Watched the early part of the bland President Obama's speech on Tuesday. Wondering if I am alone in my assessment that this address lacked the vim, vigor, and vitality of his "yes we can" campaign stump speeches, and wondering further why that might be. Is it possible that he understood full well the depths lies he was feeding to the American people? That he has no real enthusiasm for spewing such obfuscations? Or perhaps that the weight of the burdens of his office are hanging ever more heavily upon him?
The particular lie I address is that he, as promised in his campaign, had withdrawn the last of the "combat troops" from Iraq. Message to President Barack Obama: Thanks to the revolution in military affairs as perceived by for SecDef Donald Rumsfeld, ALL American troops are combat troops. Such functions (formerly performed by the army) as feeding the troops, cleaning up after the troops, installing lodging, electrical systems, and installing a whole host of Americanized shopping venues for the troops, installing latrines and emptying the latrines for the troops etc., etc., have been contracted out to Halliburton on a "cost plus profit" basis. The purpose of this "revolution in military affairs" is so that the US soldier can focus on fighting.
While the MISSION of the remaining 50,000 US troops may be limited to the further training of the Iraqi Army, that in no way means that these troops are not combat troops.
Perhaps this rhetorical slight of mouth will convince the Obama Kool-Aid drinkers that he hath kept his campaign promise; the throwing of "red meat" to his base. Although the throwing of spoiled bologna is, to my view, a more apt metaphor. What Obama has primarily given to his voting base (as opposed to the constituency which must be placated, the banksters, insurance and pharmacological interests, and the real estate industry) is the kind of thing that trickles down when a man stands facing a urinal. Which was pretty much always the point of trickle down economics.
As for the promise that there will be a complete withdrawal of US troops from Iraq by the end of 2011? The phrase "US troops" is weasel words. Even IF US troops have all withdrawn from Iraq, who will be left to provide security for the Green Zone which houses the largest "embassy" in the world? Mercenaries will be the answer. Welcome back Blackwater (Xe), welcome back Vinnell, et al.
All this reminds me of one of the two most well-known Native American expressions from my boyhood (the other "ugh", upon reflection, would be an entirely appropriate response to the Bland One's address): President Obama speaks with forked tongue.
And, one way or another, amongst the haves, the have nots, and the have mores, we are all pretty much forked. Although, for the have yatchs, provided they have been prudent enough to keep the Bernie Madoffs of the investment worlds away from their fortunes, these times continue to be, a continuation of pretty good times, rolling triumphantly ever quicker apace along the road back to serfdom.
