By Craig P. Dixon, southcoast247.com correspondent Social Commentary 94
January 17th, 2007
This past Wednesday, I was supposed to come directly home after the
southcoast247 meeting of the minds to watch Our Fearless Leader give the ol'
State o' the Union address and write a commentary.
Instead, I went down to
Paul's Sports Corner, spent the entirety of my paycheck on booze, and missed
the Great Man's speech.
But, turns out all's ok. As per usual with State of
the Union addresses, I didn't miss much. The gyst of the thing had been
reported for quite some time before it was officially announced. Seems Bush
is just going to send twenty five thousand or so more troops into the
swirling quagmire that is Iraq for one final push.
Don't agree with him?
Tough luck. It's entirely his decision. There's nothing Congress can do:
Other than pull funding for the war. And that's a guaranteed way to assure a
re-election loss. If there's anything the public hates, it's any semblance
of not supporting the troops: Even if the naysayer is a former troop.
So,Congress may put the big troop push to a symbolic vote. And the vote will
likely fail. But failure, public disapproval and Congressional uproar
haven't swayed this President. At least an additional 25,000 troops are
headed to Iraq. And there's not a damned thing anyone's going to do about
it.
Now, if you were like me: Rousing from bed around 7 AM on Thursday
morning with a legendary hangover, staring red-eyed and naked at the
morning's Standard-Times while waiting for hot water, you probably took one
look at the paper and said: "What the fuck is this? I can't read this shit
right now." Then you climbed into the still cold shower and attempted to
shock that hangover from your system, but the idea of 25,000 more troops in
the line of fire For No Good Reason kept it there.
And, for the most part,you are with me. The troop surge idea sounds ridiculous and desperate.
Republicans and Democrats alike are against the idea. So why go through with
it?
Because Bush's legacy hinges on Iraq's future. And when that legacy
lies somewhere between Very Bad President and Worst President in the History
of the United States, you're a desperate, dangerous individual. Like a
nothing-to-lose Texas Hold 'Em punk: So far behind in the game, he's willing
to go all in on shit cards in some manic attempt to double up. Mustering
all one's chips for one last shot at vainglory. Except this freakish
last-ditcher is gambling with 25,000 American lives.
And there's nothing we can do, save hope the gamble pays off.
This past Wednesday, I was supposed to come directly home after the
southcoast247 meeting of the minds to watch Our Fearless Leader give the ol'
State o' the Union address and write a commentary.
