Watch What We Do
Every few months there’s talk about how the US will start withdrawing troops Real Soon Now, followed by articles about how maybe we won’t. The interest the establishment media shows toward these episodes baffles me. The government has hundreds of officials giving briefings pretty constantly, don’t they? They can’t all end up on the front page. Why play up remarks that are always hedged and prospective and have a history of not bearing out? US troops levels have fluctuated within a narrow band of 120-150K for almost three years now, through several different outbreaks of plans to start reducing, soon, depending on conditions, hopefully, troop levels.
Minor news will occur when troop levels actually drop substantially below current levels and stay down. Real news will occur when we realize just how strange and remarkable it is for the US to have any troops in countries like Iraq at all.
Comment by Gary Farber —
December 26, 2005 @ 2:28 pm
”Real news will occur when we realize just how strange and remarkable it is for the US to have any troops in countries like Iraq at all.”
Really, the number of countries ”like” Iraq that we haven’t pushed into is slightly large, actually. Since you put it that way.
Happy merry, otherwise.
Comment by Nell —
December 26, 2005 @ 11:18 pm
Real news will occur when we realize just how strange and remarkable it is for the US to have any troops in countries like Iraq at all.
That would be good news, in the gospel sense.
Comment by steve duncan —
December 27, 2005 @ 9:28 am
We’re going to be in Iraq in substantial numbers for many years. The defense industry will aggitate for a prolonged occupation to counter this recent talk of DoD budget cuts. There are weapons to test and Arabs to kill. Any weasly denizen of the White House attempting to advocate wholesale reductions in deployed forces and material will find details about that golf trip last summer, their wife’s employment particulars, that blister on their groin and their last 5 tax filings plastered on the pages of several major dailies.
Comment by Diana —
December 27, 2005 @ 11:25 am
Jim:
What IS your problem?? The President said it, ”As they stand down, we stand up.”
Doesn’t it sound like a Laurel and Hardy movie?
Diana
Comment by Barry —
December 27, 2005 @ 3:07 pm
Jim: ”The interest the establishment media shows toward these episodes baffles me. The government has hundreds of officials giving briefings pretty constantly, don’t they?”
Analogy: 5-Year Plan, in the USSR. I imagine that reporters who pointed out that the last 5-Year Plan didn’t accomplish much got a guided tutorial on the soviet penal system.
Comment by Jason Fliegel —
December 27, 2005 @ 9:45 pm
If you think we’re leaving Iraq any time soon, I’ve got a bridge to sell you. Iraq is the new Germany. How long has it been since we pulled our troops out of Ramstein?