How far will they dare?

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There seems to be some belief among the masses that the US has "won" in Iraq. Of course, it might cause some to pause if they looked at our "win" in Afghanistan. Two regimes overthrown in two years. The first nation - Afghanistan - spiraling back into chaos with war lords reemerging and the poppies planted. Iraq seeming on an unchecked fall into disaster - a disaster of war and chaos. However, we have our "man on the spot" Jay Garner who is titled as Viceroy. Yes "viceroy" as in "a person ruling a country, province, or colony as the deputy of a sovereign" (Webster New World Dictionary). The last that I checked, the President of the US was not a "sovereign" ("a person who possesses sovereign authority or power; specif., a monarch or ruler" WNWD) -- at least not to send out Viceroy's.

But before the blood stoops flowing, or the dead are laid to rest, or the wounded are healed -- heck before Iraqi's even have water, food, and medicine -- the Administration's gaze has turned towards .... Syria. (At least that is what I've been getting from the sound bites of Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and others.)

There is a frightening article Affairs of State -- and Pentagon by John Prados for TomPaine, Rumsfeld is sucking up power the way that Hoover supposedly sucks up dirt. This includes tremendous discretion over the Defense budget, and the recent introduction of some legislation to let him hire and fire Generals. Since our National Security Policy and Nuclear Weapons Policy and the invasion of Iraq, etc were brought to us by the Rumsfeld, Perle, Wolfowitz, Cheney consortium it might be wise to be concerned -- be very concerned -- by any increase in official power these guys have.

In listening to what is going on, and reading analyses of current events, I am wondering if the US public will easily buy into another war. What strategy might we take -- build up Syria as an independent threat, or follow what worked in Afghanistan (they are willfully hosting an enemy). How quickly would the public shift into a new war front? Would the public buy the same story twice? That Syria is hiding Iraq's (and maybe its own) chemical and biological arsenal and sits ready to strike the US directly or by passing them out to terrorists?

I suggest we keep our eyes and ears open -- and the email addresses of our representatives handy.

Posted by rowan at April 14, 2003 05:05 PM | Printable Version | [eMail this article!] |