Betray is the perfect word. Bush has betrayed the trust of an entire nation with his mishandling of...just about everything.
Let's take a small example. Fallujah. Insurgents took over the city, attacking coalition patrols, murdering, and stopping all reconstruction. Bush determines that they must be rooted out - a tough but prudent decision. The Marines, our best forces, are deployed and begin the dangerous work.
The Marines make good progress in tough fighting. A good number of insurgents are killed and, as is inevitable in urban warfare, a high number of civilians. But the objective is sound and necessary; to show the insurgents that they will have no sanctuary inside Iraq. The loss of life is tragic, but much smaller than if the insurgents are allowed a victory.
This is where your 'hero' betrayed our country, our troops, and the people of Iraq who want people. He (or, more probably, Karl Rove) determined that the cost was too much to bear - not for the important objective of stopping an insurgency in its infancy, but on the political front. So, three days into the assault, Bush calls a halt - to save his poll numbers.
The result is that the insurgents are encouraged, and use the same model to take over other cities and areas in Iraq. They know that Bush is more interested in reelection than doing the necessary thing. But after the election, it will be many times more difficult to route the insurgents, who have grown in number and morale. Many more US troops will have to die, many more civilians will have to die, many more insurgents will be born as a result of this increased fighting - all for Bush's poll numbers.
A shameful betrayal of America. |
