During his press conference today Mr. Bush said the following:
"I'm not going to make predictions about what 2007 will look like in Iraq except that it's going to require difficult choices and additional sacrifices..."
My question is simple – Who will be making the sacrifices?
It certainly won’t be the current presidential administration. Rather than work through the holidays, they’ve delayed Mr. Bush’s "New Way Forward" Iraq policy speech "till after the holidays" because Mr. Bush "won’t be rushed" (it’s been over 4 years, what rush?). Instead Mr. Bush and family will be in Camp David and then down to the ranch in Crawford. I’m pretty sure that in neither place will you find anyone eating cold MREs, and only the security detail will have to stand guard all night. Nope, doesn’t seem like a lot of sacrifice there.
What about Mr. Bush’s senior leadership and cabinet? Most of what I could find was all of them heading home or staying home. Warm and safe, with I’m sure plenty of good food and maybe some wine or other spirit to go along with it. Not only are they not sacrificing, I doubt many of them know anyone who is.
What about the American people? My parents grew up during World War II and loved to tell stories of rationing, and black-outs, and shared sacrifice. Not only do we have none of that, we give tax cuts to the richest members of our nation.
What about me? By the grace of God I have never seen real combat. I served in the peace-time Navy, but remember well spending Christmas Eve and Day in an emergency room, eating cold pizza and decorating gurneys to pass the time. Those days are long gone now, and this Christmas I’ll be with friends and family, safe, warm, and well feed.
So Mr. Bush, let me ask again – Besides those brave men and women in the military, and their families – Who exactly will be doing the sacrificing you so cavalierly mentioned today?
That’s what I thought...