The tyrant Saddam Hussein, a sworn enemy of Islamic fundamentalists and al- Qaeda, believed that an iron fist was needed to hold Iraq together as a secular state. Sadly, on this one critical point, Saddam was right.
Assuming Bush is not as stupid as he appears to be, I suspect he very well knows this, and he also knows that the American people will flip out if told the truth. Bush likely believes that he needs to sustain his transparent campaign of disinformation and propoganda until the 2006 elections, which is the real determining date on troop withdrawal, not "conditions" in Iraq as he keeps lying saying.
As Iraqi election results pour in we're learning, and this is only surprising if you live in the fantasy world created by George W. Bush, that Islamic fundamentalists will control Parliament. Essentialy, Iraq will become a firm ally of Iran, an America hating mob of religious fanatics who's main objectives are to destroy all Jews, America and sweep the Middle East clean of everything Western. Women, gays and non-believers will be reduced to slavery and non-existence. The Kurdish and Sunni minorities will not accept an Islamic fundamentalist lifestyle and will likely go to war in an attempt to create their own autonomous states, splitting Iraq into three countries, further destabilizing the region. Or, with support from Iran, the Iraqi Shi'a army may simply drive waves of those Kurds and Sunnis who survive the slaughter into neighboring Arab states and Turkey.
At the end of the day, the result of Bush's policies will be that the resources and sphere of influence of those who would wage genocide and holy war against non-believers will be greatly expanded.
Bush, who seems to have a breathtakingly broad ignorance of the Middle East and its people and a shockingly narrow definition of democracy, wants us to believe that force-fed "elections" will create an American-style democracy. In fact, the majority of Iraqi's will use "democracy" to sweep away democracy.
If you believe that democracy hinges on First Amendment rights, respect for human rights and equality for all human beings then Iraq ain't gonna be no democracy. But, if you believe, as does our president, that democracy hinges on purple stained fingers and brute force then you likely swallowed the last two days of presidential flatulence speeches hook, line and sinker.
In the meantime, the lunatic president of Shi'a Iran, emboldened by his growing nuclear force and the almost certain expansion of his influence into the new Shi'a Iraq continues in his crusade to spit in our face, today banning all Western music both popular and classical.
Our continuing military presence in Iraq only serves to provide a rallying point for the forces that would see America reduced to ruin. And now, thanks to Bush's fake democracy, we will soon discover that we are backed into a horrible corner: when the new Shi'a theocracy that we've created demands our expulsion from their country, leaving a greatly expanded anti-American Shi'a state in its wake, do we bow to the will of Dr. Frankenstein's monster, or do we finally cast aside the pretense and become a permanent Imperial force occupying a conquered oil-rich region?
Which leaves us with one of my favorite questions: just how stupid is the American public? Frankly, I think that all Americans should be required by law to read George Orwell so that we can all be on the same page as George W. Bush.