How easy my life would be if I were a “centrist.” If I could just let go of my “extremists” view that we have to get out of Iraq and allow myself to stroll lazily down the middle of the road like the News Journal editorial board my life would be a dream.
I could be a sensible and sober advocate of “not staying in Iraq” and “not leaving Iraq” and look down on both George Bush and dirty fucking hippies at the same time. No one could pierce my carapace of calm because I’d have a single great all-purpose rejoinder to every argument.
No matter what the dirty fucking hippies in congress or bloggers proposed, I’d say that it was “unrealistic”. No matter what nonsense Bush cooked up to justify putting more troops in I’d just sniff knowingly and say that it was “unrealistic.” Al Mascitti would praise me for my calm rationality.
But I can’t.
If I took the cowardly approach of the News Journal Editorial board and had the nerve to write something as stupid and morally bankrupt as this:
Mr. Bush has spent what seems an eternity pushing benchmarks. He has been wrong so often that it’s hard to believe even he accepts what he is saying. We just simply have to start moving toward an end to this conflict.
But the other side of the political debate is just as unrealistic and maybe even more cynical. The leading Democrats are telling the American people we have to get out now.
…I would have to ignore a great many facts and turn the meaning of the word “realistic” inside out. I would have to ignore the fact that my “realistic” course leaves everything in place as it is and protects the status quo that Bush and people like Michael Castle have established in Iraq. I’d have to ignore the fact that doing nothing has a five year track record of complete failure. But most of all I’d have to ignore the fact that we will be leaving Iraq a complete mess anyway – and my foot dragging just means that more Americans and Iraqis will die in the process.
The “realistic” reality is that Iraq is fucked.We fucked it up. It is going to be fucked whether we leave today or in 2017.
So, my “extreme” view that we have to try to undo our illegal invasion and incredibly botched occupation of Iraq sooner rather that later prevents me from taking the comfy middle course.
Too bad. I’d really like to be as glib and sensible as the News Journal editors again someday.