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In philosophy, the basis of most (if not all) theoretical debate is chicken:egg. It seems straightforward enough: did the hen that laid the egg come first, or did the hen that origniated from an egg herself come first? Keep in mind we discount (I believe this is right) the rooster in toto.
In this vein, the Pentagon shows an unusual amount of gall in the recent publication by the ethically driven Government Accountability Office. Given that the Pentagon and the White House were the institutions insistent on a time extention, a troop addition, a monetary overhaul, and, in sum, "more." The commanders in the Eastern Standard Timezone were requested to set up a situation for the benefit of those living in the Iraqi Standard Timezones. Complaining of the truth like a child caught cheating on a test, the Pentagon and their ilk seem to behaving in a manner that blames the same individuals that they ingratiated with ardour...6 months ago? (I impose on the readership for an accurate timeline, but I do know my Nixonian-esque memory has not failed me that horrifically).
The situation in Iraq has become, least in my own prospective, a series of chicken:egg fiascos. There were previously warring factions within the country that, under the dictatorship, were supressed and forced to play nice. Our intervention gave unwritten permission to the warring tribes to let out centuries long heat upon minorites and themselves. (Therefore, chicken:egg #1: if not us interviening, would it have been another country? chicken:egg #2: if it it had not happened under our encouragement, would it have happened anyhow?) Moreover, the militaristic fashion of the intervenion sent a direct message to the factions and created a unity of sorts among the factions, motivating them to unite in creative and ever evolving ways, including aligning themselves with factions in al-Quaeda, Iran and other extremist terrorist sects (chicken:egg #3: if we had not gone into Iraq militaristically initially, would we have wound up doing so later?; chicken:egg #4: if the military intervention had been successful, would there be as many extremist sects turning to al-Quaeda eventually, as the representative government immaturely falters and the people find themselves frustrated with lack of progress?).
It seems, then, the Pentagon, The Joint Chiefs, The White House, and other, equally important team players within and without The Beltway needs to find a way to commit itself to the standards they have set for themselves while taking accountability for the money it has spent and for the damage emotionally to the civilian population it has done. As refugees flee panicked to neighboring Palistinan states on various VISA statuses, it is prudent to realize that time is of the essence and the best weapon in both arsenals for terrorists and soldiers. Time is showing the common person how weak and disadvantaged we as ignorant Americans are--and conversely, how we don't know when to stop digging our own graves. (Chicken:egg #5: Would revising how soldiers are preparing for war and for confronting other cultures prepare them better for conflict within these cultures--or are we fighting other cultures?; Chicken:egg #6:Where do we as a society start educating an individual on the variety of cultures, cultural belief systems and cultural practices internationally, while simultaneously defining ethics for the individual?; Chicken:egg #7: Are ethics religious, cultural, familial, individual, or all of the above? And what if they are so heinous they include gender-specific murder? How do we explain such moral ambiguities to our children then, without minimizing, dismissing and rationalizing?)
In a throwback to the Larry Craig entry, it would do our leaders well to stick to a consistent message that is consistent with the values of their specific organization that they desire to work for and pass on to their children. It would also do our leaders well to express directly how they deal with moral ambiguities, even if the answer is, put simply "I don't know." Humility is a value that never goes out of style, and it begins with acknowledgement of what is unknown.
In the meantime, it is suggested to the Pentagon and the leaders within The Beltway that are consistent advocate of the crisis within Iraq to take the sting of the GAO's report as is--not all the teacher's of the universe are willing to curve the test grades because the brightest student in the class bombed the test. And sometimes, it is best to know where one is failing to know where the road to success needs to go.