The Party's Over, The Empire's Not.

I hate to be a skunk at the picnic, but it's time to put away the party hats and focus on reality again. This was lifted from Antiwar.Com, which is required daily reading.

US Ambassador Ryan Crocker said today that the United States’ general policy towards Iraq will not change after the election of Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States.

This seems to also be the view of Iraqi officials, with presidential cabinet chief Nusseir al-Aani saying “only approaches and strategies” will change in Iraq, “but the aim will remain as it is.” Iraqi Foreign Ministry Hoshyar Zebari also said the cabinet does not expect that the new administration will make “surprising changes” nor did he expect President-elect Obama to embark on a “quick disengagement” policy with respect to Iraq. . . .

. . . President-elect Obama initially spoke of a 16 month plan to withdraw American combat forces from Iraq, he later clarified that with numerous pre-conditions which made it more of a best-case scenario. Eventually, Obama was praising the “success” of the surge and the differences between his position and that of the current administration were unclear at best.

So, for the time being at least, the only change we can believe in is a difference in tactics, not in long term strategy. The Empire will totter along, unchanged.

Incidentally, why is withdrawal such a bad word? Why does everyone hmm and haw about the dangers of a 'precipitate withdrawal,' or, excuse me, "quick disengagement"? None of the geniuses responsible for this catastrophe gave two shits about the complications inherent in a 'precipitate invasion,' or, excuse me, a "quick engagement" when they rashly decided to invade Iraq and steal its oil. We could have bought Iraq's oil for cheaper than the cost of this God-awful folly. Can't we just turn the tanks around and go back to Kuwait? I think the Iraqi people would shower us with candy and flowers as we left.

But that's not an option, because we ain't going anywhere, not until the Iraqi people pry away our Fortress-Embassy from our cold, dead hands.