Government can't help, it can only hurt

[Bob Butler 54]

(01-30-2018, 10:49 PM)Classic-Xer Wrote:

(01-30-2018, 04:42 AM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote: At the time, the US was the only continental power with a more or less intact economy. We had a culture that believed itself nigh on invincible.  Today there are several continental powers with intact economies.  Most are not trying to be superpowers, with the ability to fight a war anywhere.  Then there is the pro military anti local prejudice of the US red culture.  During the Cold War we were allowed to be imperialistic to some extent.  Not today, as Bush 43 learned to his dismay.

Doesn't compute or make sense in any way. Hint. You don't invade with undersized army if your goal was to seize oil fields and assume control. Bush eliminated the largest and most capable Sunni army that existed at the time. Cut and run LOST. Obama didn't run on cut and run. Obama didn't even mention to the American people that he intended to cut and on. How did that work out for you and the Democrats Bob? Where did the old blue dog Democrats voters go? Trump? Does Hilary represent the last of the blue dogs?

Bush 43 eliminated the formal Iraq army, but did not eliminate the resistance on the ground.  Many used guerrilla tactics, accepted foreign arms, and continued the fight with success.  Just before the election, Bush 43 essentially adapted Obama's cut and run tactics, leaving McCain high and dry, making the handling of the economy the primary issue.  Troop levels dropped.  They hit zero when Iraq's legislature would not grant the US fighting troops immunity to Iraq laws.  Of late, ISIS became enough of a threat that some forces returned.

Early on Bush 43 started to build a huge embassy complex, which I assume is pretty empty today.  He also built large military bases while many asked where he would invade next.  He intended Iraq to be a puppet state, which it is not.  At the time I described what was planned as serial unilateral nation building, and was rather surprised that the surge started to work.  There was an overdue shift from trying to kill opponents to trying to help locals.

Bush 43s motives seem to change regularly, from week to week, with various parts of the US government working towards different ends.  It seems to me that 43 failed in the long run.  The Republicans lost power and flipped the see saw.  I do not deny that the see saw flipped again after Obama won two terms.  Looks like it will flip yet again after Trump.  We will see about a regeneracy, about moving away from the see saw pattern.  Both parties are unhappy with their establishments.  Something new is overdue.

I am not surprised to see a red selective memory.