Will Politics Destroy Our Military Victory in Iraq?

Of course. This is not even a question. We have won the war in Iraq. In recognition of this fact, the U.S. and the Iraqi government have agreed in principle to a time frame that gets all American troops out of the country by 2011 (basically, adopting Barack Obama’s plan). Our soldiers should be welcomed home as the heroes they are.

But what happens between now and then, and after that point, will determine if our victory holds. You can be assured that it will not. And this is the reason why W., McCain, and the rest of the neocons have made the biggest strategic mistake in our country’s history. They have won a war militarily that cannot be successfully resolved to our benefit. The Shiite-led Iraqi government is in bed with the Iranians. Already, they are going after the leaders of the Sunni Awakening movement that has been the largest part of the success of Petraeus’s strategy. By doing so, they will foment more chaos, more war, and drive the Sunni to terrorism, while bringing the Shia closer to Iran.

We must guard against the political mistakes of the Iraqi government and the American neocons. Our troops must not stand in the way of this civil war. We cannot afford the lives or the treasure. The battle now must be between the Iraqis. The “aspirational goal” of removing all troops by 2011, must come to pass. Get our troops out. They have done their job.

We have won the war, but we will lose the peace. This outcome, which we should all hope and pray will not happen, will be entirely the fault of the worst president in the history of our country, George W. Bush, and his neocon enablers, McCain now foremost among them.

Don’t let these men hold our troops hostage to the internal politics of Iraq. Bring our troops home and let the Iraqis fight the rest out for themselves.

Walking in New York City

I have one supernatural ability. Known to only a few close friends and my family, but revealed to you now. Whenever I am walking on the streets of New York City, I am able to attract, like gravity, people who are walking in front of me.

As you might guess, this power is more than a little frustrating, but works, like gravity, without exception. The old, the obese, the infirm, the tourists, and everyone else all drift directly into my path as I try to pass them. What makes them do so? I have long wondered, but now accept this power as a simple metaphysical fact. The people in New York City are just going to be in my way.

They can walk straight, but cannot resist the strength of my gravitational pull. It’s as though they sense me coming up behind them and say to themselves, “oh, look, here he comes, I’m going to get in his way and make sure that he has to stop, slow down, or, at least, change direction.” I’ve come to realize that they are helpless to resist. And I have accepted my power and hope, one day, to channel it for good.

I certainly will never knock anyone over, however tempting that might be. No, there is a reason for this power and I must find it. So get in my way New York. Together we can get to the root of a supernatural mystery.

P.S. I meant to write about this last week when I read this brilliant op-ed piece by David Rakoff. I felt that he might understand my plight.