Mr. Bush,
In anticipation of the upcoming "Petraeus Report," the news media and blogosphere have been buzzing. Everyone has an opinion about a report that has not yet even been delivered, and many people have been criticized for already having made up their minds. Well, I guess I have made up my mind. So have you, Mr. Bush.
Though you have repeatedly deflected and dismissed pressure to change course in Iraq by claiming that you are reserving judgment until the September report, the constant barrage of propaganda and prevarications coming from your spin machine in advance of this report make it clear that this was never your intention. Faced with the true facts of this ugly and pointless war, you’ve chosen to pursue your agenda by simply making up your own facts.
You point to Anbar Province as evidence that the surge is working. Never mind that the fact that our best sign of progress consists of one particular region graduating from the most dangerous part of Iraq to the second most dangerous is, in itself, a damning statement of the progress of the war, we all know that this "progress" has nothing to do with the surge. Whatever increased security there is in Anbar was achieved by arming and cooperating with Sunni insurgents, a process which began long before the surge. You know that, Mr. Bush, and so do we. Anything you say about Anbar with regard to the success of the surge is a lie.
We also know that the increased cooperation on the part of Sunnis in Anbar was directed toward one end: the establishment of a power base that will enable them to challenge the Shiite government when we’ve gone. That will, in turn, force the Maliki government to seek alliance with Iran. The tactic that you’re touting as a route to success is likely only to guarantee perpetual civil war. Once again, you know that, too. I can only conclude that a general destabilization of the region was your intention from the beginning.
You’ve also been putting it about that violence has decreased. "Sectarian killings" are down, you say. These "sectarian killings," of course, are defined only as people shot in the back of the head. A subtle distinction, to be sure. The facts are that the death toll is on the rise, both for American soldiers and Iraqi citizens. The only thing that is lower, Mr. Bush, is the depths to which you will sink in order to deceive the American people into continuing this senseless, amoral war.
It is clear that you have, indeed, made up your mind. There is no report, no analysis, and no reasoned argument that will sway you from your bloody course. I, too, have made up my mind, but not based merely on the facts. Like many Americans, I am profoundly angry. You lied to us to get us into this war. Not once, not twice, but over and over again, you’ve fed us lie after lie.
There’s no easy way out of this mess. When we leave, it will go badly. I am disgusted to hear that this is the main reason so many of your pundits are putting forward for staying in Iraq: "Maybe it was a mistake, but now that we’re there, we have no choice but to stay the course." Absolutely not, Mr. Bush. You’ve had your way with us long enough.
As a parent, I’m sure that you will understand this analogy. Imagine that your teenage daughter wants to buy a violent video game. You tell her, "no." She then asks you for money to buy another video game, of which you do approve. You give her the money, and she returns home with her purchase and goes straight upstairs to play. You enter her room unannounced, and discover that she has deceived you and bought the video game you had forbidden. She apologizes, but reminds you that she can not return software that has been opened. She suggests to you that since there’s nothing that can be done about it now, she might as well play the game.
What would you say to this child? I know what I would say: "Forget it, kiddo! If we can’t return it, it’s going in the trash. You lied to me to get this game, and you can’t play with it anymore."
I say the same to you, Mr. Bush. You lied to me to get this war, and you can’t play with it anymore.
Regretfully,
(name deleted)
Proud American
Well, for what it's worth, etc., etc. Let me know your thoughts, and any experiences any of you may have had with writing letters to the President. I would hate to think that this was a complete waste of time.
Once I decided that I had, in fact, "made up my mind," and that the MSM was right about my not caring what Petraeus had to say, the first person I wanted to tell about it was GW. You guys already knew, I'm sure.
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