Why We're In the Shape We're In

Watching Rumsfeld try to repudiate the results of a study his Pentagon commissioned today was a sad reminder of why so many of Bush's big initiatives have gone wrong. King George and his Court know everything, or so they think.

They knew how many troops we'd need in Iraq, far better than the commanders who said it would take hundreds of thousands of troops. They knew it would be over quickly, far better than experts who told them it would take years and cost thousands of lives. They knew that Iraqi oil would pay for rebuilding the country and now, nearly three hundred billion dollars later, Iraq is still a wasteland and the only part of the world with less hours a day of electricity than Baghdad is New Orleans.

Today two studies, one commissioned by the Pentagon, say that our Army and Marines are stretched to the limit. Frequent deployments of a too-small force are leading to failures to meet recruiting goals, despite huge signing bonuses. John Murtha, talking to commanders on the ground, knows that the troops are stretched to the limits. The National Guard, forced to take on the burden of the too-small active duty forces, can't make recruiting goals and can't function at home as it was designed. In its desperation, the Army will now recruit ages 35-42, a little old for boot camp, I'd say. And Rumsfeld says there's no problem.

The only word for this administration and their Republican backers in Congress is arrogant. They know it all, they don't need no stinking experts or warrants. It's self-evident, just look at the smirk on King George's face when he speaks. Despite numerous warnings on numerous issues, the Administration in its arrogance continues to make major mistakes. They underestimated the cost and problems of the Medicare benefit although they were warned of both. They underestimated the deficits although they were warned. I just hope the experts aren't right on some of the possible effects of our deficit. They underestimated the Iraqi insurgency. In every case, when the Bush administration has ignored those who know more than they about any issue, they've been proven drastically and tragically wrong.

But Rummy knows best, right? They'll be okay. There are just some whiners and snivelers and it's Clinton's fault. They're the best force in the world, Rummy says, because by God I say so. And that's why we're in the shape we're in: The Bushites just keep ignoring the facts and saying so. They even ignore studies they commission themselves. They're antiintellectuals and they prove it often, generally recognizable by the foot in their mouths.