home

Mr. President, the War is Over

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Sat Aug 13, 2005 at 07:32:08 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

So says Frank Rich in a must-read column in the Sunday New York Times. He even credits the blogosphere:

Only someone as adrift from reality as Mr. Bush would need to be told that a vacationing president can't win a standoff with a grief-stricken parent commandeering TV cameras and the blogosphere 24/7.

Also in the Times, this grim op-ed by a returning soldier.

things started fairly well. There were no complaints as March waned and we crossed from Kuwait into Iraq; only thinly veiled excitement. As the weeks turned to months, however, and we watched active-duty units return to their families, our stoicism was replaced with mounting frustration. Our Vietnam-era flak vests, retooled M-16's more than two decades old and a general absence of supplies added to an irrefutable feeling that we had been abandoned in the lion's den.

When the tour ended a year later, our uniforms were in tatters, night vision goggles had been packed away seven months earlier when all our replacement parts ran out, and the ragged men who stepped off the plane in Hinesville, Ga., scarcely resembled the "shock-and-awe" troops seen on television. Nevertheless, we were soldiers returned home ... victorious, at least in a sense.

Read the rest. It's frightening to realize that not only has this unnecessary war caused the death of many young Americans, but the psychological toll for those fortunate enough to return may be staggering. The consequences of this mistaken war will last for decades.

Back to our clueless President: Today he announced he wouldn't rule out using force against Iran.

< Racial Profiling Means We've Lost | Christopher Walken Announces Run for President >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Mr. President, the War is Over | 12 comments (12 topical)
    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#1)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:18 PM EST
    The problem Rich has is this. He doesn't understand that this time around the public doesn't give a flip what Frank Rich thinks.

    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#2)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:18 PM EST
    PPJ-Wake up. Frank Rich, Cindy Sheenan, Paul Hackett et al are reflecting the public not you.

    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:18 PM EST
    The problem Rich has is this. He doesn't understand that this time around the public doesn't give a flip what Frank Rich thinks. No. The problem is this time around we have a president who doesn't give a flip what anyone thinks.

    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:19 PM EST
    A 'president' who wasn't elected last November, except by massive vote fraud and a media coverup. From: A Case to Answer, a first report on the potential impeachment of the Prime Minister for High Crimes and MIsdemeanours in relation to the invasion of Iraq.
    "The Prime Minister's conduct has also destroyed the United Kingdom's reputation for honesty around the world; it has produced a war with no end in sight; it has damaged and discredited the intelligence services which are essential to the security of the state; it has undermined the constitution by weakening cabinet government to breaking point and it has made a mockery of the Parlament as representatives of the people." "We are guided in this action by that most ancient of parliamentary doctrines: the principal of ministerial accountability, that those who lead us cannot mislead us and then remain in office. It is simply unprecedented for a minister to refuse to resign in the face of such compelling evidence."
    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:19 PM EST
    The problem Rich has is this. He doesn't understand that this time around the public doesn't give a flip what Frank Rich thinks. Well, enough members of the public read his column every week for him to actually have a column, and in a paper with a rather decent circulation. But since you think you have a better handle on what the public wants to read, what paper's paying to run your column?

    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#6)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:19 PM EST
    Yes the all-knowing Poobah has spoken. "Frank Rich is LA LA LA LA LA ...

    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#7)
    by John Mann on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:19 PM EST
    But since you think you have a better handle on what the public wants to read, what paper's paying to run your column?
    You're on the right track, but a little mixed up. Jim pays TL to run his column.

    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#9)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:20 PM EST
    To paraphrase an oft used Jim line: "Match his resume"

    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:21 PM EST
    Molly: "enough members of the public read his column every week for him to actually have a column" Johnny: "Match his resume" The readership of columns is not equivalent to people reading them. PLENTY of the content in the corporate media is DESPISED by most of the population. Like O'Reilly, who has a show, even though he has less than a million viewers. Dennis Miller also exists only on Planet Scaife. Viewers tuned out a long time ago.

    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#11)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:21 PM EST
    Molly - The issue isn't who is writing a column, the issue is, how much influence Frank Rich actually has. And the answer is, very, very little except to his increasingly marginalized base. BTW - I've been around a while, and while I wouldn't call myself an expert, I haven't missed an election call in years and years. BTW - The circulation of the NYC is trending down, as is almost every newspaper in America. Johnny - Nice try at changing the subject. I don't claim to be a jorunalist.

    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#13)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:22 PM EST
    Sorry Jim, but with a snarky lead off comment like that, you have to expect snark in return. Frank Rich reaches millions, you reach 108. Match his resume before you go spouting off about what the "public" cares about.

    Re: Mr. President, the War is Over (none / 0) (#14)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:22 PM EST
    The subscriptions are down but online readership is booming as are blogs who make up for the corporate censored MSM media. WSJ made a big mistake by making their content only available by subscription, ad revenue precipitously dropped. WSJ did get some comfort by CPB wingnut Tomlinson's $5 mil recent bailout. The NYT announced it will do the same for some content that will include the op-ed page.

    Mr. President, the War is Over | 12 comments (12 topical)