Ellen Goodman: From Fear to Farce

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/09/13/3811/

From Fear to Farce
by Ellen Goodman

snip//

So we get down to the tale of two catastrophes. On the one hand the war’s supporters claim only that things will get horrifically worse if we leave. “Make no mistake,” said John McCain, “the consequences of American defeat in Iraq will be terrible and long-lasting.”

On the other hand, the war’s opponents insist that staying the course will only stay the disaster. All we get from prolonging the war are more casualties of the war. “Buy time?” asked Chuck Hagel, the Nebraska Republican retiring from the Senate. “For what?”

These clashing catastrophes will be the central theme of the next presidential election. The choices facing voters will be these: Chaos in Iraq, or casualties in America. The forces of terrorism let loose in the world, or the real war against terrorism distracted by the war in Iraq. One side will ask how we can justify the massacres and mayhem that may well follow our departure. The other side will ask how we can justify asking one more, or 1,000, or 5,000 Americans to die-for what? A mistake.

Between these two unbearable options, I choose leaving. But any choice comes with a bitter recognition of the financial, moral and political fallout from this president’s decision and deception.

In Robert Draper’s aptly named book on the Bush presidency, “Dead Certain,” the president muses on his retirement. “I’ll give some speeches, just to replenish the ol’ coffers,” he says. “We’ll have a nice place in Dallas,” he adds, where he will run “a fantastic Freedom Institute. I can just envision getting in the car, getting bored, going down to the ranch.”

Just think. Osama is on the loose with his hair stylist. Iraq is coming apart at the seams. How swell that one American has an exit strategy.