Postscripts: Iraq – steady and inspiring progress?

In the beginning of the Iraq war there was hope that our effort there would be appreciated but a recent poll indicates that slightly more than 20 percent of the people there believe that our effort there has been worthwhile while 69 percent believe we have only made the situation worse. So much for appreciation.

Secondly, the average cost of maintaining a soldier there has risen to $390,000 a year. Yes, I rechecked that figure and it is correct! A check on the Internet indicates that in this fiscal year alone, Iraq will cost us $135 billion which some guy smarter than old Joe says will cost us about a quarter million per minute.

It is hard to believe that we Americans want to be in Iraq more than the Iraqis want us to be there. That particular poll conducted by the BBC and other news organizations discovered that only 22 percent of the folks in Iraq really want us there – down from 32 percent in 2005.

If the Iraqis people were pleading with us to stay put and rescue them from the current violence, we might well develop a moral conscience to "stay the course" as Mr. Bush likes to say. However, when the people there are begging us to leave and claiming we are only making things worse, then it seems to me that it is presumptuous to ignore their wishes simply because our president says "it is necessary work."

That’s a big hunk of BS. We’re told America can’t afford universal health care here at home but we can afford to spend more than $10 billion a month so that American troops can be killed and maimed in a nation where they are not wanted. Somebody smarter than me has said that if we take the eventual cost of the Iraq war, that amount of money could be used to finance health care for all uninsured Americans for over 30 years.

Just a few days ago the president argued that we should give "the surge" a chance and warned that the cost of a withdrawal would be enormous – ignoring the fact that continuing this unnecessary conflict is even more "enormous."

In watching this administration operate it has become obvious to me and millions of others, that just because George Bush says something doesn’t mean everything is hunky-dory.

However, let me admit that our withdrawal there may lead to untold horrors there. The president is right that the so-called "surge" was only put in place recently. However, this surge has cost us 600 dead Americans and 3,000 more wounded. Folks, I am a simple old country newspaperman who just doesn’t believe George Bush can solve the problem he created. Just a few days ago he said: "I believe strongly that we will prevail."

In my mind we are doing almost as well today as we were in October, 2003, when he blamed reporters for "filtering out" the good news and declared: "We’re making really good progress." In September 2004, Bush assured us "Iraq is making steady progress. In November 2005: "Iraqis are making inspiring progress."

How much longer can Americans stand this steady and inspiring progress? I truly feel sorry for this president whom I know wishes he had never even heard of Iraq. However, enough is enough. America has needs other than fighting an ill conceived war.