by Dreamtwister » Wed 23 Aug 2006, 13:33:51
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('seahorse2', 'J')unior Bush, what can I say. Is anything going right? Afghanistan? Iraq? Iran? North Korea? Lebanon? Venezuela? Its all just peaches.
I guess it depends on what you think the administration's
true goals are, and what you consider a victory.
Afghanistan: If Enron had not imploded, the Dahbol gas-fired electicity generating station might have gone online. If that had happened, there would be a trans-afghan NG pipeline in place already. But despite that setback, no opportunity can go unexploited. Now, Afghanistan's heroin production exceeds pre-invasion levels. And we all know how much the CIA likes to deal drugs...
Iraq: Iraq isn't trading it's oil in euros, and it's not being shipped to China. Right now, one of the largest proven reserves in the world is sitting underneath 14 armored divisions and 3 carrier groups. No, the oil isn't flowing into American gas tanks as fast as some might like it, but it's not flowing into Chinese gas tanks either, and won't be for the forseeable future.
Iran: Yeah, this is a train wreck waiting to happen. I can't see a way for the states to achieve it's goals here. Apparently, neither can they, or else they would have moved by now.
North Korea: Really, what's the worst they can do to America? North Korea has been pushed to the back burner for a reason.
Lebanon: I don't think it's as much of a loss as it might appear. Look at the situation. The UN is mobilizing ground forces into Lebanon as we speak. When the US attacks Iran, (notice I said
when, not
if) Hezbollah will have to go through the UN to strike at Israel, risking whatever political capital they have in Europe and making enemies of the Lebanese army.
Venezuela: This is probably the darkest spot in the entire mess, other than Iran. America is overextended. At this point, unless something drastic changes, South America is basically a write-off.
Don't get me wrong, nothing has gone according to plan. But in every instance thus far (Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon), America has managed to come away from the table with *something* of value.
The question is, how long can this incredible good fortune hold out?
considering the next target seems to be Iran, I'm guessing not very long.
The whole of human history is a refutation by experiment of the concept of "moral world order". - Friedrich Nietzsche