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Missions Accomplished

One of the blunders W's critics make is to oversimplify, unto distortion, the causes for the Iraq War. Michael Moore, for instance, wanted to make it all about blood for oil. Others say it was just W's unresolved Oedipal thang with 41; still others say it was just the Zionist neo-cons doing Israel's bidding, or a scam to further enrich the GOP's stable of profiteering contributors. And, as much as anything it was Rove's most cyncial notion that, unjustified and impractical as the war might be, it would still be good for W politically. The war was, as they say, "overdetermined."

The prospect must have seemed a "no-brainer" to the White House Iraq Group. It would kill so many birds with one stone. But the conspirators failed to remember even recent history in this. A hallmark of the Fautstian snare is this 'killing-many-birds' appeal. It was just like this for Iran/Contra: 'Hey, we can ransom the hostages in time for the mid-term elections, promote Moslem-on-Moslem mayhem, and fund the Contras! What's not to love?'

All the reasons for going to war involved delusion or deception -- or both.

posted by Kalkaino @ 1:59 PM