RTO,

I just wanted to say thanks for what you do. I've been a reader for over a year now, and I realized that I've never told you that.

I do appreciate all your posts about what is going on in our little world. Especially the news coming out of A'stan.

So Thank You! and keep it up!
Ky Woman | Homepage | 03 Sep | #

Hey, RTO, do you think that press release overstates it a bit?

The "surge" has not appreciably decreased violence; the Awakening has decreased violence.

Also, it's stated goal was political reconciliation and, although I think things are better in that regard than before (Al-Sadr's decision to become a Muslim scholar in Iran says he for one is pretty convinced his future in Iraq lies in politics and not "strong arm militia leader"), there is still no oil-sharing law, the government is starting to detain and harass Awakening members, and nothing has convinced the Kurds they are actually part of Iraq.

Oh, and your link to the WaPo on benchmarks is a borderline dishonest tactic, since it mentions in the second paragraph how various groups (including the GAO, a far more reliable shop than Amb. Croker's) state no appreciable change int he political situation. I expect better from you.

Nonetheless, as a cynic and spurned idealist, I would argue the surge has worked politically here in the States (it's intended target), but it's likely enduring accomplishments will be 1) giving McCain a chance and 2) arming both sides of a future civil war.

Cynics are often wrong, so let's hope #2 is just me being wrong.

PS The 2012 primary between Palin and Petraeus is just gonna be fun. My gut instinct tells me Patraeus will bow out early, leaving Obama to mop up Palin and setting David up to be the next Eisenhower in '16. Then again, General Patraeus is a smart dude. He might walk all over her and send then Obama back to Chi-town and an early retirement.

PPS Are you really against Labor Day? Working people never need a day off? The wage slaves should put their noses to the grindstone, eh? One of my fondest wishes from the end of the Cold War was that the paranoid Commies are everywhere tripe would be retired to the dustbin of history. Oh, well, good to see in the glories of oil country it's still as reactionary as ever.

I suppose Unions are Commies too (ironically, Mrs. Palin's husband, the secessionist, is or was a Union member. Maybe he's a Commie too!
timb | 12 Sep | #

Tim,

It's not my fault, nor the fault of VFF if you don't know the chronology of events and what vernacular has been selected to denote those events. It is, in particular, not my fault as I have made efforts to educate you in the past, to no avail.

But that's about what I expect from you.

Re: Labor Day;
I was fairly certain that only one person I know of would question my remarks. Thanks for proving me right...again.
RTO Trainer | Homepage | 14 Sep | #

KY Woman,

Thank you for your kind words. Thanks also for the link to your own site. You collect some good information yourself.
RTO Trainer | Homepage | 14 Sep | #

Oh, and your link to the WaPo on benchmarks is a borderline dishonest tactic, since it mentions in the second paragraph how various groups (including the GAO, a far more reliable shop than Amb. Croker's) state no appreciable change int he political situation. I expect better from you.