Just Blow Everything Up

by paradox

I was under the impression that a significant amount of money for the “war on terror” was being spent on real counter-terrorism measures—diplomatic measures, economic aid development, winning hearts and minds.

It turns out we spend virtually nothing of the sort, and even this year what pittance we used to spend is threatened with elimination. "This is a monumental failing," a West Point fellow is quoted as saying. No shit, sir, the quote applies to anything Bush does.

We should have learned a long, long time ago blowing everything up rarely works, and usually makes things much worse. It’s no surprise George Bush learned nothing, of course, but at least we should have had someone with brains to fight the war smart at least on some levels—the soft effective stuff that wins hearts and minds.

Our war felons want $100 billion this year, no strings, just to blow up more of our future with no thinking and no intelligent strategy. It does not have to be this way, Speaker Pelosi, it does not.

(h/t Mathew Yglesias)