May 2, 2004

What I'm Dodging Now

COLUMBIA, S.C.--It was a year ago that I scared the absolute shit out of my mother. No, of course it wasn't intentional. What kind of son do you think I am?

Mom got to Reno last night kind of late. Then today, this morning, I called Mom for her birthday, simultaneously disrupting a seminar of sorts. It was much better than last year's birthday call.

But lots of things from a year ago make me think.

  • Last year, after the cessation of "major combat operations," soldiers and Marines weren't dying in twos and threes, and often more, for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The resistance was minimal, at best, giving the American command structure false senses of security and control.

  • There didn't seem like a clear idea on what to do with the Iraqi car's parts once the Americans caught and dismantled it. It seemed to take quite a bit of time to transition from war fighting to rebuilding. The military isn't to blame for that, but the civilian leadership is. And, admittedly, with help from the international press and media, the Iraqi people knew that all too well.

  • The obviousness of post-conflict looting was to occur, as did in all conflicts prior. And how is that handled? "Stuff happens," the Sec. Rumsfeld told a gathering of press and media at The Pentagon. "Freedom's untidy. And free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes." This, I think, lead to the lack of respect for the Americans because of their showing a lack of respect for Iraqis and their belongings and the overall state of security in Iraq just following the seizing of Baghdad and other major cities.

  • Pres. Bush's overall approval rating, taken by various usual pollsters, fell from about 70 percent to between 45 and 54 percent, depending who you ask (it's skewed high on the Republican side, low on the Democrat side and split about down the middle for independents, according to what I read).

  • More than 120 American servicemen and women were killed during the month of April 2004, compared to 130 between March 20 and April 30, 2003--the entire timeframe of "major combat operations" (according to WashingtonPost.com's Faces of the Fallen).

    Yeah, I know that some of this is some serious conjecture. But it's my personal opinion column, so I can write whatever I damn well please so long as I don't libel anyone who isn't libel-proof.

    It's my patriotic duty to question the righteousness of my government's actions. And one step further, it's my patriotic duty to question that my country's leadership is not acting on behalf of what he thinks is divine will. That has scared me ever since the guy took office in January 2001 and used the word 'crusade' just before we invaded Afghanistan to rid the world of the Taliban. (According to the same polls I used above, when a random sampling of Americans was polled on Oct. 10, 2001, Pres. Bush's approval rating soared to 90 percent, but has steadily declined since.)

    So, yeah, Mom, things are rather different one year later. But for your sake, the only things I'm dodging now are baseballs fouled out of play rather than bullets fired from an AK-47.

    - Rich

    		•

    frustration n (frus tray shun) - 1. the state of being frustrated, 2. a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs

    Recently

    Infrequent Posting and Loss of Right to Illegal Search and Siezure
    Two Cents
    United Airlines Sucks (redux) - updated
    College World Series -- The End
    College World Series -- When do I go home?

    The Archive