It's Not A 'Surge' - It's A '14% Escalation'

[MannyGoldstein]

I'm tired of the idiotic 'surge' euphemism.

An increase of 20,000 is a 14% increase in the troop level in Iraq. At the current level of 140,000 or so troops, Iraq went from a reasonably functional country to a murderous train wreck. How the $%&# is adding 14% more troops going to turn this around? Who is smoking what here? A 14% increase in troops won't even put a minor crimp into Iraq's descent into Hell, let alone turn Iraq around.

General Shinseki was obviously correct before the War when he said that we needed several hundred thousand troops to MAINTAIN the peace in Iraq. That was then. Now, we'd need several times that to win the peace back. Perhaps a million troops. I'm not sure that anyone wants to add a million troops into the region. But adding 20,000 is just nuts, simply a sacrifice of more blood and treasure for no good end.

I suggest we start calling this what it is - a 14% escalation. It will keep Bush's shattering asininity in better perspective.

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. It isn't going to turn anything around, just give them 14% more targets

I swear the White House occupant is doing drugs.................not that he ever stopped.

[kentuck]

2. Amen!

Let's not let the people fall for this "surge" bullshit. It's an escalation of the war and Bush/Rove are playing wordgames once again.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. I call it a spurt .... as in shooting his last load.

[John Q. Citizen]

4. I wonder how many mercenaries are left? They would represent force

strength on our side there as well.

Did you see the stories in the WaPo saying top military sources say they have about 9,000 tops they could put in.

Hell yes it's escalation pure and simple. It's crazy loco.

Unless it's used as a northern buffer for an attack on Iran. Then it's crazy crazy loco.

Between Iraq and a hard place.

Send lawyers, guns, and money.


Caligula indeed!: The build up begins.

[CAG]

5. The media keeps this up.... their clearly carrying */cheney's water

I don't ever here tweety or wolf or anyone point out that this is really a small increase, and that we've seen these kinds of fluctuations multiple times before, the administration just wants to spin it as a major event this time.

Is any repub losing sleep about extending tours and reissuing additional or more rapid tours to our reservists, who have already sacrificed themselves enough??

Don't worry, reservists.... the comfortable upper-middle class really "feel your pain" as they continue to drive their comfortable 12 mpg SUV's to their comfortable office positions and then drive to the comfortable mall to buy their comfortable big screen tv's to go to the comfort of their home and watch football... you see, they do all this with the great sacrifice of putting a yellow ribbon on their SUV. Of course, don't pay attention to their whining about the govt actually having to raise some funds to PAY for military salaries, uniforms, kevlar, armored humvees, bullets, shells, helicopters, planes, guns, WOUNDS, COFFINS.... or their whining about any possibility that their teenagers might get pulled into a draft in a few years.

[AndyTiedye]

6. They Know. 20,000 Troops Would Only Be the Beginning if They Have Their Way

I'm not sure that anyone wants to add a million troops into the region.

We know some people do: