- Aug 16, 2003
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http://www.bocaratonnews.com/index.php?src=news&category=PUBLISHERS%20DESK&prid=6895
Bush Thanksgiving trip to Iraq was all stuffing, no meat
World deserves more than
Published Sunday, November 30, 2003
by Neal Heller
It made for a great television moment. It was inspiring in its secrecy ? and the American troops stationed in Iraq loved it. It was a political and public relations coup that undoubtedly has already reaped benefits for the president. As we already know, President Bush flew into Baghdad on Thanksgiving Day and enjoyed a couple of hours with 600 American soldiers located in Baghdad International Airport. It was a poignant moment as those in attendance were genuinely surprised to see Bush ? and he was truly touched by the troops? reaction to his appearance.
And then, in a flash, he was gone. Three hours in Iraq and the president was back on Air Force One returning to the United States. All in all, the trip into Baghdad was a huge symbolic success. Unfortunately, much as the tearing down of a Saddam statue in the middle of Baghdad several months ago turned out to mean virtually nothing in the grand scheme of things, this grand gesture on the part of the president holds little more than symbolic meaning as well.
In the words of the little old lady in the Wendy?s Hamburgers commercials so many years ago, isn?t it time for the American people to ask the question: ?Where?s the beef?? Symbolic victories are fine as long as substantive success is a part of the equation. This administration has given us many feel-good moments, but very little in the way of true substance that has made a difference.
Since Sept. 11, 2001 Americans have stood by their president and applauded his call to end worldwide terrorism. He has said all the right things, but has anything really been accomplished in curtailing terrorist activities?
Nobody has supported this war more than I did since the threat of war against Saddam became war itself. However, it has come time to question just exactly what we are accomplishing in Iraq. For that matter what did we accomplish in Afghanistan? It seems that we moved around a lot of dirt in Afghanistan, but what real progress has been made?
cont...
Bush Thanksgiving trip to Iraq was all stuffing, no meat
World deserves more than
Published Sunday, November 30, 2003
by Neal Heller
It made for a great television moment. It was inspiring in its secrecy ? and the American troops stationed in Iraq loved it. It was a political and public relations coup that undoubtedly has already reaped benefits for the president. As we already know, President Bush flew into Baghdad on Thanksgiving Day and enjoyed a couple of hours with 600 American soldiers located in Baghdad International Airport. It was a poignant moment as those in attendance were genuinely surprised to see Bush ? and he was truly touched by the troops? reaction to his appearance.
And then, in a flash, he was gone. Three hours in Iraq and the president was back on Air Force One returning to the United States. All in all, the trip into Baghdad was a huge symbolic success. Unfortunately, much as the tearing down of a Saddam statue in the middle of Baghdad several months ago turned out to mean virtually nothing in the grand scheme of things, this grand gesture on the part of the president holds little more than symbolic meaning as well.
In the words of the little old lady in the Wendy?s Hamburgers commercials so many years ago, isn?t it time for the American people to ask the question: ?Where?s the beef?? Symbolic victories are fine as long as substantive success is a part of the equation. This administration has given us many feel-good moments, but very little in the way of true substance that has made a difference.
Since Sept. 11, 2001 Americans have stood by their president and applauded his call to end worldwide terrorism. He has said all the right things, but has anything really been accomplished in curtailing terrorist activities?
Nobody has supported this war more than I did since the threat of war against Saddam became war itself. However, it has come time to question just exactly what we are accomplishing in Iraq. For that matter what did we accomplish in Afghanistan? It seems that we moved around a lot of dirt in Afghanistan, but what real progress has been made?
cont...
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