My hands are a bit tied because we're touching on this at The Third Estate Sunday Review but what does it mean when Petraues says that violence would increase? That's a question real reporters would be asking.
The US administration has propped up a government, when the US leaves (and it will leave), it's going to come tumbling down. More violence defined by what?
The administration has chosen sides, played favorites, throughout the illegal war. The idea that when the US leaves there will not be conflict is just nonsense. As is the idea that staying longer makes things better. The US presence breeds the resistance and the hostility.
Whatever they push through (Gordo wants what his hero wants -- right now the man crush is Petraues -- so Gordo pushes the privatization of Iraq's oil today) will only cause more hostilities and tension. The US needs to leave Iraq. When it does there will be some violence. That's to be expected from a people who have had a government not of their own making but one imposed upon them. That's to be expected when favorites have been played (and then some but this is an issue we're addressing Sunday).
Here's how 'reporting' works for Gordo. His man crush makes a statement and Gordo finds a way to write paragraph after paragraph endorsing it. No dissent, no checking out the realities of the statements (no think tanks are asked their opinion). He'd no doubt claim, "This is what a reporter does." No, it's not. A reporter takes a public statement and scrutinizes it for validity. Gordo's not interested in that.
This doesn't even qualify as he-said/she-said. It's just he said. With Gordo (and Cloud) amplifying the statement in paragraph after paragraph like good hucksters but lousy reporters.
The war can't end because Gordo can't get it up. He's hoping Iran will get his war on wagging again but he'll be damned if he lets go of Iraq which provided him with so many dirty fantasies in the non-so recent path.
Like a young girl playing Mystery Date, he flips the door with high hopes and today's hopes are pinned on Patraues. Man crushes don't make for news articles and Gordo doesn't make for a reporter.
The snapshot will most likely be late today (and possibly brief). Check your inboxes for the gina & krista round-robin this morning (seven roundtables are in it). The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
the new york times
michael gordon
