Tuesday, May 24, 2005 | 9:08 a.m.
The United States armed services continue to miss their recruiting goals month after month. The numbers of Iraqi insurgents and suicide bombers increases every day. Only the most mathematically challenged will not see the coming disparity between young Americans willing to die for Iraqi democracy and the number of Muslims willing to die to stop it.
The Bush administration's invasion of Iraq, intended to stop the development of weapons of mass destruction, fight the war on terrorism, free Iraqis from tyranny ... (choose the motive that most closely reflects your values), will need a new pretense to continue to keep the blind faithful following the determined but misguided president.
Because President Bush never has a backup plan for the pitiful choices he makes, there will not be an "Operation We Screwed Up and We're Going Home." After flip-flopping the theme of his war from WMD, to terrorism, to freedom, he will soon run out of reasons to justify the Iraqi fiasco. He will also not have the military personnel to fight his ill-planned war.
Hiding behind the veil of the Social Security "crisis," Bush unsuccesfully tries to push the problems of the war off the front pages of the nation's newspapers. The war is going too poorly for that to happen and it is apparent that the political and social problems of Iraq are increasing daily. Soon the president will need to step up and make a decision as the number of American dead approaches 2,000 and the need to reinstate the draft becomes more certain.
PHIL VENTURA
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