave we lose, so just how great a victory is a permanent occupation costing hundreds of billions of dollars a year? Health insurance for the uninsured we can't afford, protect Achmed from Ahmed and Ahmed from Achmed (either of whom, at any time, can decide to up and shoot at us again) that we can spend money on.
We are in for a generational slog in Iraq. Cut the horseshit, there will be no GI kissing a young lass in Times square, no Victory in Iraq day (we all remember when Bush trotted that one out). If you support the necessity of this war, as I do, then we have to be honest about it and cut back on any thought of celebration. Try to act humble in the face of recent success, and cut the politicking. Now is the time to reach out to Democrats and present your case or in one year the American people will ask how long we can be winning the war without actually winning it?
- blackton
November 26, 2007 at 2:35pm
Right strategy? Put Joe Biden at the top of the ticket.
- teplukhin2you
November 26, 2007 at 3:04pm
The proper Democratic criticism of the Bush war effort at this point is that his people did nothing to steer the Iraqi government toward reconciliation of the factions, including setting up a "truth commission," but instead stood idly by as Iraqi politicians used their newly gained power to settle old scores.
- nbarry
November 26, 2007 at 3:33pm
There'll be a few twists and turns next year in Iraq. No need to do a TNR on it and beg for forgiveness now.
Welcome the progress but highlight the political stalemate and question what will happen when Operation Iranian Freedom is kicked off.
Marty, as for listening - can you respond to the Alterman piece on TNR?
- The Ignorant Populist
November 26, 2007 at 3:46pm
"Marty, as for listening - can you respond to the Alterman piece on TNR?"
The one in The American Prospect? Yes, I'd actually like to hear a rebuttal.
- rozenson
November 26, 2007 at 3:58pm
Blackie, I answered you on the other thread. But if we all say YAY, we won! where does that leave Harry "the war is lost" Reid? And Jim "if we start doing well things may go badly for us" CLyburn?
Either we won, and they're idiots, or we haven't won. Which side of the argument would you prefer?
- butchie b
November 26, 2007 at 4:46pm
butchie, I don't think it hurts Reid as much as you do, he is essentially calling the Republicans out, if the Republicans say we won, he can say bring the troops home, if they say we haven't won but are in the process of doing so, he can say that is what the Republicans have been saying for years, so why don't we bring the troops home and see what happens.
I am not saying I agree with bring the troops home, just that as a supporter of continuing troop presence I think it is better not to get in a piss fest with the Democratic opposition, I would rather point out that many troops will be coming home in April, and depending on the security situation after that make decisions accordingly. The fact is we have neither won nor lost, and we are a very long way from knowing just how this situation will be resolved. The most we can hope for is to prevail a little each day, and hope that over the long term the Iraqis can get their shit together. The side I am for is patience, not partisan pissfests. You know the refrain butchie, clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you.
- blackton
November 26, 2007 at 5:31pm
As you know Blackie, I'm with you all the way on this one. Here's hoping the Iraqis get their stuff together, and soon.
- butchie b
November 27, 2007 at 1:23pm