"In my view it is time for a major adjustment. Clearly, what US forces are
currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough." Donald
H Rumsfeld, Memo to President Bush (6 November 2006)
The former Secretary for Defense also writes in his memo, "Announce that
whatever new approach the US decides on, the US is doing so on a trial
basis. This will give us the ability to readjust and move to another
course, if necessary, and therefore not 'lose.' "
In other words, what Rumsfeld was saying: "Let's try all sorts of things
but keep as quiet as possible about them so that the American public don't
notice."
Which, of course, wouldn't wash because the American public are already
taking increasing notice about the chaos in Iraq despite the lack of
journalists there for safety reasons. Politically, the true name of the
game is not so much to "win" -- whatever that may mean -- but to avoid
troop deaths abroad and grieving families at home. This means keeping more
troops in their fortified compounds -- which is what is already happening
in the case of American and British troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
The memo was written two days before his resignation and, according to the
New York Times, there is no indication that Rumsfeld knew he was going to
be asked to resign when he wrote it. In my view, he'd already picked this
up on the grapevine and got in first. This is the cowardly way adopted by
both Bush and Blair these days of forcing resignations from intractable
office-holders.
American and British troops in Iraq and NATO troops in Afghanistan haven't
a hope of winning in either country. They are trying to deal with a
structure of Medieval warlords and religious schisms, of which Western
countries have had no concept or experience for some centuries now. The
Middle eastern countries will have to work things out for themselves in the
same way that Western European countries had to. It is just as
imperialistic to try and implant our notions of how they should run their
affairs and develop their cultures than if we directly exploited their
resources.
Keith Hudson, Bath, England, <www.evolutionary-economics.org>
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.15.6/565 - Release Date: 02/12/2006
_______________________________________________
Futurework mailing list
[email protected]
http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
