Raft of Medusa – Lost Survivors
GW Bush’s Iraq Shipwreck

A French sailing ship, The Medusa, was lost at sea off the coast of Africa in 1816. It was a catastrophe that was caused by gross mismanagement and an incompetent captain; its survivors were depicted by a very famous, dramatic painting, The Raft of Medusa by Théodore Géricault and it still inhabits the Louvre in Paris. The terrible suffering depicted on this raft had shock value that drove the French government into action. There was a coverup which in the end protected the French captain, because of his aristocratic birth and connections.

The Iraqi war today has apparently lost its shock value, except for the American and Iraqi families who bury their dead and nurse the wounded. On the Raft of Medusa the survivors murdered each other and practiced cannibalism. In Iraq people are murdered in combat and sectarian violence; no cannibalism yet reported, but there is plenty of vicious torture to compensate. And GW Bush is certainly an incompetent leader who so far has been protected from paying any cost for his serial disasters there and elsewhere.

The war politically has taken down Rumsfeld, Slam-Dunk Tenet, Libby, Powell, and Slime Ball Wolfowitz twice; but, the neocon band plays on. Elliot Abrams provides the score from the NSC while GW Bush, his frothing VEEP, vacuous Condoleezza, the frazzled CIA, and the doting military leadership keep in step. They insure we stand and die in Iraq. The Democrats are busy negotiating among themselves on how to extend the war in Iraq, but not be responsible for it. They are doing exactly what the Israel lobby decrees, and those who profit from the war, wish. It is as if the American leadership, both Democratic and Republican, has grabbed the country by the hair, forcing its face to be buried in the stinking muck of Iraq...

I watched as Tony Blair, a.k.a. Bush's poodle, said his 24th good bye from the White House with GW Bush holding his hand. English propaganda likes to postulate that anyone using English English in America is automatically awarded 10% on his IQ score. Perhaps this is true, especially when standing and speaking beside GW Bush. My own attitude on English English, however, has always been nationalist and sharply different, e.g. ARE YOU ENGLISH OR ARE YOU AFFECTED? Blair is dogmatic to the end on his enabling role for Bush in the Iraq war; he has no regrets and says so self righteously. He would invade even with what he knows now, but his Socialist Party does not agree and has tossed him on the dung heap of history. Blair managed to be pal to both Clinton and GW Bush which demonstrates his proclivity to live with squalid morality and idiotic behavior. Even Lost Soul, former President Jimmy Carter, sounded off on Blair by condemning him for helping GW Bush's Iraq war.

Traditionally the British soldier has been one of the best pound for pound fighting man in the world. So it is with surprise that the English establishment refuses to send Prince Harry to war in Iraq with his messmates. Apparently there is no confidence he can be protected. Message here for the English subjects is that soldiers are expected to do their duty unless you are the grandson of the Queen. Apparently Prince Harry has been detailed to Buckingham Palace to protect the servants from being bit by the Queen's snarling corgis. This is a far cry from Kipling's, SHIP ME EAST OF SUEZ WHERE THE BEST IS LIKE THE WORST; WHERE THERE IS NO TEN COMMANDMENTS AND A MAN CAN RAISE A THIRST. Prince Harry sadly must now spend the rest of his life demonstrating he is not a candy ass – take up speed boat racing, formula one car racing or going over the Niagara Falls in a barrel or, whatever. Perhaps once Tony Baloney Blair departs power, the English will regain their stiff upper lip lost in the Prince Harry fiasco and recently, by the Royal Navy's mawkish surrender debacle to Iran in the Straits of Hormuz.

Whereas President Truman had a sign on his desk, THE BUCK STOPS HERE, Bush has one that states THE BUCK STARTS HERE. Even Ronald Reagan openly admitted his foolishness in Iran Contra when he traded weapons for hostages. Bush just blows off his missteps; he blames the intelligence community or a confused, inept bureaucracy. How one man remains without blame in office during successive calamities is a tribute to his propaganda machine and the banality of the American media. As a matter of fact, the screw ups under GW Bush seem to flourish. Key players in 9/11 at CIA are now just doing fine. Slam Dunk Tenet is selling books – Kofer Black, the then head of the terrorist task force that could not stop terrorists, is working as an executive for security giant Blackwater, and another key CIA operative responsible for bin Laden staying alive is working for Scowcroft and associates – incompetence pays! A classic failure is poster boy of the neurotic, nutty neocons, Paul Wolfowitz, who was rescued by Bush from being lynched for his disastrous role in the Iraq war at the Pentagon. Bush appointed him to a soft, tax free job to head the World Bank; he promptly embarrassed his country by playing follow his lolly, insuring his sweetheart made big money. He was fired on ethics issues, for breaking the World Bank rules on favoritism. Wolfowitz eventually will write a book that will turn against Bush, but his disloyal character flaw will help him sell it. So what is new with the creep? Some say Bush wants to appoint Alberto Gonzales to replace the lolly chaser at the bank!!!

Any expectation that Bush will solve the national security problem in Iraq he has created, is non existent. The arguments that if the US departs the country, more chaos in the country and region will ensue are unrealistic; what is true is that Iranians will move to stabilize the Shiites hegemony and the Saudis will take the game away from the US by bribing Sunni sheiks arming them against Shiites and al Qaeda. Everyone in Iraq wants the US out except those on the US dole, and contractors profiting on the war. The Iraq Army, over 300,000 strong, just will not fight for the US. Less than 50% report for duty after being trained and equipped by the US. There are about 6,000 Talibani Kurds who fight from time to time for money – that is about it. The US effort to establish a pluralistic central government is a fantasy – the whole show is tribal – that is the locus of power as diverse as it is, and there is where US political efforts should focus. US casualties continue to soar as insurgent weapon lethality is developing faster than the US countermeasures and tactics. US threats to depart Iraq if the Shiite government fails to do its bidding are farcical; on the contrary, it has told the US to go soonest. Republican apologists still cannot define US victory in Iraq; there is still no mission except stand and die and prevent defeat so the Jihadist will not gloat. Believe me, the Shiites and Sunni Sheiks will take care of al Qaeda in Iraq – it was not there until the US invaded and it will be strangled the moment the US departs, as its usefulness against the US in country fades. Al Qaeda is hated by the Iraqis as much as the US, if that is any consolation to stand-and-die Republicans

Up until now the self destructive Democrat congressional majority has made it evident for all kinds of foolish reasons, that it cannot execute the voters’ mandate to end the Iraq war. About the only thing that will end the US tragedy in Iraq, is if the US military stands up, says it is stupid to continue by wasting more lives. General Petraeus is not the man to do it as he is part of the problem with his reputation riding on the surge and new/old tactics. It will take the Joint Chiefs in unison to make it stick... Even though Marine General Pace OJCS Chief is a go-along weak reed, by now the Chiefs should be up to their eyeballs in stupid, irresponsible civilian leadership. Let's hear it for Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz while SecDef Gates figures out the difference between a tank and ship. When the SecDef figures this out, he should turn his attention to the difference between a civil war and an insurgency. Colonel Robert E Bartos Colonel USA RET

Photograph: Painting The Raft of Medusa by Théodore Géricault